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I've done sprays before. You have to use them a lot to get used to them and figure them out. I went easy on the barrier cream once and had crazy dark tan feet and hands. It rubbed off on my sheets a smidge too. Yes i was wonderfully tan for my boudoir pics. Would I do it for my wedding? heck to the no.
Ah, tanning beds. I'm only going for my wedding. I bought a bottle of Paint it Black on Amazon. It really extends and helps you hold your tan so you go tanning less. I've been 7 times in the past uh, 1.5 months and you've seen my pics. I'm not pasty anymore. But also not scary tan. I do 8 minutes, 8 minutes, 10 minutes, 12 minutes, 15, 15. Last time I dropped to 12 because I didn't want to be in there too long. I wear the little goggles and I cover up my face with a towel for half the time. Always. Always always. I also wear my swimsuit bottoms b/c my butt does not need to be golden brown. Neither do my boobs but my dress causes dilemnas with me wearing a swimsuit top in there like i otherwise do.
Paint it black smells good. It doesn't leave a nasty ATO (after tan odor). If you have acrylic nails, the tanning beds yellow the crap out of your nails. So you want to get Nail Savers which are like $11 on Ebay. I probably could have started 3 weeks before my wedding. I got 3 months unlimited for $65 and it was a waste considering how little I've needed to go with the lotion. I've gone without lotion too and it makes a world of difference.
I hate tanning =(
Oh and if you're tall like me, you gotta drop it like it's hot to get a spray on your face when you're in the booth. Or your body's really tan and your face? Not so much. Apparently they aren't one size fit all sprayers. 
I used to work at a tanning salon... I'm not a fan of them anymore for health reasons but I'm not gonna lecture you on that (Just pick up any magazine lol)
Here are my tips
Start out very short on time, if the max is 20 minutes, I'd start at 7 or 8 minutes and gradually work your way up. I would suggesting using a bronzer lotion (ask the salon attendant for a mild formula, and they should have sample size to try). I would also only go maybe 3 times a week, max. This will let you gradually grow your tan. Be sure to moisturize your skin so it doesnt get dry and itchy after. I also prefer stand-ups because you can put your arms up and avoid stark white underarms (and if they have music you can dance lol), usually I go in the buff but a lot of people will choose to do swimsuit buttoms and a tube/strapless top.
Also, if you do a lay down bed, I always go over it once with the cleanser and towel even though the attendants should clean them... just to be sure lol.
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@ejs - what is this paint it black you speak of? and as for being tall in the spray tanning booth, HA! I dont have that problem - at 5' it sprays every inch of me!
@gaBGal - I am kind of distrubed, ha ha a former employee of a tanning place telling me to do a once over in the tanning beds (although I probably would) it's just gross! ew, ha ha
great advice though, thanks!
Anyone else getting tanned for their big day?
I'm not a tanner at all but I did it once about 4 years ago, and I'm doing it a couple times to even myself out for the wedding.
I start at 10 minutes, and go about 3 times a week for two weeks until I get up to about 16 minutes. I never go for longer than that! And use bronzing lotion--it makes a big difference.
Personally, I like the Neutrogena Micromist and L'Oreal Sublime Bronze airbrush spray self-tanners for everyday use. It's good for that "OMG winter's over" kiss of sun, and also handy for covering up tan lines gone awry. I like to shower/exfoliate at night and spray it on about 30 minutes before bed ... I'm dry by bedtime and then I can shower the next morning and not smell it all day.
But would I use it for my wedding? Hmm. Maybe in a pinch, but probably not.
My wedding is in October, long after my summer sun will have faded, so I will probably hit the tanning bed a few times. I know it's not good but I also have only done it one other time, about 10 years ago, so I'm not feeling *too* bad about it :-) I can get pretty pale -- not quite albino, but I'm definitely a whitey -- so I'll probably go 4-5 times, depending on how much summer tan I've managed to keep.
