EP. 38 Glow Smart: Bridal Spray Tans Without The Orange

Want wedding photos where your skin looks luminous, not orange—and your white dress stays pristine? We brought back Shawna “The Bridal Bronzer” Jackson of Tans2You to break down the art and timing of a flawless, camera-ready spray tan for brides, grooms, and the whole party. From smart prep to custom undertones, Shawna shares exactly how to get believable color that reads as healthy skin, not makeup.

We dig into the details that matter: exfoliation and hydration that make color last, the three-to-four day wedding window that prevents transfer, and why a trial tan beats day-of heroics every time. Shawna explains how modern violet and olive-based formulas match undertones across complexions, why light-and-airy photography benefits from a subtle glow, and how pros blend bra strap lines, wrists, and ankles so your skin looks even in close-ups. We also talk mobile spray tan parties, add-ons like collagen and hydration boosters, and rapid vs overnight development for busy schedules.

If you’ve sworn off tanning beds or baking in the sun, “spray, don’t lay” is your new mantra—safer, faster, and tailored to the finish you want. You’ll learn how to avoid dress stains, what products to skip on tan day, and how long a well-maintained tan can last. Grooms, this one’s for you too: a light, custom glow reads as refreshed and confident on camera without screaming “tan.”

Ready to glow without guesswork? Tap play, then book your trial. If this helped, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so more couples find smart, skin-safe wedding tips.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to the Tip to Guest Podcast. I am your host, Marco Buenrostro. And every week I'm here with the top industry experts, amazing clients, and all my vendor BFFs to bring you the best tips, advice, and juicy behind-the-scenes stories to make wedding and event planning a breeze. So grab your favorite drink and let's get this party started. Hi guys, welcome back to the Tipsy Guest. I am Marco, your host, and today we're gonna be talking about tanning. I mean, you wanna make sure that you look fabulous on your big day. And today we want to welcome Shauna Jackson back for all things tanning. So, welcome back, girl.

SPEAKER_00 0:48

Thank you so much for having me back.

SPEAKER_01 0:50

Of course, we had so much fun last time, and I feel like we didn't even have enough time to discuss everything. No, we didn't. Alright, so last time we talked about wedding invitations, our SVPs, all like you know, like the formal stuff of you know, weddings. Today we're we're gonna talk about something cool, something fun, and something that's needed. So talk to me about your tanning tanning company. What's the name of the company? I know I'm gonna mess it up, so I'm gonna let you say it.

SPEAKER_00 1:19

It's a little bit of a tongue twister. It's called Tans to You. So Tans, the number two, then you, because I'm a mobile spray tanning company. I do have a home studio as well, so you can come to me, but I prefer going to you.

SPEAKER_01 1:31

Alright, and then I know they gave you a nickname. What is that nickname that I've heard people talk about?

SPEAKER_00 1:37

They have called me the bridal bronzer. That's actually how I got into spray tanning, was because I needed to my my uh excuse me, my brides needed a spray tan, or my brides just need a little bit of glow and color to them, and honestly, I just like, oh, I'm gonna go get certified.

SPEAKER_01 1:51

I love that. I love that. How long have you been doing the tanning?

SPEAKER_00 1:54

Been doing tanning now for three years.

SPEAKER_01 1:56

Dang, nice. Okay, so I guess you're in in central Texas. How popular is tanning?

SPEAKER_00 2:03

Um, honestly, it's pretty popular. I mean, I get everyone from every ethnicity and every gender. They everyone needs a tan, honestly. I think of tan just makes anyone feel better.

SPEAKER_01 2:13

Okay, you know, I've never done it. Uh I mean, I guess I'm I'm somewhat dark, but oh, we can schedule you an appointment. Yeah, no, I was gonna I was gonna say, I was like, I'm I'm intrigued. Like I've never, never done it. So what is the process of of I guess coming to you or you going to them? How how does it work? How long is the session? And and I I want to hear it all.

