Emer O'Callaghan shares her top bridal beauty tips 

We recently saw the extravagant wedding of one of the world’s richest men, Jeff Bezos, as he and his bride took over the city of Venice for a week.

Then you would want to be heartless not to have felt so sorry watching the grief and pain on the face of the young wife and now widow of the Liverpool player Diogo Jota, burying him two weeks after they wed.

No-one knows when they get married what road lies ahead for them, what faith and God has in store for the road ahead. Not everyone gets the happy ending they so deserve and life does not always go as planned.

There is no show like an Irish wedding, and we are at the peak of the season now. In my job as a beauty doctor and skin specialist, I work with clients every day preparing for a wedding, be it their own, a family member, or friend,

There is always so much prep before an Irish wedding and it can come with unnecessary stress and pressure too, especially for the bride.

So this week I want to give my best wedding beauty tips for all those involved in one in the months ahead.

There is so much for a bride to do before her wedding, and any woman knows the trips to the beautician for facials, make-up, nails, lashes and tan are a must beforehand.

I love weddings, and I love, love being part of someone’s special day.

One of my brothers is very funny, he calls a wedding invite in the post another summons, which always makes me laugh, but however you feel about them, please remember it’s not YOUR day, unless you’re the bride.

To me, elegance, class and informality are key to a beautiful bridal party.

LET’S TALK SKIN

As a skin specialist, I treat clients of all ages and skin types every day at Emerald Beauty Clinic, and the first tip I will give any bride is this: Do not take your beauty and skin advice solely from magazines.

If they say 3-6 months before your wedding is enough time to start facials, they are WRONG, it’s far too late. We need at least 12 months working with a bride on her skin to get it flawless and radiant for her big day.

You are taking a huge gamble with break-outs and skin sensitivity when you leave it so late. The smart bride will come in for her facials a year before the wedding.

It’s not just the brides who need facials, mothers of the bride and groom, bridesmaids and immediate family should also be getting their skin wedding prep ready in advance too. You will be looking back at those wedding photos for many years and you don’t want to be wishing you had done more afterwards.

I have a lovely client who doesn’t mind me sharing her story. She came to me over ten years ago and now she comes monthly for my facials.

On the first day she arrived at Emerald Beauty Clinic, she told me she was here to work on her skin because she had never done any facials before as her home and work life were so busy. Just like so many women, she never made much time for herself.

Her youngest brother got married and, to her horror, all day the wedding photographer kept thinking she was his mother. She knew then she needed to work on her skin fast.

Well, she has certainly done that and I can tell you, you wouldn’t mistake her now for a 70-year-old, she looks far younger than her years and is proof that with regular facials and a personalised homecare plan, you can take decades off the skin.

TANTASTIC

I’ve seen many a gorgeous wedding dress over-powered by the wrong tan on a bride.

One tan for all is what we professional advise, and what does that mean? It means the bride chooses her tan and all her bridesmaids wear the same.

If you see pictures of a wedding party and there is a pale bridesmaid, one orange, and one chocolate, it’s because they all wore different tans and it looks all wrong.

St Tropez is still, in my professional opinion, the best tan, I wore it myself on my wedding day, and I recommend it for any bride and bridal party as it is natural-looking.

Uniformity is the key to get all of the bridal party looking natural. God knows, it’s hard enough to pick the bloody dresses, we don’t need the tan taking from them in the end!

Also, to the mothers of brides and grooms, we tan all your leg as we know by doing so we are saving you a lot of necessary blushes, like when you cross your legs, people will see your white thigh and brown lower leg. Also, many forget the next day outfit which may show more leg than you thought - so always ensure you tan the full legs and body.

NAIL IT

My professional advice to a bridal party is to match the colour of your lipstick, not your dress, put the same colour nail polish on both hands and toes - and, yes, do your toes.

Get your nails done professionally - in my opinion, French nail polish on the bride’s hands and toes and on all bridesmaids looks the best.

MAKE-UP

Please invest in facials, your make-up looks so much better.

All make-up artists will ask the bride and bridesmaids to do this, as your skin is the canvas the make-up sits on.

WEAR THE HAT

You don’t need to wear a satellite dish, it’s not Ascot, but mothers of brides and grooms should always wear some sort of a headpiece or hat as is the correct wedding protocol.

Mothers of brides and grooms are perfectly entitled to go as glam and as big with their hats or headpieces and outfits as is their entitlement, they have earned that right, and I tell them all to go big and cut a dash, as that is what is expected of them.

White on the mothers of the bride is in fashion now and many opt for this trend. Each to their own, but I am a traditionalist and believe in letting a bride shine bright on her special day.

I wish everyone who is getting married this year a lifetime of love and happiness and a wedding day to remember for all the right reasons.

All the hard work you put into looking so well always pays off, I can promise that. I never met a bride who regretted doing her facials and her beauty routine, but I have met a few who told me they wished they had done more.

• Emer O’Callaghan is a Beauty Doctor and Skin Specialist who won Irish Beauty Therapist of the Year and Works at Emerald Beauty Clinic, 021 4365949. A Multi Award Winning Five Star Gold Standard Clinic 2008-2025, www.emeraldbeautyclinic.ie, follow us on Facebook/Instagram/ TikTok now.
• SPECIAL OFFER: All next week, our award-winning Dermalogica Pro 60 Facial is reduced from €125 to €95. Includes full skin analysis, complimentary eyebrow shape, samples, and treats. Appointments necessary. To book call Emerald Beauty Clinic, 021 4365949. Free parking.