A beautifully cut sherwani won't save you from a haircut done at the wrong time, skin you ignored for six months, or a beard shaped the night before. Grooming is half of how you'll look in the photographs, and like the tailoring it works on a schedule. Almost every grooming mistake we see is a timing mistake rather than a taste one. Here's what to do and how far ahead to do it, working backwards from the muhurtham.
Hair and beard: it's all about timing
The commonest mistake is cutting your hair too late. A haircut done the day before, or worse the morning of, looks brand new in photographs: hairline too sharp, shape too rigid, nothing settled. Get it cut seven to ten days out. That gives the cut time to relax while still looking fresh, and it leaves room to fix anything you aren't happy with.
Same logic for the beard: shape it five to seven days before, not the night before. If you're planning to take the beard off entirely for the wedding, which is a big change and worth thinking about twice, do it at least two weeks ahead so any irritation has gone and your skin looks like your skin again by the day.
Skin: what to do, and what not to try
These photographs get looked at for decades, and skin that has had a few months of basic care looks different from skin that hasn't. Not dramatically, but visibly. The minimum: an SPF moisturiser every morning, which in Chennai you should be wearing anyway, enough water, and real sleep in the last week. That last one is harder than it sounds with relatives in the house.
If you're planning facials, peels or anything for a specific skin concern, finish all of it at least three weeks before the wedding. Anything with even a small chance of redness or a reaction isn't worth the risk inside the final fortnight. The last week is for maintaining what you've already built, not for trying something new because a cousin recommended it.