Anyone tanning before the wedding?

Knottie37373131 · June 2014

I am thinking that I am going to build myself a base tan now so that I can see how I look in my wedding dress, and then maintain it until my wedding next May. I know it takes 2 to 3 months to get a decent base tan.

jenna8984 · June 2014

Nope. I'm not usually very tan and I want to look like myself. I'm getting married in early Sept so if I happen to have any summer tan left so be it but I'm not going out of my way to make it happen. My friend is Irish and pale and she looked so bright orange/ tan on her wedding that it was just not good. Everyone still makes jokes about it 4 years later because she looked so fake and unnatural.

And if you're talking about tanning beds, the skin cancer is not worth it. I have friends at 24 years old getting melanoma sliced from them due to tanning.

atlastmrsg · June 2014

I think tanning beds are terrible for you. That being said, I was willing to tan for the two months leading up to my wedding--I went 1-2x per week. We have Sun Tan City where I live, a tanning chain with all kinds of beds. I did the cheapest bed (a 20 minute bed, did between 5 and 8 minutes) until my last three appointments, when I upgraded to the best bed (high pressure, "bronzing" rays instead of "reddening rays.") I was tan and happy, and didn't get any sort of fake tanner on my gown. Given how much I paid for it, I wanted to be sure nothing would get on it so I could have it cleaned then sell it. Those last three visits in the upgraded bed made a HUGE difference--I highly recommend building a base then upgrading.

I definitely wouldn't make it a habit though. Tanning really is bad for you. I thought about the risk reward, and going about 11 times leading up to my wedding was okay with me.

KatWAG · June 2014

Tanning is terrible for you but yes I used them before the wedding. I wanted to have some color and I didnt want to risk a bad spray tan. I went a lot in the 2-3 months before our wedidng (maybe 3 or 4x a week. ) And I got too tan. So I stopped going for 2 weeks before the wedding and it turned out perfectly.

Maggie0829 · June 2014

Yes, tanning beds are terrible for you, but so is getting a tan via the sun and so is smoking and so is eating a pound of chocolate and so is a lot of things.

Look if you want to get a base tan and you realize the risk you are taking then just go tanning a few times a week for 2-3 months prior to your wedding. I did this because I look sickly and tired if I don't have some kind of color. And like you, I didn't want to risk a bad spray tan. My friend gets them a lot and I don't know if it is what she does or if is the spray tan but it starts to rub off in weird places so she looks splotchy and I really didn't want to look splotchy on my wedding day. After the wedding I didn't go again until I was in my friends wedding last year and then I only went a few times just to get rid of my winter "shine." Ever since then I have not stepped foot into a tanning bed.

tammym1001 · June 2014

I used to tan regularly. I don't do it anymore because I'm trying not to have to have anymore huge scars like the 6 that I have from having cancerous moles removed from my body. I'm not being judgy by saying that even though it sounds like it. I'm just letting you know why I didn't tan. I got a spray tan instead just so I could even out my skin tone and have a little color. I got it on Thursday night before my Saturday wedding and nothing rubbed off on my dress. I went to a place where someone actually sprays you so they were able to adjust the color and pressure of the gun when spraying it so it didn't look orange. I did a couple of test runs first to make sure it would look right.

[Deleted User] · June 2014

Save yourself the money and instead of tanning for months get a spray tan. They are a lot better then they use to be. .

suburbanstepmom · June 2014

I have never used a tanning bed but I typically use "gradual tan" lotions for my legs so I don't look transparent so I am used to the way fake tan looks on my skin. I will probably get a light spray tan prior to the wedding... I personally wouldn't do a tanning bed though.

futuremrshuls · June 2014

Do a base tan in one of your local tanning salon's basic beds, especially if you're really fair skinned. I'm currently working on my base tan (I'm extremely fair skinned), and I have to be extremely gradual with it because I am quick to burn. It doesn't happen overnight! But as long as you're gradual with the tanning beds, its better than using a tanning lotion from walmart, as you won't have to worry about looking orange, or having orange palms. : ) I usually tan every other day for about 5 minutes. I use lotions from my salon. The girls that work at tanning salons live and breathe tanning, don't be afraid to ask them too!!

fall2015bride · June 2014

Uuuugh! I used to tan when I was younger in my late teens to mid 20's but stopped because of serious sun damage. I've gone/still go to get laser treatments which helps with sunspots but they are still there. I self tan which I HATE!!! I'm so super pale. FI and my mom don't want me to tan before my wedding but I just might do it anyway one last time. Were going to Hawaii for our honeymoon. I don't want to look like my regular albino self on a beach.