SPEAKER_00 2:35

Perfect. So honestly, I can either go to you or you come to me. Um but when you schedule an appointment, I kind of give you a list of prep. There, the main thing with your spray tan is prep, prep, prep. That's exfoliation, that is properly washing yourself, that is um making sure you do not have any deodorant or perfumes on deodorant perfumes and lotion, those were all discolor discolor, excuse me, your spray tan. Um, so a lot of it is prep, prep, prep. That is what will help your spray tan last the longest. And for aftercare, a lot of it is hydration. People don't understand that. I know every like water cures almost everything. Um, but keeping yourself hydrated, you want to keep your skin hydrated. So after your spray tan, after you do the initial wrench, keep your skin moisturized. Do just a basic non-sented lotion that um honestly fast cocoa butter even better, and then keep yourself hydrated. Lots of water. The more dryer your skin is, the more obviously your tan's gonna flake off.

SPEAKER_01 3:31

Okay, okay. And then for I guess, obviously, for a wedding, well, no, I guess let me ask you this. Do they need to come to like a certain amount of sessions, or is it just like a one-time thing? How does that work?

SPEAKER_00 3:45

So I am a firm believer of uh spray, don't lay. So do not lay in those beds, do not lay underneath the sun. That's how you get skin cancer. Spray tanning helped prevent that. So honestly, with spray tanning, it's just a one session type of thing. Obviously, if you're prepping for your big day, I always recommend a trial session. So do that trial session um honestly anytime before your big day. I would say at least three to four weeks beforehand, just to make sure that your trial rinses off properly and scrubs off properly. Um, but about three to four days, uh excuse me, about three to four days before your big day is when you can actually get your wedding tan. Um, but do a trial one run beforehand, do one before your bachelorette party, do one before your bridal shower. And I have so many grooms that come also before their bachelor party to come get a spray tan, especially if their bachelor party is in Mexico or Miami.

SPEAKER_01 4:35

I was gonna ask that, though. I guess like do you do see, you know, guys doing it? I I feel like sometimes guys feel like it's like they're like, no, I don't want to do that. I don't want to do that, but how I guess how how popular is it with guys?

SPEAKER_00 4:50

It's actually getting pretty popular, especially like for the grooms. Uh-huh. They they have this beautiful bride and she's glowing and she looks great, and we all laugh because how long does it take a groom to get ready for a wedding? Yeah. 20 minutes. They show up and they put on a tux and they go to the altar.

unknown 5:09

Pretty much, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:10

So a lot of these grooms, and I I love how I guess more men are becoming like, yeah, it's like they want to take care of themselves. And especially for the big day, they want to look good on the big day. It's not just about the bride. I mean, yes, it is, but um, but they wanna they want to look good too. They want to be noticed in the picture. So a lot of them, yeah, they come and get a like a just a light spray tan light glow. You don't, you're not gonna look orange, you're not gonna look any type of weird color, you're not gonna look splotchy. Um, spray tans have evolved so much over the last, I would say, decade that everything is more violet and olive undertone. So we match the color with your undertone so that way you have a good nice bronze. It's not no orange, there's no like heavy, heavy brown in there, there's no heavy chemicals, it's just a nice glow. That's what most people want on their wedding day, is just to you know be able to stand out, look a little bit better.

SPEAKER_01 5:59

Yeah, I love that. And then I guess so. What type? I'm assuming there's different types of of I guess like I don't even know what the the word is, like materials or formula. Yes, like depending on the skin t uh type, or I mean some people might be allergic to certain things. Is uh how would you handle something like that?

SPEAKER_00 6:18

So um I all obviously have to have all my people that come get a sprayed tan sign a disclaimer because I cannot tell if I'm not a doctor, so I'm you might be allergic to something and you might not even know it. Um so everyone does have to sign a disclaimer, but mo I I don't think any of my clients have ever had an allergic reaction to any of mine. Mine are more organic-based formulas, and then I like to custom match the formula to your skin color. Obviously, if you're more pale and everything, you do not want to be scared with a drastic tan change. I mean, you do not want to look like a bodybuilder right off the bat. Um, so I try not to scare people like that. So if with the more pale gir girls, I give them more of a glow. Obviously, as you're you have more um different skin tones, I I kind of just base it off of that. Obviously, I do have a lot of brides that were like, oh, make me as dark as possible. I'm like, like, how dark? They're like just came back from Jamaica dark. I'm like, oh, I got you, girl. I was like, because I uh everyone always laughs. They're like, um tan uh, what is it? What is that saying about being tan? Like um uh tan fat looks better than skinny fat or something like that.

