Manicure/pedicure Questions!

1. Yes that should be fine! I wouldn't worry too much about it, if you don't normal go and get your nails done. The salon will take care of you.

2. Everyone is different with their hair, but for nails I recommend either a day or two before. No earlier as you run the risk of chipping too early.

3. GO FOR DIP NAILS. WORTH IT I PROMISE

4. I never thought about doing that!

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Thanks so much!
I'll ask my salon what options they have for nails and what they recommend. I'm a very low maintenance girl so much of the makeup, hair, nails, etc is foreign territory to me. I feel like I've become way more competent in makeup and hair but still never bother with my nails and don't know what the options are or what to expect!

1. Will one manicure/pedicure be fine for getting my hands and feet wedding ready? I think one pedicure will be fine. But there is also no problem with doing some work at home prior with body exfoliates and good foot moisturizers.

2. How far in advance should I get my hair/nails done? Will the day before be okay? Could I do it 2-3 days before the wedding, or should I do it as close to the wedding as possible? It depends how fast your nails grow and what you get done. If you are just getting standard nail polish, I'd do it 1 or 2 days before. If you are getting gel or acrylics, you could push it to 3 days before. I did mine 2 days before and was fine! Just take care of your hands & toes after. As far as hair goes, do you mean trim? Color? Wax?

3. What are the options? A regular manicure is just normal polish. Easy to get off. Doesn't damage your nails. Gel (Shellac) has to be cured under UV light and lasts longer, but also doesn't damage your nails. It does need to be soaked off when you want it off, but that doesn't take long. You can also just wait for your nails to grow out, that's what I did with my shellac pedicure. I imagine all nail polish or gel will feel weird if you notice how regular polish is on your fingertips. Maybe get one or two manicures before your wedding to get more used to it? I work with my hands a lot, and I always have acrylic nails on because I bite my normal nails if I don't. But I get them every 3-4 weeks and get them pretty thick so they don't break.

4. Did you or are you planning to have your FH get their hands "cleaned up" for photos? I did treat my husband before the wedding, I wanted him to feel fancy too. He got a nice haircut & shave, a massage and a manicure/pedicure. He did not think it was necessary in anyway but I wanted him to feel special so I booked & paid for it before I told him haha!

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Thanks so much!

I have no idea why I put hair in my original post, but I'm getting that done the day of my wedding. Total brain fart on my end. Maybe I was thinking I could get them done at the same time? I really don't know why I put hair/nails in the original post!

I don't mind having my nails feel weird because I won't notice it at all during wedding stuff, I'll just notice it after and probably won't want the polish on my nails until it grows out. I was thinking I might like regular polish better because it will come off on its own - I really just care about it lasting through the wedding and don't feel like I need to keep in on long after.

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Maybe! I think getting nails/toes done a day or two in advance is better, less stress on the day of the wedding. I'm not a fan of regular polish (personally) just since I'm always doing stuff and rough on my hands so it really always chips. If you do get regular polish, I'd have some in your purse so you can touch up if needed.

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Good idea. I use my hands a lot and am not kind to them (I teach rock climbing, lift weights, and generally just do lots of outdoorsy, active, physical things). I just don't ever wear nail polish because it doesn't "do anything" for me, but if I did like the look I'd have to be a gel girl because regular polish would chip so quickly. Just in the day or two before my wedding I won't be doing those things so I'm not sure it matters. Not damaging my nails is super important to me, and I just don't want to spend a lot of extra money to have gel done then have to pay extra to have the polish removed if it starts driving me nuts after. My bestie/MOH likes gel a lot too, but she gets her nails done all the time.

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I'm 99% sure you can soak it off at home if you just Google how to do it, and it would only take 20-30 minutes! Keep that in mind too. I think it involves filing, soaking in acetone, then scraping it off?

Personally, after a lifetime of not caring for my nails at all, I've been a huge convert to gel nails and a regular pedicure, but given the way you've described yourself, I think a regular polish mani-pedi will be fine. Splurge on whatever your nail salon calls a combination where they do an extra thorough job exfoliating, removing calluses (even if you don't think you have any), and major moisturizing. Some salons will package all that into a "delux" or "spa" mani-pedi -- whatever they call it, go for it -- your hands and feet will be soft and smooth and look great in pictures. The HUGE drawback with regular polish, is that unless you find a really good salon, it frequently chips or smudges easily, and then I just think, "WHY did I even bother????" I've never left a nail salon without already ruining at least one regular polish fingernail -- maybe I'm just really clutzy? (That's why I do gel fingernails.... It's pretty much indestructible!) However, I have been to a couple of salons that GUARANTEE their regular polish against chipping & smudging for a full week. Ask friends for referrals and/or read a lot of online reviews to find a good salon! Have fun! (Every bride should get a little pampering!)

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Thanks that is super helpful! I've only ever worn regular polish and only had a manicure at a salon once so really don't know what to expect durability wise. I definitely don't want to pay to have them done and then mess them up and not have them look right. I'll see what's offered in my area and try to make an educated decision!

I am a fake nails girl so I can’t relate to not wanting stuff on my nails lol. But I think a regular mani/pedi would be good for you if you want something simple. Me personally, I hate normal manicures because they would chip on me within 24 hours. If you think you will be fine just do it 2 days before. My toes usually don’t chip as easily. But I’ve still has my toes chip within a couple days. If you are open to gel, that’s your best bet for natural nails that will last. I’ll

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Thanks Shelly! My best friend swears by gel, so I might just go that route to be safe. I'm planning for a natural look (french or nude/soft pink color) so hopefully they'd look ok even if they grew out after and I didn't actually get the gel removed.

1. That should be completely fine!

2. Depending on what you choose to do, I'd go two days in advance. When I've done fake nails and they file my actual nail down, they're always super sore the next day... especially if you don't do them regularly.

3. I choose shellac every time. Grow your nail out a little bit and then have them do it directly on your real nail. It will look so much more natural. I personally think the fake ones look bulky and ridiculous.

4. My FH would definitely tell me to get lost. lol

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Haha!

Yea I'm definitely not doing fake nails at all, just trying to neaten and pretty up my real ones. Fortunately my nails are pretty strong and grow fast, so I never have an issue not having nails.

My FH definitely thinks it would be weird, but he'd do it if it would make me happy. He uses his hands a lot and I feel like just having a professional nail, cuticle, and hangnail trim and some massage and exfoliation would make his hands look and feel nicer for the wedding day. He gets massages all the time so I think I could sell him on the therapeutic aspect, but he couldn't care less about the vanity piece. We'll probably decide in the weeks leading up to our wedding, based on our budget, how much time we have to do what is left, and how beat up his hands look at the time. He's got some nasty hang nails right now, but its winter so his hands are extra dry!