DelectablyChic! is excited to present its 3^rd Annual Summer Bridal feature, this time a four part series on Wedding Prep, Make Up & Beauty Must-Haves for the 2012 Summer Bride, The Wedding Day, as well as Wedding Related Ideas.

We begin with Wedding Prep.

Once the engagement ring is on, the official Wedding Prep begins including wedding etiquette:

There are some fantastic books on wedding etiquette.  We recommend Something New: Wedding Etiquette for Rule Breakers, Traditionalists, and Everyone in Between by Elise Mac Adam, which is a very modern, relevant handbook to ensure your guests feel comfortable, even in the stickiest of situations.

Even if you decide to go with a wedding planner, it can be handy to have your own Wedding Planner book full of checklists and we simply love the Now & Forever Wedding Planner book by C.R. Gibson.  If you are planning your own wedding, this is a fantastic guidebook full of worksheets to keep the bride organized and on schedule, invaluable tips, as well as room to record everything from the guest list to the bridal registry.

Once you know your wedding etiquette inside out and are completely organized by your planner, it’s time to think of those how to add an extra oomph.  Check out David Tutera’s My Fair Wedding: Finding Your Vision . . . Through His Revisions! which highlights how a little tweaking can make your wedding much more special and memorable.  The book has examples of common or traditional ways of doing things and then has David’s innovative revisions which add that certain flair or panache to the same element of the wedding.  This book and its inspired ideas are for that bride who wants that certain something extra.

While the wedding organization is critical, it is even more important for the bride to look radiant on her special day.  Hence, the other really critical wedding prep that should be begun immediately is ensuring the bride is healthy, glowing and looking her best.

Brides have traditionally taken time off to be pampered, massaged and well rested.  However, even modern, busy brides can still look their best with a few insider beauty tricks.

For the Face:

Vasanti’s Detox Nutrient-Rich Purifying Facial Cleanser feels like heaven on your face and almost like a nightly mini-spa treatment.  Although you can start using this anytime, we recommend at least one month before your big day to ensure a natural bridal glow.

If you want a more intense facial cleansing and plumping, consider a Silkpeel Dermalinfusion facial by trained Esthetician Rose Cruz at Ivory Salon & Spa.  This is a more advanced technique than microdermabrasion and is said to work wonders with acne and sun damage by intensely hydrating the skin and stimulating the growth of new healthy cells.

For the Hair:

For your hair, try Salon La Coupe Volume, Moisture or Curl Refresh dry shampoo.  We recommend using this shampoo at least two months prior to your wedding day to ensure your locks will be in tip-top shape.

Or, if you want to lighten your hair naturally, LUSH Cosmetics’ BIG shampoo is quite an industry secret.  Made of seasalt and citrus, it breaks down henna and not only adds volume (hence the name) but gives your hair a sunkissed look with a killer bounce.  It’s very potent stuff, however, so you should be careful not to use it more than once a week, particularly if you have baby fine hair.

For Overall Relaxation:

For overall relaxation, try LUSH Cosmetics’ Relax, Take a Bath trio of stress-relievers.  Indulge in a hot, steaming bath fragranced with lavender and chamomile in the three different bath products – a Waving Not Drowning bath bomb, Bathos bubble bar and Dreamtime bath melt.  Use them one a week for the three weeks leading up to your special day, or indulge in one a day for the last three days prior to your wedding.