SPEAKER_01 7:26

There you go, there you go.

SPEAKER_00 7:27

Then pale fat. There you go. Tan fat looks better than pale fat.

SPEAKER_01 7:30

Have you ever had and and uh I guess like a not necessarily a horror story, but and not necessarily within your company, but just in general, like what are some of the horror stories that that you've heard out there uh, you know, from tanning right before a wedding?

SPEAKER_00 7:45

Oh, I've had girls come in the morning of, and oh, that's a big no-no. Do not come the morning of your wedding, or even if you're a bridesmaid, do not come the morning of the bride like the wedding and try to get a spray tan. One, um, you're not gonna have time for it to properly set. Yes, there are things called rapid tans that can set within an hour and stuff like that, but you're not gonna get the full effect. I honestly recommend always sleeping at a spray tan. I that is one thing I love to do. I'm actually I'm open late, so I love to take my last minute nine 9 p.m. clients. They come in, they get a spray tan, and they sleep in it and they rinse off the morning. Why? Because it gives your skin more time to absorb the DHA.

SPEAKER_01 8:23

Oh, okay, okay. And when you go when you do weddings, um, do you offer any type of uh like say bridal party packages or how how I guess how expensive is it? How affordable is it? Talk to me about prices.

SPEAKER_00 8:38

Oh, that is my favorite thing to do are spray tan parties. Okay. So whether you're getting all your girls together before the Bachelorette party or all the guys together before the bachelorette party, um, or you want all your girls together before the wedding day or anything like that, um, you pick a location. You can either come to me or I can go to you. Obviously, more people like me to go to you. Obviously, that's why I'm a mobile bra um mobile spray tanner. Um we set up in your house most of the time. We have like the maid of honor, she goes and gets champagne, like some little hors d'herbs and everything. Everyone has matching robes, it's so cute. And then um one by one, I just call the girls to the back, and it takes about me about 10 minutes tops to spray tan per person. So in the back, I get them all prepped and everything. I spray tan them, dry them off, make sure that they have their setting powder on. Um, and then I next girl will come in, and then at the time they're just having girl time. They are enjoying it, they are having champagne and everything. Usually, like I said, I recommend about three to four days before the big wedding. And then if you're going on a bachelorette party, depending where the bachelorette party is, if you're going to Nashville where there's not like sand or anything like that, you could probably do about like two days before you go. If you're going to somewhere, um, excuse me, three days before you go, if you're going somewhere with like there's more sand, because sand is an exfoliant. Um, I would recommend going about two days before you go.

SPEAKER_01 9:55

Okay, okay. And then how how much space do you need for your mobile setup? Uh, can it be done at an apartment? Does it have to be like a like I don't know, like an office space? How how compact or big is your setup?

SPEAKER_00 10:08

It is pretty compact. I honestly maybe need a five by five space. Um put me in the bathtub or anything like it is very good, it's very convenient, very pop-up. Um, everything with me fits in my little rolling rolling case, and then I have uh my tent that just goes over my shoulder, it folds up very easily. Um and then honestly, you can have your mobile spray tan party as little as just yourself. Um, or I can honestly get up to like 25 girls. I think I've had a cheer team, and so a lot of these little girls love to do the the spray tans before they're cheer comps. I like um so um I've done a a cheer competition with 25 girls on there. Um so it it all depends on how many people you want there. I I could accommodate pretty much everyone.

SPEAKER_01 10:56

I like, I like. I am definitely gonna set up an appointment. I wanna I wanna experience this.

SPEAKER_00 11:02

Oh, you know I got you. I'll bring it right here.

SPEAKER_01 11:04

Right. We should we should do like a like a podcast and tanning session. Oh, I love that. And maybe even like, I don't know, like a live Insta style or something. But um, what are your thoughts? Um, I mean I don't even know if this is a thing, but I'm sure I mean every anything can be DIY. But what are your thoughts on DIY tanning?

