Imagine the scene….

You are walking down the aisle. Hours have been spent arranging your gown, doing your hair, your make-up. You are a vision of loveliness, until……
Aarrghh..Chooooo!!!!!

Your eyes start to stream, your nose is running, your head feels like its stuffed with cotton wool.

Its that time of year again. Summer Brides, Summer hayfever misery!

How do you overcome this annual problem, with the style and sophistication that your big day deserves?

- Soothe those tired eyes before you put on your make-up with a gentle compress of eyebright. Napiers eyebright cream works wonders for allergic eyes.

- Ensure a good sleep the night before your wedding with this aroma globe. Its' Breathe Ease granules will decongest your stuffy nose, with its herbal combination of eucalyptus, lemon grass and peppermint.

- Start taking a good herbal remedy, such as Luffa Complex daily during the sniffy season. This will help build up your defences to deal with the onslaught of pollen.

- Chose your flower in your bouquet with care. Did you know that some flowers are pollen free? Try a stylish bouquet of any of the following flowers for a sneeze free day. Snap Dragons, Viola Tricolour, Pansies, Impatiens, Lobelia, Petunia, Periwinkle, Alyssum, Begonia, clematis, columbine, crocus, daffodil, daisy, dusty miller, geranium, hosta, iris, lily, narcissus, phlox, rose, salvia, sunflower, tulip, verbena, zinnia. Don't forget to give this floral list to the floral arrangers for the church and reception!

- Ensure that you ask all your guests whether they have any food allergies. Caterers are notoriously slack with food allergies, and the last thing you need is someone carried out on a stretcher in the middle of the reception food (save that for the Disco!!)

-If you are asthmatic, ensure that keep your puffer close at hand. You can even glam it up in one of these amazing custom made nebulizer cases, more jewellery than medical.

- For those with sensitive skins, make the time to try on you underwear, dress and stockings and wear for a while. This will enable you to discover whether anything may bring you out in a rash; hooks, poppers labels etc. Not an attractive look!

- If you are sensitive to nickel, there are some very pretty ranges of totally nickel free jewellery for even the most sensitive. Even gold and silver contains some nickel and can cause a reaction for some people, but these items are guaranteed to be trouble free.

- Ensure your make up is extra gentle. It has to last all day, and put up with hot weather, much kissing and dancing! You will need to touch up frequently, so have these pretty face-savers close at hand. For those with allergic scalp conditions, who have tried all the conventional scalp shampoos, there is now available a good cosmetic shampoo that has no sodium laureath sulphate, a major irritant that is the main ingredient of nearly all shampoos. Regular use of Zeal shampoo and conditioner will ensure great hair on your wedding day, and the only confetti you will see will be the paper variety!

- Talking of confetti, why not try natural rose petals, a natural and pretty alternative to traditional confetti, and a great allergy free flower.

- Don't forget your honeymoon. If you are going anywhere hot you will need a good sunscreen. Unfortunately, many contain ingredients that can cause allergies and exacerbate eczema. Keep away from products containing cinnamates (octyl methoxcinnamate and cinoxate) and the preservative paraben. The M-Folia range using healing mahonia extract is great for sensitive skins and also come in handy travel sized kits. Solace cream is a cooling soothing after sun cream made with totally natural ingredients and smells great too. Another way to guarantee trouble free holidays is a good insect repeller, you don't want to itch your way through the night! Zap is a natural mossie buster, using a blend of botanical oils such as lemon eucalyptus.

- So for all you allergy sufferers out there, there is help to ensure an allergy free wedding.

Date: Feb 2003 Author: Alison Besaies Director Allergymatters Ltd

Start Shopping from our Wedding Collection