Every bride wants to look flawless on her wedding day. But perfection doesn’t come without a little prep work.

Just like every other wedding day detail—from the venue design to the flowers to the gown—requires months of planning, so too does bridal beauty. According to certified makeup artist Paige Jeansonne, makeup and skin prep should begin at least three months prior, though, she notes, six full months in advance is ideal.

But where is a bride to start?

With the help of Jeansonne and medically trained and licensed aesthetician Candace Chapman of Jane Olsen Cosmetics, we assembled a timeline for bridal beauty prep. Read on for the step-by-step guide.

1 YEAR OUT

Book your makeup. The sooner the better. Jeansonne gets bridal makeup on the books sometimes more than a year in advance. As soon as you know the date and location of your wedding, she suggests getting hair and makeup arranged.

Insider Tip: Have your makeup trial done before an engagement party, engagement photos or your bridal portraits. That way, the full face of makeup doesn’t go to waste.

6 MONTHS OUT

Have a skin consultation. Because all skin is different, Chapman recommends scheduling a consultation with an aesthetician to create a customized plan of action. While there are plenty of options for those who only have a short timeline, if you struggle with acne or skin texture, Chapman suggests starting early so the skin has more time to heal from intensive treatments.

3 MONTHS OUT

Finish skin preparation. One treatment Jeansonne always recommends to brides is dermaplaning, which removes all peach fuzz and dead skin from the face, allowing for the perfect application of foundation, resulting in silky smooth skin.

2 MONTHS OUT

Filler. Because filler can take a few weeks to fully integrate into the face, Chapman advises getting it two months prior. Then, if you feel that you need a little more at one month prior, you have time to get a touch-up.

1 MONTH OUT

Stop skin prep treatments. Start teeth whitening.  If you’ve never used retinol, now is not the time to start. And if you are using a retinol, Jeansonne recommends stopping three weeks before the wedding, unless it’s being used for breakouts. If you’ve never gotten your eyebrows waxed, don’t start now, either. Jeansonne has seen brides make this mistake and end up with dry spots and bumps around the brows.

If you can’t get professional whitening done by a dentist, Jeansonne suggests using Crest whitening strips for one hour once a week in the month leading up to your wedding.

1-2 WEEKS OUT

Brows done. For those who do regularly get their eyebrows waxed, one week prior is the optimal time to get this done. If your skin is on the sensitive side, allow for plenty of rest time by waxing two weeks prior.

DAY BEFORE REHEARSAL DINNER

Manicure. Pedicure. Spray tan. While some things are best done on your own to save money, Jeansonne notes that self-tanning is not one of those things. “It’s your wedding day, so take that extra time and money and get a professional spray tan,” she says. “If you’re getting married on a Saturday, get the spray tan on Thursday.”

WEDDING DAY

CO2Lift Pro carboxy treatment mask. For that gorgeous glow, Chapman always tells her brides to use this at-home face mask on the day of the wedding. “It gives your skin that healthy, plump vibrancy that everyone wants, and it makes your skin the perfect foundation for makeup,” she notes.