Planning a wedding is equal parts thrilling and nervewracking, with so many vendors to coordinate, details to track, and opinionated family members to appease.
Most wedding planning guides offer tips on when to book your venue or buy your dress to avoid stressful hiccups. This one’s different: a definitive timeline for pre-wedding aesthetic treatments, from plastic surgery and Invisalign to last-minute facials.
If there’s ever been a time to prep like you’re an A-list actress going to the Oscars, this is it. Our goal: you, radiating confidence when you finally strut down that aisle (and pose for roughly a billion pictures).
We’ve consulted experts around the country on the ideal timeline to help make that vision a reality.
1 year out
Whatever you’re considering getting done, it’s not too soon to consult with a surgeon or dermatologist when you get engaged. They’ll map out a treatment plan based on your goals and timeline, complete with a cost estimate. This gives you time to shop around for second (or third) opinions and quotes that might be a better fit for your budget.
A year in advance is also an ideal time to get any of these procedures on the books.
Rhinoplasty and tummy tucks
A rhinoplasty is a popular pre-wedding procedure for “enhancing profile symmetry and achieving a balanced look,” says Dr. Shahram Salemy, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Seattle. “Full healing can take 6-12 months, so it’s best to plan well in advance.”
Dr. John Burns, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Dallas, agrees. “Rhinoplasty takes at least 6 months to fully heal and for swelling to resolve,” he says, and some swelling can linger for up to a year. So if you know you want a nose job, it’s smart to plan ahead (and work it into your budget).
If you’ve lost a lot of weight leading up to your big day, a tummy tuck can remove any excess skin and tighten abdominal muscles. It’s a major procedure that requires lots of healing. And it can be a major expense.
“There is significant swelling and tenderness of the abdomen—you want to be fully healed, to make sure all the swelling is gone and you’ll be able to move freely,” explains Dr. Catherine Chang, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills. It also leaves a low hip-to-hip scar that takes time to fade, though scar gels and laser treatments can speed that along.
Injectables (if it’s your first time)
If you’re a seasoned pro with Botox or fillers, your provider will already have a sense of how your facial muscles react and how fillers refine your features—so you can circle back with them ~5 months out from your date.
Newbies, now is the time to start zeroing in on what works for you.
“If we are doing somebody who has never had toxins done, it takes about a full year to develop the muscle memory and for your upper face to look flawless,” says New York City–based board-certified dermatologist Dr. Marina Peredo. “It also takes time to tweak things. You want to decide what you love about your treatment and what you don’t and perfect it.”
For fillers, having a consultation as far out as possible could save you from making a spontaneous decision that leaves you with undesired results. It’ll also allow time for dissolving your fillers with hyaluronic acid if you’re unhappy with your result.
Even a year out is not a time to dramatically transform your look. Our providers recommend getting subtle treatments over the next year to six months, as you have other events where you’ll see your guests. Aim for a natural, smooth transition.
Acne-scar treatments and collagen boosters
If you have deep acne scarring, your provider will want to start resurfacing treatments ASAP. More superficial treatments can start within four months of your event.
Exosomes can enhance your results and expedite healing. Your provider then may also go in with a biostimulatory filler like Sculptra, to further smooth out deeper, pitted scars. While you’ll see an improvement immediately, Sculptra takes a few weeks to start stimulating your body’s collagen production.
Hair restoration
If you want your hair to look thicker before your wedding day, Dr. Peredo suggests starting now. “With hair-loss treatments, normally men do better than women, and younger women do better than postmenopausal women,” she says. She uses a laser called Keralase by Lutronic, which uses nonablative resurfacing and growth-factor infusion to stimulate hair growth. “You need at least six treatments every two weeks. If you start that a year to six months prior to the wedding, that’d be ideal because it does give you good results.” She notes that it’s painless and a lot less expensive than PRP or exosomes. If it works for you, you can just continue with maintenance treatments, and if it doesn’t, you’ll have time to try other options.
Braces or Invisalign
Significant adjustments to the alignment of your teeth with braces or Invisalign typically take a year, and you may choose to incorporate other dental treatments (like teeth whitening) afterward. If you want a brighter, straighter smile, be sure to give yourself enough time.
Tattoo removal
If you’re considering tattoo removal, your timeline depends entirely on your unique situation—the ink’s color, size, age, and location as well as your skin tone all make a difference. That said, you’ll want to be prepared sooner rather than later. “Lasering your tattoo is not attractive—superficial bruising and water blisters can form, and then the entire fading process of every shade will slowly take place,” says medical aesthetician Brittany Blancato, who practices under NYC board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Yael Halaas.
It can take anywhere from 4 to 12 sessions, which should be spaced six weeks apart for best results, so get started quickly if your unwanted ink takes up a lot of real estate in a visible location.
6 months out
Plastic surgery
Facelifts, neck lifts, blepharoplasties (eyelid surgery), liposuction, and any form of breast augmentation should be performed at this point.
Don’t push your dates, no matter what you may have heard about faster recoveries. You have to plan for the possibility that there can potentially complications or tweaks that need to be made before you are happy.
“We have seen a significant increase in requests to get in ASAP for facelift surgery,” says Dr. Madnani. He recommends scheduling as far out in advance to allow time for lasers and injectables, to create the best possible result.
