Wedding Blog
Or how to NOT get fried during your destination wedding.
Or justifying all of the above in the simple act of vanity.
I’ll just come out and say it (and I know it isn’t a popular decision) – I have been tanning in preparation for our Jamaican celebration. (Now before anyone berates me for doing this, trust me that I’ve already done it to myself plenty of times.) I am pale. All year round. And I am totally fine with that. Let me start of by saying that, when in the Caribbean sun, I don’t tan – I red. Without a base color established prior to our departure, my only viable option to a) not fry and b) not get tan lines, is to hole up in our room the entire time. No thank you! With or without a wedding, I am the girl on the beach with a huge floppy hat (no premature wrinkling for me, thank you!), SPF 50 reapplied obsessively every hour, under an umbrella. I love the sun and the beach, but I try to enjoy it responsibly.
Moving on. I think I’ve been tanning a total of 4 times in my life. Perhaps once before prom and a couple of times my freshman year of college (at a place where they only had a curtain across the door opening for “privacy”. That could be why I never went back?). So, I bought a package at Palm Beach Tan and have been pleasantly surprised with the gradual results. I’ll only go in for 5 minutes at a time because I do NOT want to get burnt. But I feel gradually stepping up the number of minutes over the next 2 months will give me a nice glow for the wedding day. I love the way I look with a tan and don’t want to be a ghost in my dress.
I am also a fan of Mystic Tanning. I’ve read about orange tinted horror stories, but I’ve always had great success with them. The thing is, they fade after a few showers. Couple that with plunges in the pool and the sea… and that tan would be long gone before “I do”. Mystic Tan is a great option for brides that want a nice glow for their wedding day. I just recommend that your try it out a few times before the big day.
A Mystic’d Quiche & always-”tan”-due-to-lovely-olive-skinned Mr. Quiche
Rest assured, dear friends, my tanning sessions will halt by the end of April. I can honestly say that I will never lay down in one again. Plus, I won’t have to deal with the orange, snarky saleslady who looked at me like I had two heads when I answered “SPF 30” to her question about what tanning lotion I was using. 
I do NOT advocate UV tanning! It is just a temporary, personal decision. Thanks!
Are you doing things for your wedding that you might not do otherwise?
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I thought about tanning but have never done it before. How many minutes would I need as a light skinned, red head with blue eyes? Two? One?
Miss Quiche, I’m totally with you. My skin is pale, I don’t tan, I red and my wedding may be the one time I make an exception to my own beliefs and hop in a tanning bed. Thanks for making me feel better about this!
i have NEVER been tanning (and i have pale irish skin) but i am also seriously considering going just a couple times before my may 2 wedding—-not to get TAN really, but just so i dont look like i came straight out of the dead of winter.
@Andrea: same questions really….i was thinking of starting with just a few minutes….
I don’t tan. If I don’t spf, I get red and then go back to pale! I’ve never been in a tanning bed and don’t have the patience to lay out in the sun. Plus, I like looking 10 years younger than I actually am!
So when I was trying on white dresses, my MOH told me I’d have to tan or end up looking like Casper. So I’ve found a lovely ivory dress. But I am thinking of trying the Mystic Tan.
I’m doing the exact same thing, because I also red. I’ve haven’t been tanning since high school! Good luck!
I really like Mystic Tan (but not the generic kind - that is where one gets red and orange and splotchy!). Two of my friends that got married this fall/winter went and had tans airbrushed on - they are both a.) pale, and b.) did not look tan, just healthy, on their weddings. They opted for the hand airbrushing to avoid possible mistakes with the spray-tan booths (like the one time I went in without my cap…eek). I would recommend it.
Oh Quiche, how I love thee! I too am a pale, pasty girl. I’ve always told my Greek (and gorgeously dark-skinned) best friend that I don’t tan like she does, I burn. And then the burn peels and I’m pale again.
I’m thinking about tanning for the wedding as well. Do you wear SPF 30 in the tanning bed? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose, or do you tan through that and the sun block keeps you from getting burned? School me!
