How I Glowed Up In Nine Months For My Wedding Without Losing My Mind (or My Savings)

In the bleak midwinter of 2025 my now better half and I decided on our wedding date, October 4th. The date would be exactly one year after our engagement. It felt perfect and I instantaneously felt a surge of joy. You see, I’ve always been an autumnal creature and the idea of getting married as the air turned crisp and the leaves burned orange felt very on brand for me. But suddenly whiplash hit me, this date did not actually give me a lot of time to prepare. I’ve heard about brides who plan their weddings years in advance and I had just nine months to do it?! The pressure to become the best looking version of myself, the perfect “bridal me” hit me hard. 

It didn’t help that at the exact same time, life cast me into a period of full-blown turmoil and upheaval that had struck not one, but multiple of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (that’s a story for another rainy day). To be completely honest, I was at my lowest. And because I apparently like to pour salt on my own wounds, I did what any burnt-out bride would do: I frantically googled “pre-wedding beauty routines”, “how to glow up fast”, and “bridal beauty timeline”.

Within minutes, I was spiraling. I even downloaded TikTok (big mistake) and devoured every bit of advice I could find like a ravenous bird of prey. And I mean everything, from what IV drips to use, to the best 15-step skincare regimens (I’m normally a 5-step kinda girl), extreme ab workouts and which laser facials could transform my enlarged pores and acne scars into a glass-looking canvas. 

After a few weeks of unabashed self-ridicule, I finally snapped out of it and started pondering: Why is there this expectation to become a whole new sparkly and perfect version of oneself on your wedding day? Needles tend to make me faint, so why am I even considering a UV drip? And does anyone actually talk about how much all this shit actually costs? When I added it up, the American psycho-esque glow-up I’d envisioned had a budget that nearly rivaled the cost of the wedding itself. Deep down, I started to realise that this whole shabang just wasn’t it and wasn’t me. 

I didn’t want to spend months chasing something that was unattainable and winding up both miserable and broke. I wanted to feel and look like myself, just a little more glowy, snatched and well-rested. So as someone with a long history of anxiety, I decided to finally listen to my therapist and try to shift my focus. My goal was no longer to be flawless, it was to be calm and grounded, so I made a vow to take care of myself. I wanted to be a Bridechiller, not a Bridezilla. 

I set about creating my own version of a bride-to-be beauty routine, that was less about crazy transformations and more about calming my nervous system. It started from the inside out with me (almost) completely cutting out alcohol, limiting myself to about two glasses of wine a month, just enough so I would survive my bachelorette (for reference: I’m a lightweight and my friends know how to throw a party). Alongside that, I cut out sweets, which for me was a huge deal since I am a self-proclaimed snack queen, the kind of girl who can inhale a bag of candy in minutes. I knew reducing the sugar binges and alcohol would do wonders for both my skin and my mood. 

I also started walking everywhere, which lowered my stress levels and was conveniently free. I prioritized sleep like it was the final step in my korean skincare routine and I meditated most mornings for at least ten minutes – much to my therapist’s delight. I did not diet, but instead made sure to prioritise eating foods that genuinely nourished me: lots of chia, blueberries, vegetables, wholegrains, green tea and peppermint tea, and vitamins C, D, zinc and magnesium. I did also keep chocolate firmly on the agenda for my sanity’s sake. 

Besides my daily walks I also wanted to incorporate more movement that would make me feel joyful again. So instead of signing myself up to a brutal bootcamp scenario, I returned to something I actually enjoyed, which I hadn’t done in years, ballet classes – with my beautiful friend and ballet coach Sophie. Then I kept to my routine of 2 reformer pilates sessions a week at Burner Studio but also subscribed to a friend Mikaela’s affordable at-home workout guides for quick 20-minute sessions when I felt up to it. Nothing extreme, just movement that felt good for me.

