I know it''s bad for you

[Hudson_Hawk]

but are you ladies tanning prior to your big day? When I bought my dress last year I had a tan (LOL and lines to prove it!). I fully intended to have some natural color for the wedding, but summer hasn''t really hit the Northeast yet. I''m feeling so pasty white and I''m debating whether I should pull the trigger and go tanning. I''ve only got 2 weeks until the wedding, so it''s not like I have a whole lot of time to get really tan. How much color do you think I could get over two weeks? I tan quite well naturally and I don''t burn often.

I''ve tried spray tanning and I do not care for it.

 

[ilovethiswebsite]

Yes... I am!

I think there is a huge misconception out there that sun exposure and tanning is bad for us. I think in moderation it is actually quite healthy for you... Actually a recent conference I went to talked about a lot of recent research findings showing how good the sun (including tanning) really is for people since we need vitamin D for many different bodily functions.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Okay well now that you''ve justified it for me

Do you think I can get a decent amount of color in 2 weeks?

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Date: 6/19/2009 10:18:49 PM
Author: ilovethiswebsite
I think there is a huge misconception out there that sun exposure and tanning is bad for us. I think in moderation it is actually quite healthy for you... Actually a recent conference I went to talked about a lot of recent research findings showing how good the sun (including tanning) really is for people since we need vitamin D for many different bodily functions.

You really only need 10 minutes in mid morning sun to get all the Vit D you need for a day (give or take a few minutes depending on your skin type). I haven't read many papers on tanning so can't comment on safety parameters for it, but I'm pretty sure tanning once in your life will not significantly increase your risk for skin cancer (assuming your tanning session isn't 72 hours straight with full blast UV all over).

Personally I don't plan to tan, I'm pretty sure I"ll have tan lines in my strapless dress, but oh well. It would be very "me", lol.

 

[FrekeChild]

Come spend a weekend in NM HH. It''s been smokin'' hot here the past few weeks, and there is about a 5% chance of cloud cover on any given summer day.

 

[Squirrly]

i''ve never gone tanning, and i''m always the one creepily saying cancer as my friends head off to fake bake, but i admit, if i have a farmer''s tan within a month of my wedding, i''ll be secretly fake-baking and hoping beyond all hope that they never find out i did.

as long as you''re smart about it and don''t go too long, especially the first time, and you''re not going daily, it should be fine since it''s just for a short period. just lather some lotion on yourself afterwards. i have some inexpensive vit-E lotion that seems to work quite well and is supposedly really good for my skin.

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

If you go as often as you are allowed to (there''s lost of regulations here in oz, we can only go once every 3 days i think?) for the 2 weeks you will get a really nice helathy glow without looking too tanned. Make sure you buy a decent tanning lotion to go with it as well, i think it''s the lotion you buy that makes the difference with how well you tan.

 

[princessplease]

HH, definitely do a standup booth. A lay down bed will not tan under your armpits so you''ll be pale under your pits, lol!!!
Go for it girl!!! It''s your wedding and you deserve to look fab!

 

[Blair138]

YES! I broke my own rule!

I have been tanning on and off since May. I do stand-up for about 8-10 minutes. START SLOW. Go about 5 minutes and work your way up. It''s the best way to make sure you don''t burn. And be smart. I want to look like I have a nice summer glow, not a full out DARK tan. I got about 2 times a week and I look natural. I agree with princessplease...go in the stand-up because it tans your underarms and you don''t get funky underarm lines.

I tried on my dress post-tanning and think it looks SO MUCH better.

 

[CaliCushion]

I''m not going to lecture you about tanning. Have you tried custom airbrush tanning? It''s different than a spray tan, and it''s customized to you. You only have to go once, and you get to pick how dark you want to be. I went the day before my wedding and showered the morning of. I had no streaking, and the tan lasts over a week!