I had to tan pre-wedding or I would have had lines all over my back. I tan VERY easily, and because I was training for numerous sporting events that summer, no amount of sunscreen would have saved me from tank top/sports bra tan lines.
In fact, very early last year (about this time) we had a very warm weekend during which I ran a 12-mile training run and ended up with a sports bra line… which I spent the REST OF THE SUMMER evening out.
I’d never tanned before except maybe two or three random times, but I decided to buy a package. NEW tanning beds “high-pressure” require a lot less time inside, have less harmful rays, a longer-lasting effect, and are VERY pleasant and NOT coffin-like at all. In fact, I was SUPER impressed. I loved it!
I only tanned once every 2 or 3 weeks and even that was too much by the end of the summer. I ended up using less than half the sessions I purchased, so I’m going infrequently this winter for a dose of Vitamin D.
As much of a bad rap as tanning beds have, they’re not terrible to use on occasion, particularly if you have hearty skin. Pre-wedding tanning cleared up my acne (UV Rays kill the bacteria) and tanning on dark days makes me feel energized.
I’m not advocating tanning as a regular thing, and I HATE the orangey, beef-jerky look of regular tanners (and the pushy people at tanning places who try to sell you $50 bronzers, pre-tanning, and post-tanning lotions)…but it can be great on occasion!
Also, regarding lotion… make sure you are at least putting some heavy, creamy, aloe-rich lotion on afterward, if not beforehand, too… it can really save your skin from drying out.
@Miss Powder Puff: You can wear sunscreen, but you can also adjust your time in the bed to be as short or long as you want.
A lot of the newer beds also allow you to adjust the lamp strength on your face and body. Many people adjust the face lamps to low (to avoid a dark face), but you can turn em both down, too.
I loved (past tense) tanning. I always felt so relaxed once I was done but when i finally thought about the long term effects that can happen i stopped. I guess when you FFIL in a skin cancer doctor you can’t get around the lectures when you are tan all year long.
Ha, you are hilarious - as a fellow pasty, I support your tanning decisions!!! I was actually planning on getting a Palm Beach tan package, too. Too bad that tan for me is normal color for most other people!!
Love this post. Since I won’t be hopping in and out of a pool and the sea before my big day- I think I am going to try spray tan. I’ve never done it, so I’ll surely post on it. As for tanning bed tan- I think this could count as your one free pass- so go, enjoy it!!
I thought I was going to apply self-tan, but FI (for some funny reason) suggested that I get it professionally done, spray tan. He’s afraid of the orange monster walking down the isle, I think. Never had spray tan before, so I’m kind of looking forward to it. I’ll probably get one a month before just to see how it looks on my skin, then I’ll decide if I’ll go for more closer to the day. They can also contour some muscle definitions!
Don’t feel bad, Quiche, I’m tanning too. I’m completely against it, but I can’t go to the beach for 10 days and burn on day 1!
@Miss Powder Puff: I wear SPF in the tanning bed & I still get color. I am very sensitive to the sun I always have it on my face & I turn the facial bulbs OFF (like @Mrs. Cherry Pie: mentioned).
@Mrs. Cherry Pie: I agree with you about using them on occasion! I have to admit that I feel pretty cheery on a dark, gloomy day
@Andrea: They should be able to advise you, but you should be safe with 4 or 4 minutes. Again, I wear sunblock
@Boddy: @agrosses: @tessabella76: I would never trust someone to hand spray me for the first time on my wedding day, so unfortunately that option is out for me! But, you should all try it out prior to your wedding & if it works, go for it!!
You should completely listen to everyone else here and don’t feel bad for tanning for your wedding. This is YOUR day to look your best and being a little tan on that special day to accentuate your “glow” can really help.
I don’t normally tan either, but am looking at some options so that come October and my own big day I will a) be a little less white and b) have no tan lines with my strapless dress.
Good luck!
I love it I don’t tan I red. Yeah I go in the sun for 10 minutes and I start to get red. And since my fiance is Indian he is dark which makes me look even pastier. I think I am going to try out the mystic tan soon so I can see if it will work for wedding day.
