Spray tan guide
Spray Tan Before a Wedding or Holiday: 8 Things to Sort
Most of what goes wrong with an event spray tan comes down to timing: the day you go, when you first rinse, what you wear in between. These eight things run in the order you will meet them, for a visit to our booth in Wath upon Dearne.
Event spray tan at a glance
- Usual timing
- One or two days before the event, so the colour has settled
- Booking
- None. Walk in: Mon to Fri 8 am to 10 pm, Sat 10 am to 7 pm, Sun 10 am to 5 pm.
- Price
- £26 a session, or £97 for a block of four
- How long it lasts
- Five to ten days with a daily moisturiser, our advice. Mystic says about a week.
- Before your first rinse
- Ask reception. Mystic gives 4 to 6 hours in one article, 4 to 8 in another.
- We do not offer
- Mobile visits, hand-sprayed tans or a held appointment slot
- Last checked
- 2 November 2026
The short answer
Walk in one or two days before the event. Arrive with exfoliated skin, no deodorant and no make-up, then dress in dark, loose clothes and ask reception when you can first rinse. Skip long baths and swimming for the first 48 hours, and count the colour from the day that matters most, because it lasts five to ten days.
The rest of this page unpacks those steps, with the figures and the sources behind each one.
How this list is ordered
The eight things run in time order, from choosing the day to counting how long the colour will last. Nothing is ranked, and no step is more important than another.
Luxe Glow Studio wrote this guide and runs the booth it describes, so the booth is the only spray tan covered. Where a hand-sprayed or mobile tan would suit you better, the page says so. Studio details were checked against our own price list and opening hours on 2 November 2026.
The eight things
1. Choose the day
Most people who come to us for an event use the booth one or two days before it. The colour has settled by then, and the first rinse is behind you. A holiday works the same way: aim for the day or two before you fly, not the morning of the flight, because you will want to stay dry until your rinse time.
2. Plan around walk-in hours
We take no bookings, so nothing holds your place. The studio is open Monday to Friday 8 am to 10 pm, Saturday 10 am to 7 pm and Sunday 10 am to 5 pm, with free parking at the door. At busy times you may wait. A group, such as a wedding party, arrives and takes turns, because each person goes in alone.
3. Decide whether you need a trial
A trial matters if you have never used a booth or you are unsure of the shade. You pick the shade at reception with staff before you go in. A trial tan fades well before the event, so use it to choose a shade and nothing else. A block of four is £97 (£24.25 each) and lasts 12 months, which covers a trial and the real thing with sessions to spare.
4. Prepare your skin
Arrive with clean, exfoliated skin, and skip deodorant and make-up on the day. Give your hands, feet, elbows and knees extra attention. They are the driest areas and fade first.
5. Pack the right clothes
Inside the booth, whatever you keep on leaves a tan line, so most people wear old dark underwear or none. Afterwards, wear dark, loose clothes, because tight clothing can rub colour off and Mystic says its cosmetic bronzer can transfer to fabric. Keep pale or delicate outfits, a wedding dress included, for after your first rinse. Mystic says the bronzer washes off in that first shower.
6. Plan your first rinse
Ask reception for the time that goes with your shade. Mystic Tan’s published guidance gives two figures: 4 to 6 hours before getting wet in one article, and at least 4 to 8 hours (24 best) in another. Avoid sweating, working out and swimming in that window.
7. Plan for water and sun
This is the one to read before a holiday. We ask you to skip long baths and swimming for the first 48 hours, and Mystic’s guidance says to keep out of the pool for 24 hours. Chlorine also fades colour faster afterwards. If your first day away is a pool day, come earlier.
A spray tan gives no protection from UV. The NHS sun safety guidance applies on holiday whatever your colour.
8. Count back from the last day that matters
Our advice is five to ten days with a daily moisturiser, and Mystic says about a week. So the question for a wedding weekend or a fortnight away is how many days the colour has to cover. Moisturise every day, because dry skin sheds faster and the colour goes with it.
Your countdown at a glance
The same steps as a timeline, with where each figure comes from.
| When | What to do | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Well before (optional) | Trial session to choose a shade | Block of four is £97, against £26 for a single session |
| One or two days before | Walk in, pick your shade, step in alone | Studio’s usual timing for events |
| Before you go in | Exfoliated skin, no deodorant or make-up, old dark underwear | Studio advice |
| After you leave | Dark, loose clothes. No sweat or swimming until your rinse time. | Studio advice and Mystic’s guidance |
| First rinse | Shower. The cosmetic bronzer washes away and the tan shows. | Mystic: 4 to 6 hours, or at least 4 to 8, so ask reception |
| First 48 hours | No long baths or swimming | Studio advice. Mystic says 24 hours for the pool. |
| Event or flight day | Put on pale outfits, moisturise | Mystic’s guidance on fabric transfer |
| Days 5 to 10 | Colour fades, hands and feet first | Studio advice. Mystic says about a week. |
Luxe Glow details are from our price list and opening hours, checked 2 November 2026.
When a technician suits you better
Our booth is a machine in a private room, and some events call for something else. If you want a person talking you through it as it happens, or the tan applied at home or in a hotel before the ceremony, a hand-sprayed or mobile service fits better. We do neither, and we cannot hold a time for you. The booth and hand-sprayed comparison sets out the differences.
If the booth suits you, see the price list or call 01709 212515 before you travel.
Where this comes from
Opening hours, prices, the block-of-four terms, the usual timing for events and the studio’s own advice come from this website’s data and existing pages, checked 2 November 2026. Rinse times, fabric transfer, the pool and how long the colour lasts come from two Mystic Tan articles on sunless.com, the site mystictan.com now redirects to. Our aftercare guide links both and gives the dates. We read them on 31 October 2026.