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How-To Guides · 27 June 2026 · 4 min read

the event tan timeline: when to tan for a wedding

Liz, founder of Australian Glowby liz, founder

Event tanning has one rule the group chat never mentions: the day of the event should be day two of the tan. Day one can carry a hint of shower-fresh shine and over-depth; day two has settled into skin. Everything else in the timeline falls out of that.

the countdown

Two weeks out, run the dress rehearsal: same product, same shade, full wear cycle. This is where you learn your development window, how the shade photographs, and whether you want deeper. Three days out, exfoliate and do all hair removal. Two days out, apply in the evening. The day itself: moisturise, glow, accept compliments.

shade strategy for photos

Cameras flatten. A shade that reads perfect in the mirror reads a step lighter in flash photography, which is why event tanners often go one deeper than their everyday shade — Dark where they would normally live at Medium, or Platinum for the full production. That is exactly the call the two-week test tan answers for you.

quick answers

How many days before a wedding should you self tan?+

Two days before, so the event lands on day two of the tan — settled, believable and past any guide-colour shine. Exfoliate three days before, and test the exact shade two weeks out.

Should you go darker for photos?+

Usually one step deeper than your everyday shade — flash photography flattens colour by roughly that much. Confirm with a test tan two weeks before.

Mentioned in this guide

shop the routine.

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