SPEAKER_00 11:24

Um uh it can be done. Okay, okay. Um obviously a lot of people think spray tans, they think the infamous uh friends episode where um Chandler, no, it's not Chandler, it's Ross that gets in the spray tanning booth and he accidentally sprays himself double. That is an automated spray tan. So do not trust an automated spray tan. When you want to spray tan yourself, it's hard to get your back, it's hard to get the front. Like you honestly just go with somebody that's professional, somebody that takes their time to, you know, get the crevices and all that stuff, someone that can blend you out, um, especially if you have one of those, like a sports bra tan line or a bikini tan line and you're wearing like a strapless gown for your wedding, we can be able to blend that out and make you look good.

SPEAKER_01 12:07

Alright. And then when it comes to the actual uh, you know, the wedding dress, for example, I mean it's white. How is the uh can can the can that uh what do you call it? I mean not the tan, but I guess like the whatever the spray, I guess, is that what you use? Is that what it's like? Can it transfer over? Yeah, can it transfer over to the to the dress?

SPEAKER_00 12:27

It does. It can uh if you don't properly exfoliate beforehand, and it depends if you're a big sweater. Um here in South Texas, obviously, we get a lot of sweaty outside weddings. Um, but honestly, if you get your spray tan and you exfoliate and prep right beforehand and you wear proper deodorant, um, I've actually had brides that will spray tan, I can not spray tan, hairspray their armpits because that actually stops you from sweating. Um that's what I've heard. I've never done it before. Um, maybe I'll do like a little tester. How would you try that? Well, spray tan, or excuse me, hairspray or armpits and see if it works. I feel like it would burn. Yeah, that's how I feel like too.

SPEAKER_01 13:06

You know, like that old spies. I mean, I when I was when I was little, well not little, but I guess like back in my high school, like I don't know, uh middle school years, my brother used to have use the old spies, deodorant, and one time I was like, you know what? Let me try it. Oh my god. I feel like I can still feel the burn. That was such a horrible thing. That and axe. I never, never even looked at that thing again. I feel like that's how hairspray is gonna feel like.

SPEAKER_00 13:33

I think you would just feel really sticky too, but I have brides that will swear by it. Um, I mean, I guess that's an old uh uh professional dancer like hack and everything, or professional pageant hack. Um so they'll they'll spray tune that.

SPEAKER_01 13:47

I sweat a lot. Like I it's it's disgusting. But yes, I even if I'm indoors in AC, like I will I'm always sweating. Like I don't know. It's it's ridiculous. I've I you know right now that you mentioned the hairspray, I've heard about the whole uh Botox, you know, that you can do Botox on your like on your armpits and it helps. I don't think I would want to do that, but but I've heard stories about that too.

SPEAKER_00 14:09

I mean, give me Botox in my forehead, not my armpits.

SPEAKER_01 14:12

You know, I I guess I need to start doing now I guess now that I'm getting older, I need to start doing all kinds of things. I've never done Botox either.

SPEAKER_00 14:20

How do you look so good? All you need is a spray tan.

SPEAKER_01 14:23

Just water. Drink water. No, but Jersey, I think this is such a cool thing because I mean I feel like like in modern times, now I feel like there are so many different things that you can do to enhance your wedding experience. And I feel like tanning is a great one. Honestly, this is a great idea. And um, honestly, I don't think I've seen other I don't I don't I haven't seen a lot of vendors out there doing this. So I am glad that you're here talking about this and making it you know, making our listeners aware that that this is a thing.

SPEAKER_00 14:58

It is a big thing, especially because I would say a good trend right now for photography is light and airy. So you get this beautiful blonde girl with pale skin in a white dress, and she's wanting light and airy photos. What's gonna happen? She's gonna blend into the photos. Yeah. Um, so that's actually why I got into spray tanning, is because a lot of these times, these brides, I was like, sweetheart, you are gorgeous, you are beautiful, but when these photos come out, you're just gonna wash out into the photos. And she's like, What do you mean? I was like, You're wanting light and airy, and light and airy is a beautiful like um setting for photos. But if you have a little bit of color on your skin, you're just gonna you're gonna pop out a little more in the photos. You're not gonna blend out with your dress and your bright blonde hair.