I understand that the high-pressure beds are the way to go -- supposedly, you can spend less time in them and you aren't as likely to get fried. Still, if you're really pale, I'd follow GaBGal's advice since she used to work at a salon!
When I was dancing competetively, I had to get really dark really quickly for a competition. Instead of using one of the booths that automatically sprayed, I went to a tanning salon that did manual spraying -- a person was actually in the booth spraying me with a wand. It was a bit intimidating to have someone you've just met see you in barely nothing (they had paper underwear but my dress was very low cut so I needed to tan topless), but the tan was very even and the staying power was really nice. The best part was that it still looked natural - knowing me, I would burn myself silly going UV tanning.
If you weren't allergic to lotions I would recommend Shiseido's self tanners - my skin is highly sensitive and I managed to not break out in hives using that product. Good luck!!
Only for the wedding I've been going. I'm very fair too. I've just been going for 8 minutes a couple time a week and I've achieved a somewhat sun kissed look.
@chantellamus -- lol, yeaaa its not that the people who work there don't clean, but I knew people who would half-ass it and onlyclean the bottom (and totally ignore the top) lol... I'm a bit of a germaphobe sometimes so even when I worked there and I cleaned the bed, I would clean it again lol!
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It's so yummy. It says "clean blossom" but really it's like a lemon vanilla, but not sugary smelling. My mom likes Dark Night which is pomegranate scented. She just wears it out on the boat though.
You know, I used to wait tables and i would always tell the parents not to let their kids eat off the tables, lol. Why? not really that clean!!!!!
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I use the Paint it Black too! I did alot of research on lotions because, like many of you, I am a WHITEY!! Me and the fiance are both like glow in the dark white! ha. I definitely haven't been burning like I used to eventually with tanning. I'm only up to like 10 mins though and probably won't hit much higher. DEF start out very slow..I was at 4 minutes for awhile to not burn. I'm only going a few weeks for my shower and then maybe before the wedding a few times if I have to bump up the tan. I know it's bad too and tell myself after this year I won't go anymore- but I burn SOO badly outside here, it's the lesser of 2 evils for me. Only way I can control it. Or else I end up looking like Salami!
if you just want a glow, have you considered bronzer? you could have it applied the day of, that is face and shoulders.
I think we still want to look like us on our wedding day. What would it do for your self esteem if everyone was like "Wow, you are so pale, what happened, you looked so beautiful on your wedding day."
My soon to be husband is leabanese-american and he is whiter than me and I am danish-american. He avoids the sun by all means, I love running and cycling outside so I am a lot more than than him, so, I will lay in the tanning bed 1 or 2 times before the "big" day (in two weeks) just to even out the color on my shoulders while keeping my face covered. I am also exfoliating like a fool because I don't want me look all super tan and him all super white, and it's already confusing because our wedding is in Australia in June, which is technically winter.
I moisturize my face and body like crazy if I lay in the tanning bed, however, I lay in the bed with a clean body, that is no perfume, no lotions, not even the tanning kind....the tanning bed can wreak havoc on your skin and you will dry out in no time.
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ok, so I am so white I am nearly see-through, I have always gotten the most compliments when I have had a bit of a sun kissed glow and with the color of my dress I am REALLY washed out if I have my white white albino skin!, but I usually acheive that by being out on a lake all summer etc etc - but this year I won't be able to get around to doing anything fun until my wedding! ha ha
I need to know what the best route to go is. I know some people are adament about not sun bed tanning, but I don't know if I like the other alternatives - sunless tanning (lotions, sprays etc)
I have very sensitive skin so usually the lotions make me break out, or make me rashy, and the spray tans I find make me smell like teriyaki chicken - not appealing, especially on my wedding day I will be very hesitant about getting close to people when I will feel like I smell like food!
so that leaves sun beds. what do I do? ha ha I have never been in them, how long do I go for? how soon should I start? (I have 3 months to go) whats the scoop?
or do any of you have any other ideas? I wanna be glowy! :]