No judgement from me just some facts, the pastie gals that don’t tan (red…lol), the ones who feel that they gotta have some color and tan (concentrated UV) are definitely the ones that end up with serious skin cancers. Avoid at all costs if you have a family history of Melanoma, otherwise as long as your looking at your freckles/moles for new ones or changes in symmetry/shape, size, color and borders every so often you should be fine. A dermatologist should check you over too (tanning, keeps us in business 
I went through a tanning phase in my younger years (due to the influence of an older, not so skin-savvy cousin) and yeah I know it’s gauche but honestly, I sort of miss it. Having a tan makes me feel great, and you can’t beat all that vitamin-D-happy in the winter.
I don’t tan anymore but yes, of course I made an exception for our DW. I support you, Miss Quiche!!
i have booked a course at beach bum and they were very helpful at the desk. they have beds that are less dangerous (although i know ALL of them are dangerous), more bronzing and less reddening. but i guess if i lived florida i would be in the sun 364 days a year so im sure a few goes on the sunbed would ok, as long as i’m sensible it would be the equivilent of gong on vacation or living somewhere sunnier!
Hmmmm…
Not tanning-related, but I did have my vision surgically corrected (ICL, not LASIK) with the wedding in mind!
Thank you for posting this, Miss Q! I, like you, am very pale, and usually very very okay with that. I always say that I don’t tan… I light beige.
Like you, I’ll be doing a little tiny bit of tanning before my wedding, but since I’ve probably only tanned a combined total of 1 year out of my 25, I think it’s a calculated risk that I’m willing to take in order to not look PASTY at my winter wedding.
I’m not too pale, but I do spend a lot of time outside when it’s anything over 60, and will have a wicked farmer’s tan before the wedding, I’m sure!
I’m all about short-term tanning!
(anyway, I’ll move to SoCal after the wedding and then I”ll have more sun that I could ever want!!)
I feel you Miss Quiche! I tan easily but I can still burn if suddenly subjected to lots of sun! So I’ve been doing some studying lately by the pool (yes, it’s already pool-weather in Austin!) to get some rays before we go to Cayman. Mr. K is a fair-skinned, pasty guy who burns VERY easily so he has been to the tanning bed a couple of times so he won’t burn when we get there. I am also VERY paranoid about members of our wedding party having crazy tan lines or sunburns on our big day and ruining the pictures! I think I am going to be pretty bridezilla about it!
I don’t tan, I used to lay-out when I was younger and have realized how bad it is for my skin. Instead use the mystic tan. As long as you exfoliate really well before you go it lasts for 4-5 days and fades away. Just be careful what you do after you get it done because you smell weird.
Well, thanks to my lovely genes, I’m a 5 minute tanner. Five minutes in the sun, I’m tan. Now why is that bad? Because you’re never naked in the sun. So I have 50 tan lines EVERYWHERE from being in the sun in a different outfit everyday. GREAT. I’m thinking of doing hand-brushing just to match the tan lines and cancel them out!!
PS-I don’t know why people judge when you say you’re going tanning. No one sneers when people eat Snickers bars (which are ok in moderation but bad if you eat one everyday). I think moderation is key (like everything) and you shouldn’t feel guilty about tanning! If anyone gives you flak, you only have to look to their next McHappy Meal to return the favor!
Any amount of tanning bed exposure is unsafe (sorry Mrs Cherry Pie). It is obviously your decision, but I would really rethink your choice. Each exposure raises your risk of skin cancer. One third of white skinned people get skin cancer as it is, and the rates ate rising all the time. Melanoma is now the most common skin cancer in young women.
I am also pasty, but as a Dermatologist I have to write this after seeing so many comments making lift of tanning. Please think about this seriously before putting yourself at unnecessay risk.
I don’t tan, and while I burn pretty easily, mostly, I freckle. Especially on my face, and especially on my upper lip. So no tanning for me, unless I want mustache face. I generally use tanning moisturizes in the summer. It’s especially helpful in evening out skin tone, and lessening the ’stache that appears no matter how much SPF I apply in the summer.
