How to Have the Perfect Wedding Manicure

Make sure your nails are looking their best for the big day!

In addition to the dress, accessories, hair, and makeup, a bride will also likely find herself worrying about her nails for the big day.

By Emily Lasnier

bride-with-almond-nails-french-manicure-with-rhinestone-detail-diamond-bracelet-round-solitaire
Photo: Lin & Jirsa Photography

In addition to the dress, accessories, hair, and makeup, a bride will also likely find herself worrying about her nails for the big day. While a manicure may seem like a smaller detail, there will be photos taken that show your hands close up, due to wanting to capture your bouquet and rings in pictures. As such, making sure your nails look their best can be surprisingly important. It may seem like color is the only thing that matters, but there are other factors to keep in mind. While you want to choose a hue that fits your style and the style of your nuptials, you also want to do everything you can to keep the lacquer looking its best. 

how to have the perfect bridal manicure, tips for a wedding manicure

Photo by Heather Rowland Photography & Thisbe Grace Photography

This starts long before you even make your manicure appointment. In the months leading up to the big day, you should start treating your hands and nails well. Vitamins like biotin have been shown to improve the growth rate and strength of nails (and hair!), which is helpful if you’re going with your natural nails. Regular moisturizing and consistent use of SPF will keep your hands looking youthful as well. Investing in a cuticle cream to keep the area around your nails from looking dry will improve appearances all around. 

Ideally, you’ll want to get your manicure done the night before the wedding – or even the morning of, if possible. However, with rehearsal dinners and various other last-minute things to prepare for the nuptials, that’s not always feasible. However, if you choose to have a regular manicure with traditional polish, it is necessary in order to lessen the risk of chipping. If you go the route of acrylics, gel, or a dip manicure, all of which last much longer without chipping, you can get your nails done earlier. Even then, three days prior is probably the earliest you’ll want to make your appointment in order to avoid noticeable growth of your nails.

For more beauty tips, discover 15 nude polishes for your wedding day and the best manicure to make your engagement ring pop. 

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