Getting a Tan for the Wedding

For those brides looking for a good base tan before the wedding, it is recommended to start visiting a tanning salon about 4 to 6 weeks in advance, depending upon how frequently you will be able to attend.

First, begin by researching tanning salons in your area. Many salons offer one month unlimited packages. You may also choose to pay per session or for a 10, 20, 40 (and so on) session package. Or you could have the option of buying minutes rather than sessions (for example, 120 minutes rather than 6 sessions).

Some items you might like to bring on your first tanning trip are:

1. A bottle of water to sip when it gets hot.

2. Some MP3's to listen to.

3. An indoor tan accelerator lotion to help prevent sunburns and speed the tanning process. This can be purchased from the salon.


Some necessities for the trip are:

1. Eye protection from the rays emitted by tanning beds. They should cover your eyes completely, and can be purchased from the salon.

2. A bathing suit or whatever you would like to wear, depending on what tan lines you are willing to expose. If you decide to tan in the nude, it is advisable to cover some areas that are not usually exposed to the sun, as they will burn much more easily than your legs or face.


Most people begin by taking 3 to 4 trips to the salon a week. It is recommended to wait 24 hours in between appointments to allow the skin to recover from exposure. Depending on your skin type, your first visit will probably last between 5 to 10 minutes.

Tanning time will increase by about 2 to 3 minutes each time you visit, provided that you do not get burned. If you get red or sunburned, take time off for your body to recover from the burn before attending the salon again. In addition, you will need to decrease your exposure time afterwards, as your skin will have to rebuild the tan.

For other tanning options, many sunless tanning lotions are available at the supermarket or through the Internet. If you are concerned about a streaking effect from the sunless tanner, most spas offer a skin exfoliation with sunless tanner application that lasts for a few days and provides an even, safe tan.