Knottie37373131 · June 2014

I went ahead and got myself a membership. I know its terrible but I am going to allow myself to tan for the next 11 months. It takes me so long to build up a decent tan and I start so slowly. It will probably be two months before I even have a nice base tan for this summer. I think I am going to go at least once a week until the wedding.

KnightsNurse · June 2014

Tanning in a regulated UV bed is much better for you than going to the beach or laying out. As long as you're not predispositioned for skin cancer (ie. Fair skinned, lots of freckles/moles, etc) than the risks of moderate, CONTROLLED use are very low. In fact, our bodies need UV exposure either one way or another in order to absorb vitamin D. Vitamin D has been linked to many thinks, such as lowering risk for depression, but most importantly, without vitamin D you can't properly absorb calcium. Long term, this increases your chances of osteoporosis amongst other issues. I know in my state tanning salons are very strict about how often, how long and who can tan. It's not as "terrible" for you as a whole heck of a lot of other things out there and I like taking the guesswork out of tanning by knowing exactly how much exposure I'm getting. I've been tanning for 8 years and have yet to get "leather" skin or cancer. Be careful, assess your genetic risks and you should be fine

beethery · June 2014

For the record, you can get your daily recommended vitamin D from 15 minutes of sun exposure. Even on a moderately cloudy day.

KnightsNurse · June 2014

It depends on the person. I was told I had vitamin D deficiency and I was spending more than that a day in direct Florida sunlight. And if you think about 15 mins 7 days a week compared to 5-10 mins in a tanning bed 2-3 days a week, it's about that same recommended exposure time anyway...

atlastmrsg · June 2014

futuremrsk515 said:

I went ahead and got myself a membership. I know its terrible but I am going to allow myself to tan for the next 11 months. It takes me so long to build up a decent tan and I start so slowly. It will probably be two months before I even have a nice base tan for this summer. I think I am going to go at least once a week until the wedding.

11 months? That's a really long time. Unnecessarily long.

Knottie37373131 · June 2014

I plan on going once a week or so once I have a nice base. That way I have a nice tan for this summer and I don't have to restart my base for the wedding in May.

Marzipan13 · June 2014

I'm not going to tan for the purpose of looking tan, but I am laying out in the sun more to clear up my skin. The sun has always done wonders for my acne, so that's the only reason I'm catching rays.

MollyandD · June 2014

I swore I wouldn't tan, but then... On the last day of work, my coworkers and I finished early and went swimming to celebrate the start of summer break. I didn't reapply sunscreen carefully, and I got a terrible sunburn.

I ended up with a tan that had the tan lines from my bathing suit. I freaked out, since it was a month before my wedding, and my dress is strapless. I got sunscreen, SPF 100+, and put it only on the area that got tan. Then I tanned the white part to make it balanced. It actually worked!

I tried a spray tan, but it didn't hide my strap lines. It also made me much darker than I wanted to be. I like being super tan from a spray tan sometimes, but I want to look like myself on my wedding day.

theartistformerlyknownas · June 2014

No. I have fair skin, and I want to look like myself on my wedding day. I have a little bit of color from bike riding that will probably still be around by September, but I won't purposely subject myself to more than whatever comes naturally.

If I'm going to get skin cancer, I'd rather get it by enjoying myself outside than laying in a box that looks too much like a coffin for my own liking.

beethery · June 2014

If I am going on a beach vacation, I will do 1-2 minutes twice a week in a stand-up tanning booth over the course of a month before the vacation. Just enough to get some semblance of a base tan. Also, I SLATHER my face in high SPF mexoryl sunscreen AND try to keep my face covered during the session. I wear facial sunscreen daily in my moisturizer, and I am trying to keep my mug as young-looking as I can. Other than that, I do not hit the human toaster for any reason.

Once on vacation, I use SPF15-35 depending on the level of exposure I will be encountering daily.

lyndausvi · June 2014

I worked on a sailboat in the islands for years before I got married. I had a perma-tan.

I've never gone to a tanning bed, would not have entertained the thought either. I can't imagine trying to maintain a tan for the next 10 months.

Majelin86 · June 2014

Are you normally tan? Because I think people should look like themselves on their wedding day.