 

[Kelli]

Ditto on the stand-up bed. Those laying down ones are so difficult if you really want to get an even tan. And do start slowly! I think I will probably tan for my wedding. I''m outside ALL the time right now and have a very natural tan with lines and everything. I highly doubt the lines will be completely gone, even by February when my wedding is. I don''t want to look rediculous and orange (like my high-school dance students do for prom), but I want to even out my lines and I know my dress will look better on me with some color. It''s my ONLY wedding day!

 

[happygolucky851]

Hudson,

I''m not sure if y''all have a store called Origins up north but here in Texas we have it and they have this lotion tan (hear me out first!) and I absolutely LOVE it! There is a face tanner and body tanner. It looks natural with all skin colors. My mom and grandma both tried it and loved it as well! (they are both very fair skinned) It works with your skin tone to give you a pretty bronzed (not at all orange) shimmer. In my experience,(i''ve used it for over a year now) I put it on 2 days before any event and it looks fabulous! just make sure to blend in well at the elbows and heels of your hands. I wouldn''t put it on the day before or day of cause it definitely has that fake tan smell to it but it goes away after your next shower. I usually put it on after a shower at night so the next morning I don''t smell it. It is $18 and some cents for each. Just another option to give you a little extra pretty bronze before your big day!

Good luck!

 

[MommaChristine]

Date: 6/20/2009 2:12:08 AM
Author: CaliCushion
I''m not going to lecture you about tanning. Have you tried custom airbrush tanning? It''s different than a spray tan, and it''s customized to you. You only have to go once, and you get to pick how dark you want to be. I went the day before my wedding and showered the morning of. I had no streaking, and the tan lasts over a week!

Ditto. I''m fair skinned and I hate the spray tan at the booths (and get NO color at all in the beds) so I get it done by hand. It''s amazing how different they turn out!

 

[merrymunky]

I am always one of the odd ones out. I am trying NOT to get tanned before the big day. However, sadly, this is not going to be a possibility. I tan easily in the sun. I have tried to avoid being out in the sun as I prefer to be pale. Weird I know.

However, I work in a special school and we spend a lot of time outdoors. Even just on break duties I have caught the sun and now have two chunky shite strips on my wrists where my watch and bracelets have been. I hate it. I was hoping for more delicate jewellery for my wedding in August but I doubt the tan on my arms will have faded much by then. Unless of course, I wear sunblock on my arms everywhere bu my wrists then go sit in the sun for a while!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I will proudly be sporting my tank-top tan lines

 

[GoodSoul]

ETA - I just noticed that you mentioned you didn't care for Spray Tan. So I deleted my suggestion on Spray tan

 

[galvana]

Hi HH
im definitly going. not only do i want some color (or more freckles) for my wedding, I NEED to have a good base before going on the honeymoon.
If i dont "prep" i burn easily so tanning before going to mexico in july is a must for me.

 

[NakedFinger]

hudson- i know i get annoying with my "take it from a professional" wedding planner-ness, but please take it from a professional.....

PLEASE dont spray tan. , many "fake tans" and even many powdered face bronzers do not photograph well. They dont translate properly in film and end up looking very orange. You dont want to look like and oompa loompa on the day of your wedding.

Also, and I know this from experience from my poor brides, if you get it too far in advance it will start peel/rub off in certain places before the wedding which makes you look like you have a skin disease, and if you do it right before and HATE it, there isnt much you can do.

doing it for 2 weeks isnt a big deal, its not like you are one of those addicts that go every single day, or twice a day, 365 days a year. If you do it for the 2 weeks up to your wedding, you'll have a nice glow but wont look like a carrot

 

[DearBuddha]

I get it, Hudson-Boston weather is driving me nuts! It really needs to stop raining already!

As far as tanning goes, I''d probably stick to the natural coloring. I was super tan for my wedding (I was living in San Diego then, and we moved back to Boston three weeks after), and in retrospect, I wished I wasn''t. It''s totally my own darn fault, because I did sit out for a few hours a few days before the wedding, even though I was nicely bronzed before that. I''m naturally a pale skinned person, but because my ancestry includes Native American bloodlines, I pick up color quickly.