SPEAKER_01 15:40

Yeah. Okay, all right. You know, good good tips that we're getting today here are the tips again.

SPEAKER_00 15:45

And then honestly, oh go ahead. No, no, no, go, go, go, go, go, go, go. Oh, and then I honestly a spray tan also just enhances things too. Like you it's gonna enhance your jawline, it's gonna enhance your neck bones, um, it's just gonna bring out the best pieces that a camera is definitely gonna capture, and it's gonna make you look so much better in a photo.

SPEAKER_01 16:03

Do you uh do you think I guess you know, because we have different wedding seasons, of course. We have spring, we have fall, we have uh winter weddings. Do you think it will look weird like for a winter wedding? Like if you show up all tanned. Is there like a higher season for you? Like I guess how does that work?

SPEAKER_00 16:20

Honestly, it's all year round, um, especially winters. Winter weddings are when I'm the busiest because no one can go outside and get their natural tan. Um but there's different settings I would use and different formulas for like more of a winter wedding. I would just give someone just more of a nice bronzy glow instead of a darker bronze. Um, a nice more bronzier glow is just gonna make them look a little, you know, stand out a little bit more, a little bit um more glowy. It looks better with makeup, looks better in photos, but you don't look like out of place like you just went to the beach. You're just gonna look a little more like yourself, if that makes sense, not not washed out.

SPEAKER_01 16:57

Okay. I like it. You know what you're here, you're not even here to sell me anything. But I am sold on everything that you're telling me. I'm telling you, I'm gonna be um scheduling my appointment, which reminds me. Let our listeners know where they can find you on social media, uh uh website, how can they see photos of previous uh brides? And how tell me everything about that.

SPEAKER_00 17:21

Alright, just look me up on Instagram. Um, it is Tans, the number two, you underscore by Shauna. Um, S-H-A-W-N-A, if case anyone needs to know how to spell that. Um you can book directly through my Instagram. There's a book now link. I have a whole bunch of photos of brides and a bunch of uh photos of a lot of my girls. I need to get some more photos of men. Men do not like to take photos after their tan.

SPEAKER_01 17:44

Volunteer.

SPEAKER_00 17:44

I love you.

SPEAKER_01 17:47

Well, we'll be scheduling this uh right after this session.

SPEAKER_00 17:50

And then actually, I would love to give a um all your listeners, if they went ahead and booked a tan with me, they can get 50% off their first tan.

SPEAKER_01 17:57

Ooh, alright. So we'll make sure to add that to the show notes so that you guys uh know who and where to find her. But okay, so another question is um how um how I guess of course, you know, first they have to inquire, they reach out to you, but how do they book you? Do they have to pay everything in advance? Do they like pay a deposit? How is that?

SPEAKER_00 18:19

So no paying deposits or anything, no booking anything advanced. Um honestly, when you book me, you do put your credit card on file that just holds your appointment. That is for obviously my no-shows or people that cancel like within the five minutes. Um, there is a no-show fee. But honestly, you don't pay anything in advance, you pay everything afterwards because I want to see what add-ons you want to add in. I have a bunch of add-ons like collagen, I have vitamins for your skin that you can add into your formula. Um, I have a DHA booster, which kind of helps keep your tan on longer and more, I guess we'd say more prominent. Um I have a hydration booster, so just add a little bit of hydration to your formula, especially if you're going to the beach. Um, so I kind of I love to like almost like a consult. Like, so when you come and get your spray tan, I talk to you about where you're going, what you plan on doing, like why you're getting a spray tan. Is it just a regular spray tan? You having the spray tan for a wedding, a vacation, or anything like that. I recommend the add-ons. Um the add-ons are$5 each, um, add it on to your spray tan. Are you wanting a rapid tan? So do you want to get the do you have somewhere to go that evening when you need it like your tan done in like facet fully in an hour? Are you fine sleeping in your tan? Are you wanting a double coat? Some girls like to get double coated. Um so it just all kind of depends. So I love to have the consult, talk to you, get to know you, and then I charge you at the end, um, just depending on like the add-ons you get and everything.

