Summer wedding? Make sure your fake tan doesn't let you down

While it's perfectly acceptable to hide away behind layers of cosy knits, denim jeans and jackets during the winter months, summer is the time to get your legs out and enjoy the sun.

The thick black tights you've stayed covered up in since January now need to be banished to the back of your drawer and replaced with some beautifully buffed and tanned pins.

While this is all well and good in theory, putting it into practice is quite different and it could be more important than ever for you to look bronzed and gorgeous when you arrive at the wedding venue and walk down the aisle in front of all your guests.

A fake tan disaster is bad news at any time, but on one of the most important days of your life, it's even worse. You definitely don't want to be looking back at the wedding photography in years to come and cringing at your orange glow or streaky arms.

To solve this problem, we've got a few hints and tips for you to follow and hopefully we'll have you looking gorgeous and ready to don your wedding dress in no time at all.

You should know by now that preparation is the key to successful tanning and that means exfoliating your skin and slathering on some moisturiser to get it primed and ready for the bronzer.

Pay particular attention to areas like your ankles, elbows, wrists and the backs of your knees, because this is where the skin can be dryer and fake tan will collect. When you're giving your husband-to-be your hand in marriage, no one wants to see orange streaks!

It's best to apply your tan a few days before the big event, this gives you time to sort it out if it does go disastrously wrong and also allows the colour to develop properly. But it isn't quite as easy as just putting it on then continuing with your wedding planning.

As Marie Claire points out, you need to continue with your routine of exfoliation and moisturising as well as gently keeping your colour topped up to maintain a healthy glow.

Another reason to tan in advance is the worry about that stunning white wedding dress you've got hanging up in your wardrobe ready to wear.

The magazine says: "The number one rule of dressing after tanning is to wear dark, loose clothing to avoid marking any wardrobe favourites. So, be sure to throw on a jersey LBD and keep legs bare to optimise your tan potential."

Of course, there's another important thing to remember when it comes to getting your skin ready for your summer wedding and that's the sun itself.

While a natural tan is undoubtedly the best, there are risks associated with achieving it and even worse than a bride with streaky legs could be a newlywed with a lobster-red glow because she sat outside for too long.

Take some advice from Bevis Man from the British Skin Foundation, who says makeup and moisturisers containing SPF are not enough to protect you.

"Their main aim would be to moisturise," Mr Man explained. "If you are going to go out in the sun, use an actual sunscreen because that's what the product is there for, to filter out UVB and UVA radiation from the sun."

We know this seems like a lot of work, especially if you want to get outside in the glorious weather before your ceremony, but it'll all be worth it when you look like a tanned goddess in your wedding snaps!