19 October 2026
Book the hair styling first and as far ahead as you can, because popular wedding dates fill quickly over spring and summer. Everything else works backwards from the day itself using how long each treatment lasts: colour and balayage months out, lashes and brows a few weeks out, waxing and nails in the final fortnight, and the spray tan a couple of days before. The one date nobody builds in is the patch test, which has to sit at least 48 hours before any colour, lash or brow appointment.
Contents
- What should you book first?
- When should you book the patch tests?
- How far ahead should you have your colour done?
- When should you book lashes and brows?
- When should you book waxing?
- When should you book nails?
- When should the spray tan go?
- What does wedding hair cost?
- Frequently asked questions
- Book bridal hair and beauty in Canterbury
- Further reading
What should you book first?
The styling appointment on the morning itself, because it is the only one with a fixed date that somebody else might take. For weddings and big events, book as far ahead as you can, particularly across spring and summer when the popular dates go early. Everything else is flexible by days or weeks and can be slotted in once that anchor is set.
Bridal and occasion hair at Therapy covers soft romantic up dos, sleek sets and finished blow dries, with a finish built to hold into the evening photographs rather than just through the ceremony.
When should you book the patch tests?
Before the treatments are booked. All hair colouring services require a patch test at least 48 hours beforehand, and so do lash lifts, lash tints and brow tints. A patch test needs repeating every six months. Patch tests are quick and free of charge, and cannot be done on the same day as the treatment. The test comes first, and the appointment is booked once there is no reaction.
If you are having colour, lashes and brows, a single trip into town usually covers the testing for all of them. Say everything you are planning when you come in for the tests. Our guide to salon patch tests sets out which treatments need one.
How far ahead should you have your colour done?
Work back from how long your colour holds. Highlights typically last six to ten weeks, so a refresh around three to four weeks before the wedding leaves the colour settled rather than brand new, with room to adjust if it is not quite right. Balayage can last three to six months and is designed to grow out softly, so it can go considerably earlier.
If you are changing colour rather than maintaining it, give yourself more room than you think. A first appointment several months out, with a maintenance appointment nearer the day, is far more comfortable than trying to get a new shade right in the week of the wedding. Our guide to how often to get highlights helps with the timing.
When should you book lashes and brows?
A lash lift at £45 curls your natural lashes from the root, and a lash tint at £25 darkens them. A lash lift lasts six to eight weeks and a lash tint typically lasts four to six weeks, fading as your natural lashes shed and grow, so an appointment two to three weeks before the wedding puts both comfortably inside those windows.
A brow tint is £15, lasts four weeks and sits naturally alongside the lash appointment. If you have not had either before, book them earlier than you otherwise would, so there is time to adjust the result before the day rather than on it. The lash lift appointment runs around 45 to 60 minutes, with a further 10 to 15 minutes for a tint.
When should you book waxing?
Waxing at Therapy uses the Lycon system and runs from £10 for a lip wax to £40 for a Hollywood. Most people enjoy smooth results for three to six weeks, so a wax one to two weeks before the wedding sits well inside that. Hair should be at least 5mm long for the best result, which means resisting the razor in the run-up.
If you are also having a spray tan, the order matters: our guide to waxing before or after tanning explains which way round to book them, and our waxing before a holiday guide covers a honeymoon straight afterwards.
When should you book nails?
Close to the day, because the finish is what matters and gel wears well. Gel is £32, BIAB and gel £35, BIAB with tips £45 and a gel pedicure £40. Nail art starts at £5 and is priced by the design, so mention it when you book to allow enough appointment time.
BIAB is worth considering if you want the nails to survive the honeymoon as well as the wedding, and our guide to how long BIAB lasts covers what to expect. One thing to flag early: Therapy does not remove or infill nail products applied by other salons, so if you have something on from elsewhere, deal with it before the wedding week.
When should the spray tan go?
Last, and near the end. A St Tropez spray tan is £30, and most spray tans remain visible for around five to seven days, developing fully in eight hours. Two days before the wedding is the usual answer, which gives the colour time to settle without eating into the window.
Prepare properly or the timing will not save it. Exfoliate and shave or wax at least 24 hours beforehand, avoid moisturisers, deodorants and perfumes on the day, and wear loose dark clothing. Our guide to how long a spray tan lasts goes through the rest.
What does wedding hair cost?
Occasion hair is priced from the styling list: a set or up do is £50 and a blow dry is £40. If you are having colour beforehand, a cut can be added to that appointment for £30, and all colour services include a professional blow dry and finish. Our hair prices guide sets out the rest.
Worth knowing before you plan the week: cancellations or amendments require 24 hours notice, and appointments cancelled with less than 24 hours notice incur a 50 percent charge.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should I book wedding hair?
As far ahead as you can. Popular wedding dates fill quickly, especially over spring and summer.
How long before a wedding should I have my hair coloured?
Highlights typically last six to ten weeks, so around three to four weeks before works well. Balayage can last three to six months and can go earlier.
When should I have a spray tan before my wedding?
Around two days before. Most spray tans remain visible for approximately five to seven days and develop fully in eight hours.
How long before the wedding should I be waxed?
One to two weeks. Most people enjoy smooth results for three to six weeks, and hair should be at least 5mm long for the best result.
Do I need a patch test before wedding colour or lashes?
Yes. All hair colouring, lash lift, lash tint and brow tint services require a patch test at least 48 hours beforehand, and it cannot be done on the same day as the treatment. A patch test needs repeating every six months.
How much is bridal hair at Therapy?
A set or up do is £50 and a blow dry is £40.
When should I have my nails done before the wedding?
Close to the day. Gel is £32, BIAB and gel £35, BIAB with tips £45 and a gel pedicure £40. Mention nail art when booking so enough time is allowed.
Book bridal hair and beauty in Canterbury
Therapy is at 21 Burgate in Canterbury, a short walk from the cathedral, with hair, nails and beauty under one roof. Have a look at bridal and occasion hair, our body and beauty treatments and our nail services, then get in touch through our contact page. Book the styling date first and we can work the rest of the countdown back from it.