SPEAKER_01 19:40

Okay, I like that. I like that. And then let's say, for example, if it's someone that's doing it just, you know, not necessarily for a special occasion, but they just want to do it because they love tanning, but they don't go to the beach or the pool or whatever. How often should it be done if you're just doing it just for fun or you know, just to look good?

SPEAKER_00 19:58

Honestly, if you uh have proper like exfoliation and skin and you keep yourself hydrated, a tan can last up to two weeks. Um there are some people that come once a week and they are just you know they are, I guess, tan fanatics. Um they just like the bean tan. You need to make sure your old tan is fully exfoliated off um beforehand. So get the dry brush, get a good exfoliant, get um good body scrub, make sure your entire tan from before is exfoliated off. Because I cannot tan over another tan, because then that's gonna just mess up your new tan.

SPEAKER_01 20:31

Alright, alright. Great information. Oh my goodness, thank you so much. I guess one last question. You know, we've been talking about why you should do it and how it's done and all this cool stuff, but let's say that would be the complete opposite. So when would you not recommend uh you know, for someone to do something like this?

SPEAKER_00 20:50

Honestly, just I do not recommend getting a tan the day of your wedding. Um we um that's pretty much it. You can get tan now if you're pregnant, if you're breastfeeding. We actually have a uh if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, I have a pH balancer that I will actually spray on you beforehand um to kind of help your skin adsorb stuff, just because when you're pregnant or breastfeeding, your hormones are crazy. Um but honestly, I do not recommend it getting a spray tan the day of your wedding or the day of a photo shoot. Um if it's your first time, I always recommend getting a trial beforehand. Um if you're getting a spray tan for the first time ever, um yeah, make sure you just don't have any crazy events later on. And I'm not saying that because of the people get shocked. Like they're like, oh my gosh, they don't they feel weird being so dark sometimes. And you do not want to just get that initial shock of like, oh my gosh, I'm tan, I I feel ugly, which some people do um because they're just not used to being tan. Um actually, when I first started tanning, I would always tan all my friends and they were like, Don't make me too dark. And now they're over here, like, what's the darkest you have? I love being so tan. I got all my friends addicted, and I feel so bad. I'm like, okay, one of y'all need to learn how to spray tan so you can spray tan me.

SPEAKER_01 22:00

Yeah, I was gonna ask you, so when you want to do it for you, do you go somewhere? Like, like do you self-tan? Like what's uh what's what's your how do you deal with that?

SPEAKER_00 22:10

I had the most amazing husband in the world, and I actually trained him on how to spray tan me. And it took it took a few tries, guys. It took a few tries. Um he he did he did his best the first time. I I would not go out in public after my first spray tan by him. Um but you know, now he's just a pro and master at it, and it's so funny when I'm like, babe, I need a spray tan. He was like, Okay. I mean, he gets to see me naked.

unknown 22:38

There you go.

SPEAKER_01 22:40

He gets an incentive.

SPEAKER_00 22:41

He gets an incentive for spray tanning me.

SPEAKER_01 22:43

Oh my goodness. All right, Shauna, I think we are running out of time. Thank you so much for stopping by again. I mean, it's always so fun to talk to you. I feel like we can go on and on and on and on.

SPEAKER_00 22:56

Oh, let me know when we're ready for the next time.

SPEAKER_01 22:58

I'm sure, I'm sure. We'll we'll do it again for sure. But to our listeners, thank you so much for tuning in. I will catch you next week. You know, if you have any recommendations or you wanna if you have a favorite vendor and you haven't heard them here on the podcast, make sure that you let them know to reach out to me or you reach out to me and let me know, like, hey, I want someone to sell on the podcast, and we'll make sure to contact them. And uh, you know, every Tuesday we're here with new vendors. We talk about all things weddings, we have fun, we create drama, we talk shit. It's all good talk here on the tipsy guest. Thank you guys. See you later. Bye. Thanks for listening to the Tips against podcast. If you know someone who could benefit from these tips, spread the love and share it with them. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review. Next round's on us, same time, same place. Cheers. This podcast is brought to you by MVP Photo Booth, the number one photo booth rental company in San Antonio, Austin, and Central Texas.