The stress of planning your wedding can take its toll, leaving you looking worse for wear. Luckily, there are ways to make sure you’re glowing on the inside and out on your big day. Georgia Doyle counts down the days to your wedding.

Ensuring you look fabulous on your wedding day isn’t difficult, but it does take preparation. When it comes to creating your ideal pre-wedding beauty regimen, it can be tricky to get it all right.

From looking after your fitness and wellbeing, to perfecting your wedding day hair and makeup, make sure you’ve got all bases covered with this helpful timeline.

6 MONTHS
It’s never too early to start your wedding day beauty regime, especially when it means boosting your health and fitness as well. Begin preparing by getting your health and wellbeing in order.

Having a healthy body is the first step to looking radiant and beautiful on your wedding day.

THE PERFECT FIT
It’s widely recognised that inner-health is reflected in your appearance, and you’re at your most naturally beautiful when you’re fit and healthy. If you want to cut a fine silhouette on your wedding day, get fit! But before you hit the gym, work out a fitness schedule that is tailored to you, and avoid pushing yourself to the extreme. Over-exercising could have the opposite effect and if you begin to feel exhausted, it’s likely you’ll end up looking that way!

Combining aerobic exercise and strength training three to five times a week will keep you looking toned. It can be helpful to set yourself some realistic goals; this will reduce the risk of disappointment and prevent you from overdoing it. Fitness, rather than dramatic weight loss, should be the main motivation for your prewedding exercise regime.

Besides looking superbly svelte, there is another great reason to hit the gym before you walk down the aisle: happiness. Exercise releases endorphins, the body’s natural mood-booster.

Reduced stress levels will ensure you’re able to tackle any pre-wedding hurdle with aplomb.

GLOW AND GROW
If you’re not already taking silica tablets, now is a good time to start. This extraordinary mineral is a key player in making your hair, skin and nails strong, healthy and radiant.

Silica helps restore connective tissue, and encourages the absorption of calcium into your bones, cartilage, ligaments, hair, skin and nails.

These little tablets also support collagen formation, keeping your skin looking fresh and supple.

To ensure your hair, skin and nails are healthy and strong on your wedding day, begin taking silica well before your big day arrives, as it can take a couple of months before you begin to notice the results.

DRINK UP
This may sound obvious, but drink plenty of water! Many people spend most of the day in a state of partial dehydration, and the only way to combat this is to drink lots of water.

When properly hydrated you’ll not only feel better – drinking water improves digestion, energises the body, aids weight loss and flushes out toxins – but you’ll look great too!

Drinking plenty of water will also reduce puffiness and even out skin tone, giving you a healthy radiant glow and diminishing fine lines on your skin.

If you already find yourself sufficiently hydrated, you can go one better by eating foods with high water content. Fresh fruit and vegetables are not only a tasty source of water, but they are also rich in antioxidants, guarding against the free-radicals that speed up the ageing process.

1 MONTH
With one month to go, it’s time to perfect your wedding day look and get your already glowing skin to look positively radiant.

ROUTINE BEHAVIOUR
There is much debate about the best skin care regime. The most basic – and widely agreed upon – procedure suggests you cleanse, exfoliate and finish with a good moisturiser.

However, it often comes down to finding a routine that works for your skin type and finding the right products. Treat yourself to a facial a few weeks before your wedding, and discuss the best way to take care of your skin with your beauty therapist.

Properly cared for skin will ensure your wedding day makeup appears smooth.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
According to People magazine, Kate Middleton’s hair stylist made a mood board with a number of wedding day looks, and spent the weeks leading up to the royal nuptials slowly eliminating the styles that didn’t work.

While your hairdresser may not be able to dedicate quite as much time to you as Kate Middleton’s, there is something to be said for being prepared.

If you want a look that is as polished as the Duchess’ was, it’s a good idea to practice your bridal look.

Give yourself plenty of time to perfect the right hair for your wedding and schedule a practice session with a hair stylist at least a month before the big day. This gives you plenty of time to find a new ‘do (or stylist) if you decide it doesn’t suit you or your wedding. The same goes for your makeup.

If your hair and makeup is perfect in the practice, don’t be afraid to take a photo; this will make it easier to recreate on the big day.

Being prepared will ensure the morning of your wedding is a calm one, because the last thing you want to do is scramble around on your wedding day trying to fix a hair or makeup mishap.

1 WEEK
Once your skin is radiant and you’re in possession of an athletic physique, all that’s left is the finishing touches on your pre-wedding beauty regime.

POLISH UP NICELY
The moment your hubby says “I do” and slides the ring on your finger, your guests will be looking at your hands, so make sure they’re fabulous.

Whether you’re after the perfect French polish or a natural nude, don’t forget to book a manicure and pedicure for the day before your wedding. There is nothing like a professional polish to make your hands look perfect, and it will also provide the perfect opportunity to take some time out and relax before the big day.

TO TAN OR NOT TO TAN?
It’s up to you whether you bronze up for your big day. Some women are lucky enough to possess alabaster skin, while others look better with a healthy glow.

A disastrous tan can make you look tacky, so it’s important to choose wisely when you book your pre-wedding bronze. Each salon uses a different brand of tan, so it’s important to go with a salon you know has the right blend for you. Take no risks when it comes to this, and ensure you book with someone you trust.

SLEEPING BEAUTY
In the week before your wedding, you’ll feel a mixture of stress and pure excitement, which is guaranteed to interfere with any sleep you might like to have. As hard as it might seem at times, it is important to get as much restful sleep as you can.

When you sleep your body is able to repair itself, and eight hours of slumber will reduce dark circles under your eyes and leave you with an even complexion. Not enough sleep can lead to puffiness and bloodshot eyes – an undesirable look at the best of times!

Your wedding day will be the best day of your life but remember it will also be one of the longest.

Getting enough sleep before the big day ensures you will be energised and alert as you walk down the aisle, and give you the energy to party into the night.

When planning your pre-wedding beauty regimen it’s important to find out what works for you. However, there are simple ways to ensure you look your best on your big day and in most cases, it’s as easy as looking after your health.

Take good care of yourself in the lead up to your wedding day. Try not to become too overwhelmed with the wedding preparations and ensure that you drink plenty of water, exercise, sleep well and look after your skin. If you do this, you can leave the rest up to your beautician!