Knottie37373131 · June 2014

I am not normally tan except during the Summer. I am getting married in Jamaica though and want to have a nice tan and some preventative against burning. I will be wearing sun screen the whole time I am there.

doeydo · July 2014

I think people look best at their natural skin tone. Pale brides look beautiful, IMO.

ahkelteke · July 2014

I'm going with a spray tan. I purchased a package on Groupon 6 months out from the wedding. I tried a few different levels to see how light/dark I wanted to go. I used to tan occasionally when I was younger, but I really regret it. The spray tan is healthier and doesn't take a toll on my skin. I wanted to look young, bright, and refreshed for the wedding. Tanning in a bed has a tendency to make my skin look dry, parched, and leathery. Yuck! The spray tan was a much better fit for me.

Knottie37373131 · July 2014

I thought about doing spray tan, but since we are going to be in the Caribbean I want a nice base. I know they highly advise avoiding spray tan before Caribbean weddings due to the heat and humidity. The tan may rub off on the dress, whereas it would not in normal conditions.

mystakilla · July 2014

A question for those of you that have spray tanned, does it come off on your clothes if you sweat at all? I would like to get a spray tan to even out tan lines, just afraid of it coming off on my dress. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

MollyandD · July 2014

Totally depends on the tan. I've had some rub off, and some that were just fine. Before you schedule a tan for your wedding, schedule a trial a couple weeks prior to see how this spray tan works on you.

jenijoyk · August 2014

So I'm a totally crazy spray tan obsessed person. I live in Orange County. Spray tanning is a way of life. It is totally possible to get a non-orange spray tan that isn't splotchy. You just need to go to a place where they know what they are doing, where the girl behind the counter can give you good recommendations for your skin tone, and you need to experiment to see what reacts well with your skin chemistry.

The big spray booth companies that are at most tanning salons (at least out here) are Versa and Mystic. For me, Versa does nothing. I have no idea why. I can ask for the very darkest setting, and nothing happens. Works for others, but has zero effect on my skin.

But I love Mystic tans. At the place I go, they have three different Mystic levels (light, medium, and dark), and then you can also add extenders (1, 2, or 3) to each of those levels. So there's 9 different combos there - and each one will look different on you. I have learned that the light and dark levels have a brownish base. The medium level tends to have a more "golden" (read: orange) base that only looks good on people with naturally olive skin (it hides the orange better).

Mystic tans have never rubbed off on my clothes. But you can prevent your spray tanned skin from lightening in weird splotches by: (1) taking a shower and doing some hardcore exfoliating immediately before you head to the salon; (2) not wearing ANY lotion at all, anywhere, including your face, before going to the salon; (3) after getting out of the spray tan booth, putting on only super loose clothing (I always wear a maxi skirt and a baggy t-shirt out of there - I don't even put my bra back on) and staying in your loose clothes for a few hours; and (4) starting first thing the next day, moisturizing the heck out of every square inch of your skin. I use a lotion called "SunlessPro Post-Tan Moisterizer" that my salon carries. But really you can just use cheap hemp lotion from Walmart. It will work just as well. It's a lot of work, but spray tans are expensive so it's worth it to do it right. If you can find a place with packages (I have unlimited spray tans for $79/month) you can do all kinds of experimenting before the wedding. I'd definitely do more than just one or two trials. It'd be terrible to end up orange or splotchy on your wedding day. (Or tan with bright white armpits... another spray tan giveaway!)

Also (WOW I HAD NO IDEA I HAD SO MUCH TO SAY ABOUT SPRAY TANNING) you need to go a few times to perfect the art of the 'blending creme'... The salon will have a big jar of moisturizer in the room with the spray booth. You have to rub it all over your hands and feet or else those places will get darker than everywhere else. It took me a few times before I got this down. Too much blending creme and your hands and feet are white. Too little and they end up looking like you just finished gardening and didn't bother to wash your hands.

kbeaen20 · August 2014

I will spray tan. I use Mystic and have always had amazing results ( I do use some additives to help the color look more natural). You just have to make sure your exfoliated well before hand, and shave before. I have never had trouble with it coming off on my clothes or when I sweat.

eliza621 · August 2014

I plan on having a decent base tan, we will be in Hawaii and I don't want to get burnt on my wedding day!

In the past I have done spray tans, and I have had them all rub off on my clothes, and bedsheets

I would not risk getting a spray tan for my wedding day, I'm sure with my luck I would have it rub off all around my armpits lol.

Anyone tanning before the wedding?

Re: Anyone tanning before the wedding?

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