There are regular manicures, and then there are bridal manicures. It’s not just a case of picking a shade and hoping it works: just like your hair, makeup and skincare, your wedding manicure requires research, prep and that all-important trial. So, if you’re a bride-to-be and looking for bridal manicure inspiration, look no further than Vogue’s guide to nailing your wedding nails.
Photo: Instagram.com/raelondonnails
Georgia Rae is the manicurist behind Sofia Richie’s bridal manicure for her 2023 wedding, which subsequently became one of the most sought-after nail looks of last summer – the shade Sweet Candy Breath instantly sold out. Now Rae has curated an edit of her five favorite bridal shades from Bio Sculpture, the brand behind Richie’s wedding polish, to make future brides’ decision that little bit easier.
“I obviously chose Sweet Candy Breath for the bridal edit – it had to be in there because of Sofia,” says Rae. “But I also like mixing shades and over the years that’s what I’ve done for bridal manicures, so these shades [in the edit] are the ones in my kit that have been consistently picked or mixed together. You can create so many different shades out of the five colors I’ve chosen,” she explains.
Photo: Instagram.com/raelondonnails
Rae recommends having a trial run ahead of your wedding, so that you can play around with colors and try layering different shade combinations, to determine the right hue for you. “Consider your skin tone,” she says, and “keep in mind whether you’ll have a self-tan on the day and the shade of your dress”. Rae tends to discuss dresses with her clients and take it from there. “Sometimes they’ve got [the dress] there and we can hold it against the nail colors as we try them and just see what complements it the best. I often find it’s not something that matches the dress necessarily, but a color that complements it.”
If you’re completely stuck on where to start, Rae recommends starting with a creamy white base color, like Blanc. “I really like layering it underneath a pink because it gives it a wash of white,” she says. “It gives it a bridal feel without having to go for a plain block white.”
Photo: Instagram.com/paintedbyjools
How many days before your wedding should you have your bridal manicure?
“I book most of my clients in one to three days before their wedding, I wouldn’t really want to go any longer than that because you do want it to look as fresh as possible,” says Rae. If that won’t work with your schedule, Rae suggests making sure that the polish is painted as close to the cuticle as possible. Choose a color that won’t clearly show regrowth – like the sheer shades in Rae’s edit – and oil them every day to keep nails looking fresher for longer. On the day: “I’d also give them a nice hand scrub so that your nails and hands look really fresh on the day.”
Photo: Instagram.com/paintedbyjools
How to choose the right shade for your skin tone
“If you’re going to have a tan for your wedding, make sure that you also trial it around the same time as your bridal manicure run-through,” suggests Rae. “If you don’t, just be mindful and take into consideration that a shade will look brighter once you’ve tanned.” For darker skin, Rae recommends peachy tones. “I really like Spun Out Of Dreams and Lyrics Of A Lily for darker skin tones,” she says. “With all skin tones, I think layering a sheer white underneath works well, as it gives the manicure a lift.” For paler skin, Rae still recommends starting with a very thin layer of sheer white. “Then layer a light pink. I like Sweet Candy Breath which is a beige pink, or Transparent Beauty, which is now one of my favourites.” Her top tip? “Don’t overthink it. You want your natural nails but better – think glowy, fresh and glossy.”
Originally published on Vogue.co.uk
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