I liked how I looked for my wedding for the most part, but the color of my skin just didn''t look like me. I usually stay out of the sun, and it was just so unlike me to be that dark. I look at my wedding pictures and think, "wow, I look like someone else; what was I thinking?"

If you really want a light dusting of color, get a nice bronzer; they always do the trick!

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 6/20/2009 10:24:28 AM
Author: MakingTheGrade
I will proudly be sporting my tank-top tan lines

Ditto!

I play soccer outdoors 3 times a week so it''s pretty much impossible for me to avoid tan lines...even though I wear sunscreen, I still get a little bit tan. (I think getting super sweaty makes the sunscreen wear off pretty quickly.) Plus now that I have a scooter my arms are getting really tan!

I am not a fan of tanning, but I doubt going a few times before your wedding will kill you. I know how important it is to feel as close to perfect on your wedding. I would cover your face if possible, though-you don''t want to get wrinkles!

 

[PearlDahhhling]

I''m most definitely tanning. I signed up for my tanning membership back in January but was only tanning every other week or so... I''ve only recently started going several times a week. But I have a nice summery glow now. I''m hoping to get a little tanner before the wedding (6 days). I have extremely fair skin with pinkish undertones and feel like I look awful without at least a little color.

 

[mayachel]

You couldn''t get me near a tanning salon...really, make up can do wonders these days with a little bit of practice.

I had very good results with cheapy ol''nivea tanning lotion over the course of four days, and the smell wasn''t so bad.

As a word of warning, I recently tried Arbonne brand self-tanning spray since it included an SPF 15, it is streaky as all get out. I can not get the color even.

The Nivea lotion worked waaay better. Also, Jergens brand-totally comes out orange on my pale skin. (I''ve got Danish/Irish ancestors)

All the same, regardless of the route you take, make sure you exfoliate well beforehand and moisturize to keep it after.

There is a reason why love poem of yore refer to Lilly-white skin...a little blush and I''m sure you''d look lovely and not washed out. That''s part of hiring good photographers who know how to balance the light

 

[emeraldlover1]

So much of what is said above is based on personal opinion and I''m not convinced its accurate. That being said I have a few things to say.

There is a huge difference between tan that comes in a bottle, typical spray tans, and custom formulated and applied air brush tan. Here in NYC (I realize this may be hard to find elsewhere) a custom airbrushed tan will run you about $100. Also, with a good airbrush tan you still need to moisturize twice daily. As far as how it photographs....not all spray tans are created equally. That''s all I have to say about that.

If I were you, I''d probably just tan for two weeks and be done with it especially if you''ve never done the airbrush that I mentioned above.

If it were me, I wouldn''t touch a tanning salon with a 10 foot pole.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Date: 6/20/2009 4:15:47 AM
Author: MommaChristine

Date: 6/20/2009 2:12:08 AM

Author: CaliCushion

I''m not going to lecture you about tanning. Have you tried custom airbrush tanning? It''s different than a spray tan, and it''s customized to you. You only have to go once, and you get to pick how dark you want to be. I went the day before my wedding and showered the morning of. I had no streaking, and the tan lasts over a week!

Ditto. I''m fair skinned and I hate the spray tan at the booths (and get NO color at all in the beds) so I get it done by hand. It''s amazing how different they turn out!

As noted in the OP, yes I have tried spray tanning and I''m not a fan. My skin is too dry to take it well.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I think I''m just going to bite the bullet and go tanning. I''ve tried custom tanning and conventional spray tanning and I didn''t like either version. I have very very dry skin on my legs and so they''re scaly regardless of how much moisturizing and exfoliating I do, and as such, the tanner doesn''t take well there. I''m not going to risk looking orange or blotchy or even just being stressed about the outcome of it on my wedding day.

Off to the tanning salon I go later today...