DH, otoh, not only tans in like in instant, but also gets amazing blond highlights. We went to Mexico for a week last year, and he returned looking like he spent the past year as a beach bum.
I’m gradually tanning as well and scared too death about burning! No premature wrinkles for this gal! I’m also going to professionally whiten my teeth. Normally I just use Crest Whitening strips but think a wedding and lots of photos is a good reason to splurge!
sorry….this is my last soapbox post - but Emilydll tanning, even if gradual, DEFINITELY causes premature wrinkles!!! I have seen 15 year old girls in my derm office with facial wrinkles! Tan is a sign of Damage to your skin (DNA damage) it isn’t just burning that causes wrinkles it is any UV exposure.
Oh, I feel you! I am so pale and burn so badly in such a short period of time! My mom (who doesn’t burn) made me go tanning in high school before a trip to Florida… I was so burned from the tanning booth that I had to miss school!
TANNING QUESTIONS: This couldn’t be a more perfect post for me to comment on! I work in indoor tanning distribution. I talk about tanning lotions, lamps, and equipment all day long. If anyone has questions about tanning, you can find me through HeartlandTan.com. If you do make the decision to tan indoors, using a lotion with natural and DHA bronzers will dramatically increase your results. I have tried all of the 100’s of lotions on the market. Designer Skin Paramour is my current favorite. Spray Tan: I do this A LOT! I airbrush myself at work. Brides- make sure you spray at least 48 hours before your wedding. All that “brown” you see when you spray is cosmetic only! Actual self tanner “DHA” is clear and develops in 4-6 hours. The cosmetic bronzers wash off when you shower (ever notice the brown water after a mystic?) it takes about 48 hours or exfoliation to get rid of the cosmetic bronzers. I have heard horror stories about brides wearing spaghetti strap dresses on their wedding day- and the straps being brown by the end of the night. Don’t even get me started on sweating. There are so many different spray tan solutions, some orange based, some brown based, some blush based. I have fair skin and look most natural with a blush based tan. I will definitely be a healthy shade of bronze on my wedding day, whether it’s from a tanning bed or airbrush.
It is a little sad to me that it’s not ok to be pale and proud on your wedding day. The word healthy and tan don’t go together in my mind. Aside from the skin damage, I love being a pale, freckly girl, and I don’t want to not look like myself on my wedding day. But everyone has the right to make their own choice.
I’m thinking of only going 3 times before the wedding, not to look tan, I don’t want to burn on our honeymoon-nor do I want to hide from the sun. I feel like frolicking in the water and enjoy myself without worring about getting burnt. I should mention that I tan really well. I usually get kinda pink the first time I go out in the summer, then after that I just tan. I know that I could still damage my skin, but I feel that if I can control the amount of sun I get before hand, I wont have to worry about burning in a country closer to the Equator than New England.
@Justjess: I completely understand. & I am pale and proud…it’s just that we’re getting married under the Jamaican sun and I burn very, very easily. It is my hope that tanning first will give me a base in order to NOT burn on my wedding day, or the days leading up to it.
The mystic’d look is very natural on you! Very subtle and pretty; not orange at all! I support your “this time is the exception” tanning exercise! This is a funny post!
I get your reasons for tanning a little bit for your wedding. But just my personal opinion, you look beautiful “pale” in your bio photo.
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Mrs. Quiche, Chicago/Montego Bay
Age and Occupation: 28, Interior Designer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 42, Telecom Guru
Engagement Date: July 2, 2008
Wedding Date: May, 2009
Venue: Coyaba Resort, Montego Bay
About Me: I love Chicago and can’t imagine living anywhere else (Well, except Paris. Or anywhere in France, for that matter!). I’m a full-time worker, part-time student, soon-to-be-step-mom, indie music lovin’, architecture and design fanatic, macaroni and cheese addict, vegetarian, Francophile, Ohio State football obsessed, wedding planning girl. Mr. Quiche and I are “Partners-in-Crime” and cannot wait to celebrate our marriage surrounded by our family and closest friends. I plan on DIYing my little heart out (or as much as a suitcase to Jamaica will hold).
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