On the skincare front, I skipped the monthly facials, peels and fancy procedures that I still can’t actually pronounce. Instead, I stuck to what I knew already worked for my (often temperamental) skin: mostly Korean skincare (notably the VT Reedle Shot 300, Medicube PDRN serum, Purito Moisturiser, Abib collagen eye patches, Beauty of Joseon sunscreen, a pricey but miracle serum from Lancôme, Saie’s glowy super gel and the holy grail La Roche-Posay’s Cicaplast B5) I also did weekly dry brushing followed by my favourite sheet masks. The week before the wedding, I upped my game and did a sheet mask every night, alternating between La Roche-Posay’s Cicaplast B5 sheet masks (that my sister had conveniently brought over from Australia), Biodance collagen masks and Medicube’s PDRN collagen masks, which left my skin super hydrated, calm and glowy.

Of course, I did indulge in a few low-key treatments that made me feel extra polished and relaxed: a lymphatic drainage face workout, Infra-red sauna and a body sculpting massage at Heat By Sophia Lie a week before (the snatch was real), a full-body massage two days before to de-stress and grant myself a much needed hour of silence (can highly recommend doing this). And a natural lash lift and brow sculpt from the best in the game, Thomas McEntee. The results were subtle but life-giving, I woke up each morning looking fresh and feeling confident. Even my husband noticed and commented. 

For my hair, I went to YouTime, a salon-store hybrid in Stockholm that felt completely aligned with my personality (they sell palo santo, crystals and all my favourite beauty brands – enough said). I didn’t want a drastic change, just my natural hair but better: brighter, more golden, split-end free and more expensive-looking and I just knew they could deliver. I used Davines Nou Nou shampoo and conditioner religiously leading up to the day, and my hair was like silk.

Three days before the wedding, my sister and I went for a manicure and pedicure at a small salon run by two sisters. The attention to detail was unmatched and the whole experience doubled as a distraction from wedding chaos. Having perfectly polished nails also made me feel elegant, pulled together and made my Spustova rings shine even brighter. 

Somewhere in the middle of all this, I decided to do something cute and symbolic: I customized our favourite Le Labo scents – Thé Matcha for me, Santal for him, with both our initials and our wedding date. It felt personal and special and now, we have the bottles as keepsakes forever. 

But perhaps the most important part of this whole process wasn’t what I did to my body – it was how I treated my mind. I kept up with my bi-weekly therapy sessions, made sure that I had enough alone time, did cute low-key things to treat myself (like going for a walk to get a matcha or watching my favourite movies), avoided TikTok’s “wedding prep” rabbit holes, and tried to constantly remind myself that my goal wasn’t perfection – it was peace.

And when, a week before the wedding, I saw that a storm (Amy) was forecasted for the big day. I tried not to panic and did something a little unconventional: I hired an Etsy witch to cast a spell to keep the rain away. I know it sounds crazy, but I am in my spiritual era – and it actually worked (Thanks Melinda!) and even if it hadn’t, just knowing I’d handed my worry to some greater force gave me such a peace of mind.

Day of: 

For the actual day, I made an intentional decision to work with people who would not only deliver my dream bridal glam, but who were also kind and had a good vibe first thing in the morning. I asked a mutual friend, someone I had a good feeling about, to do my hair, and Sandra ended up using one of my favourite brands, Oribe! I knew she’d not only create my dream messy ballet bun look but that we’d also have fun. 

For makeup, I went with MAC which really felt like a full-circle moment since the first makeup I ever bought as a teenager was a MAC powder foundation and the Snob lipstick – those who know, know. I’ve always loved how long-lasting their products are, and for my wedding, I didn’t want to take any chances, I wanted reliability. My brief was “modern twist on a 90s look”, think glowing from within skin thanks to their Strobe Cream and Face and Body foundation, softly defined eyes, and a browny/red lip moment using their Plum lipliner and Go Retro lipstick. Stefan from their team was a dream to work with  –  I have photographic evidence that at 1am my makeup was very much still intact as I danced my heart out to Abba, with a vegan burger in one hand and the tulle skirt of my custom Nicklas Skovgaard party dress in the other. 

In the end, I didn’t feel like a “new” “perfect bride” version of myself on my wedding day. I felt exactly like myself, just calmer and more glowy. And honestly? I’m proud to call myself a Bridechiller.