Lasers, light therapy, and microneedling
These types of treatments tend to take three months to deliver results (depending on your unique goals), but our providers recommend starting sooner, to determine how you respond to treatment—particularly if you’ve never tried them before. Downtime varies, and if you are doing one treatment a month for three months, you want to make sure you have enough time to see the results.
Your options here vary widely, but popular picks recommended by our experts include Clear + Brilliant, non-ablative erbium, Secret RF, Morpheus8, SkinPen, and IPL.
People mostly think of these treatments for the face and neck. But don’t forget about the skin on other areas, especially if you’re wearing a dress that reveals a lot of your back, chest, arms, or shoulders.
We’re not just talking about fine lines or acne—a lot of people have heavy freckling on their shoulders from neglecting to wear enough sunscreen on trips to the beach. Start these types of treatments as early as possible, and then focus on maintaining your results.
Laser hair removal
If you don’t want to fuss with waxing or shaving ahead of your honeymoon, start your laser hair removal sessions now.
It’ll take around six treatments, spaced one month apart, to see a significant reduction. Hair density, strand thickness, and size of the treatment area will make a big difference in how effective your treatments are, as will your dedication to the process.
The most important thing is to stay on schedule, so each time the laser energy is sent into the anagen hair growth stage. Damaging the root of the follicle at each session is key to preventing more growth and reducing unwanted hair.
Veneers
Veneers change the shape, color, and position of your teeth to create a photo-ready smile.
A cosmetic dentist will work with you to design the look that you want by taking a 3D scan of your mouth, considering your bite before designing temporary veneers.
Start this journey at the six-month mark, especially if you need a gum lift to help your teeth appear longer and more symmetrical.
Once the teeth and gums are processed, your dentist will install temporary veneers, which are locked onto the tooth until they’re replaced with permanent veneers.
After this trial run, a ceramics team will create and then install porcelain veneers that replicate natural tooth enamel, delivering brighter, more even-looking teeth.
Body contouring
Body contouring and sculpting treatments don’t work in a vacuum: if you’re not following a regular fitness regimen and eating well, don’t expect great results.
Start a series of these procedures early. The more time you have to support your body contouring treatments with diet and fitness, the better your results should be. Emsculpt Neo is a favorite for delivering a smoothing and tightening one-two punch, strengthening the muscles underneath the subcutaneous fat while the device’s high-intensity, focused electromagnetic stimulation tightens and tones the overlying skin with radiofrequency. It can also target specific areas like bra fat, back fat, and the inner or outer thigh.
Latisse
Sure, you could get lash extensions or a lash lift, but if you want lush lashes and brows that’ll last well past the honeymoon, ask your MD for a Latisse prescription.
There are other popular lash and brow serums, but Latisse is FDA approved and has a solid track record of results.
3 months out
Muscle toning
If you’ve already been getting treated with Emsculpt NEO as part of your wedding plan, you can just do maintenance treatments moving forward—once a month for three months.
If not, you’ll still get good results if you start now.
1 to 2 months out
Injectables like Botox and fillers
In this time frame, your injector will recommend touch-ups or retreatment with your preferred injectables. They may also incorporate some light additions.
Now is the perfect time to add a neurotoxin for a gummy smile or a lip lip, as well as subtle improvements on your previous results.
1 month out
Botox for hyperhidrosis
This very clever treatment is a great option for brides and grooms alike—no one wants to ruin their wedding photos (or clothes) with armpit stains.
If you have an outdoor wedding in hot weather, you also don’t want to see wet underarms. And you can get treated along the hairline if you tend to get damp in this area or don’t want to sweat away your blowout.
Gentle exfoliation
Again, now is not when you want to do anything aggressive.
Clear + Brilliant followed by exosomes is always a good idea at this point, to give brides’ skin a nice glow with an expedited recovery window. You can also opt for very light chemical peels, once a week for three weeks, for a comparable effect.
1 week out
Teeth whitening
Within five days of your wedding is the perfect window for professional teeth whitening.
Earlier, and your teeth showing stains, while later you run the risk of experiencing shooting pains from sensitivity on your wedding day.
If you can’t make it to your dentist then, go to them at least one month before for custom whitening trays, which you can also use in the time between a professional treatment and the main event. These are molded to the exact shape of your teeth for gleaming white results. At-home ingredients are not as strong, so you’re also less likely to experience much discomfort.
Hydrafacial
For the best close-ups, makeup should sit flawlessly on your skin. Now that you’ve perfected your complexion, the only thing standing between you and supersmooth, glowing skin is hydration. Foundation will glide on if you get a HydraFacial the week before your wedding. There’s no downtime with this treatment, just total luminosity post-appointment. The 48 to 72 hours after your treatment is when the serums truly set in and begin to radiate through your skin, leaving you glowing.
1 day out
It’s all about gentle pampering now—think cooling eye patches, such as NakedBeauty MD Hydrogel Masks and Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Eye Masks and the Stacked Skincare Ice Roller.
But if you do wake up to a scary pimple on your face the day before your wedding, make sure you have a dermatologist who can see you after hours, to give you a cortisone injection. Cortisone is an anti-inflammatory and brings the pimple down.
Otherwise, all you need to do the night before is skin hydration, so try using a mask for a megadose of moisture.
