Readers, I will marry him… Yes, in four short months I will be walking up the aisle – and the thought of all that preening, plucking, smoothing, hydrating, bronzing, and general beautifying is already keeping me awake at night. I’m well aware there are more important issues in the world to be losing sleep over – but wedding plans have a knack of consuming one’s life as the day looms ever closer… Will I forget to paint my nails, get my hair coloured, or pluck my eyebrows? Or – worse still – wake up on the morning with a huge spot or mysterious rash on my skin?

Thankfully, there are six weddings invitations currently sat on top of our fireplace – and I am treating each event as a rehearsal for the all-important bridal beauty regime. If your diary is equally busy this summer, here are my top beauty tips for attending weddings – whether you’re sat in the pews or stood at the front…

1- Hair. I would never dream of styling my own hair for a wedding – oh no, such an important event calls for a professional blow-dry (available at any salon, costing anywhere between £15 and £40). After spending money on my hair, it would be an utter disaster if the style starting falling out before we’d even sung the first hymn – so the first thing I do when I get home from the salon is spritz the style with a layer of hairspray that I really trust. My favourite is Philip Kingsley Weatherproof Hair Spray– which promises to keep the style in place, come wind gusts or rain storms (lucky, apparently)

2 – Skin. I have very pale skin and rarely bother with fake tan – but an important day like a wedding demands a bit of effort. I’m scared of turning orange and streaky, so I stick to gradual tanning moisturisers so I can control the results in the days running up to the nuptials. For me, St Tropez is the still the best self-tanning range out there – I love the Everyday Gradual Tan Body Fair to Medium (Medium to Dark is also available).

3 – Nails. Painting my nails is the easy bit – I do it on a weekly basis and have the technique perfected. For weddings, however, I steer clear of the vivid bright colours that usually adorn my talons and opt for something a bit more neutral. I am currently coveting Dior Vernis Long-Wearing Nail Lacquer in Sugar Cane – a beautiful nude hue that will compliment any outfit. It will look pretty with the bright pink dress I have in mind for late August, it will look sophisticated with the navy silk number for October, and it will look groomed and demure for my big day in December.

4 – Fragrance. A formal wedding calls for a heavier, opulent fragrance – but it’s important not to overpower the bouquet of the carefully-selected ceremony flowers. My top choice is Calvin Klein Euphoria Eau de Parfum Scent. It’s a feminine perfume, yet holds its own in a formal environment, working perfectly with a sharply-cut dress and nose-bleed high heels. Initially, it smells sweet and floral, but as it settles, reveals deep – almost mysterious – notes of liquid amber, black violet, cream accord and mahogany wood.