The Auckland wedding beauty timeline: what to book, and when

If you are getting married in Auckland, here is the short version. Anything that takes two appointments, like cosmetic tattooing, belongs about six months out. Nails and lashes get settled around three months out. A full trial run sits nicely at six weeks. Waxing wants a couple of weeks before the wedding. Brow shaping and tint are best two to five days out. A spray tan is one of the few things that suits the day before, and nails are happy there too.

We are Verdo Nails & More, at 245 Parnell Road, Parnell, Auckland 1052, open seven days, appointment or walk in. In the depths of bridal season we tend to between 8 and 15 brides a week, and the salon suits bridal parties of all sizes, so you will more than likely have the place to yourselves. Below is the countdown we use with brides, with real times and prices.

Six months out: book anything that takes two appointments

Cosmetic tattooing is the one thing you cannot rush, because it takes two appointments rather than one. Start with the consultation, which is free and takes 30 minutes. First Ombre Powder Brows are $350 and take 1 hour 15 minutes. First Nano Hairstroke Brows are $499 and take 1 hour 30 minutes. The second appointment is $299 and takes an hour, the same price as a yearly touch up later on.

Book it early and you have proper room between the two. In bridal season the diary fills, so the earlier you ask the more choice you have.

Three months out: decide what your nails and lashes are doing

Three months is for trying things, not committing. Wear the nail system you think you want and see how it lasts on you.

• Builder Gel BIAB by The Gel Bottle, HEMA free and TPO free, lasts 2 to 6 weeks. Natural nails $80 and 50 minutes, removal and re-application $85 and an hour, with extensions $95 and 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Gel-X: short $75, medium $80, long $85, XL $90.
• SNS on natural nails $65 and 35 minutes, with removal $75 and 45 minutes, extensions $95 and 50 minutes.
• Gel Polish Manicure with The Gel Bottle, $75 and 30 minutes.

Lashes are worth trying now too. A Keratin Lash Lift is $90 and 50 minutes, Lash Lift & Tint is $105 and 1 hour 15 minutes. Extensions run Classic $90 for an hour, Hybrid $115 for 1 hour 15 minutes, Volume $130 for 1 hour 30 minutes, Mega $145 for 1 hour 45 minutes. Removal on its own is $25. How a set suits you, and how long it lasts, varies between people, so find out now and not in the last fortnight.

Six weeks out: do the full dress rehearsal

Book the exact combination you want for the day, all in one visit. Brows, lashes, nails, tan. Photograph it in daylight. That tells you whether the tint is the depth you pictured, whether the lash length feels like you, and how the tan sits against your dress.

Two weeks out: the last big appointment

Two weeks out is your last comfortable window for waxing. Skin can look pink afterwards and how long that lasts is different for everyone, so give it room. Underarms $30, half legs $50, full legs $95, half arms $45, full arms $90, facial wax $65, upper lip $20, chin $20, nose $15.

If skin treatments are on your list, the Facial Treatment Consultation is free and takes 10 minutes. Have that conversation early, not in the final weeks. This is not the time to start something your skin has never met.

The week of the wedding: what to book and what to leave alone

Brow shaping and tint want two to five days of breathing room. Combo Eyebrows Wax & Tint is $50 and 30 minutes, tint on its own is $30 and 20 minutes, Eye Works is $75 and 50 minutes. Tint looks strongest right after it is done and softens over the following days, at a pace that varies between people, so a few days ahead usually photographs better than the morning of. Leave the rest of the week alone. No new products, no first time treatments.

The day before: nails and tan, and not much else

Two things belong here. Nails, because gel and builder gel are at their freshest straight after they are done. And a spray tan, $50 and 30 minutes, because the colour wants time to settle rather than being rushed on the morning you are getting dressed. We book the tan last so nothing else happens over the top of it.

It is too late for waxing, a first ever lash lift or set of extensions, cosmetic tattooing, or anything you have not had before. There is no room left to see how your skin responds.

How long does a bridal beauty day actually take?

A real running order, using our listed times.

Three days before, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Combo Eyebrows Wax & Tint, 30 minutes, $50. Lash Lift & Tint, 1 hour 15 minutes, $105.

The day before, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Spa Pedicure, 45 minutes, $85, our most popular pedicure. Gel Polish Manicure with The Gel Bottle, 30 minutes, $75. Spray Tan, 30 minutes, $50. Allow extra time for nail art, $20 for Level 1, $30 for Level 2, $45 for Level 3, and $20 each for a French tip, ombre or chrome add on.

That plan comes to $365. Swap the manicure for Builder Gel BIAB at $80, or keep it simple with Shape and Polish at $30 or a Regular Manicure at $45.

What about the bridal party?

The Bridal Glow Package is $720 for four people, for the bride and up to three others. It covers a manicure and pedicure each, gel or classic, brow shaping and tint, and a custom airbrush spray tan. Bigger parties are welcome, and we do the same for hens parties, birthdays and girls nights. Give yourselves plenty of time, because four people moving through manicures, pedicures, brows and tans takes hours.

What about the groom and the groomsmen?

Grooms and groomsmen are welcome too. A Fingers Tidy Up is $20 and 10 minutes, Toe Nails Tidy Up is $20, nose wax $15, men's shoulders $30, men's upper chest $50. These can be booked together in one visit, so ask when you call. For gifts we stock the Pure Fiji MAN range in Mana'ia and Citrus Lime & Mint, from the $22 Mini Spa Box to the $49 Hydrating Body Lotion 280ml, and for the bridesmaids the Body Mates Gift Set with Toiletry Bag at $70. Gift vouchers are arranged in the salon or by phone.

How to book

Book online at verdonails.co.nz, call 027 559 0837, or come and see us at 245 Parnell Road, Parnell, Auckland 1052. We are open seven days and we work with The Gel Bottle, CND Shellac, Medik8, Pure Fiji and Adashiko. Everything here is cosmetic, and wear time and results vary between people. If you are not sure where your date sits in this timeline, phone us and we will work backwards from it with you.

Photograph by Lori DeJong on Unsplash.