Picking the Perfect Wedding Polish

Whether you’re a bride, bridesmaid, mother of someone getting married, or guest gearing up to celebrate someone’s big day, you want to look pretty and polished for the occasion. To help make sure our manicures are consistent with the style and look we’re going for, we asked Catherine Fain, co-owner of Raleigh’s Paintbar, to recommend nail colors to suit every member of the bridal party. Here is her expert advice:

For the brides: Colors to consider: For brides going for a classic look, we recommend OPI’s Bubble Bath or Be There In A Prosecco (featured above), Essie’s Ballet Slippers, RGB’s RGB10 (RGB is 5-free, meaning it does not contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, DBP, or camphor), or Chanel’s 625-Secret. If the bride is looking for something out of the box or more modern, they could go with OPI’s I Am What I Amethyst, which is a beautiful powdery lavender, or Essie’s Find Me An Oasis, which is a pretty pale hue that’s perfect for “something blue.” For brides who want to have some fun with nail design, we opt for some subtle but pretty techniques like a glitter ombre, metallic striping tape designs, or a modern French with a bright color on the tips.

Additional advice: Do a trial run a few weeks before the wedding to test color, nail shape, and whether you want regular polish or gel polish. It’s also a good time to decide what color or style you’d like for your bridesmaids or attendants.

For the maids and mothers: Some brides have opinions about their bridesmaids’ and mothers’ polish selections, while others just want them to do their own thing. If you do have a preference, we suggest letting them know if there are any colors or shapes that are no-nos. Otherwise, depending on the season/colors they’re wearing, a pretty red—like OPI’s Big Apple Red, Chanel’s Pirate, or RGB’s Red—is a nice classic look. Essie’s A List or OPI’s Malaga Wine are great picks for deeper reds, and a pretty coral like OPI’s Cajun Shrimp (which is always popular) or a bright color like RGB’s Pink or Essie’s Fiesta are great choices. Again, always keep in mind the season/setting/color scheme, and remember, you cannot go wrong with a French or American, which are always classic options.

Additional advice: Often you can purchase your polish color, which we highly recommend. That way you’ve got your color on-hand in case an emergency touch-up is in order. (This applies to the bride, too!)

TSG Tip 157 provided by Catherine Fain of Paintbar in Raleigh, NC. Paintbar is a growing franchise dedicated to creating safe, clean, and stylish locations where customers can enjoy their menu of beauty maintenance services.