Even though it's already August, it seems that wedding season is far from over, and that's fine with us. We love weddings - the beautiful brides, the symbols, the customs, and the parties. Most importantly, we love the fact that in our high-tech, tabloid-filled world, weddings show that there is still room for commitments of love, ceremonies, traditions, cake, and for blushing brides to put deep thought into something old, new, borrowed and blue.
What we think many brides put too much thought into, however, is their weight. The bridal industry is ever growing, and is placing more and more importance on all things physical. Of course we understand that all brides want to feel extra beautiful on their wedding day, and we encourage women to take care of themselves in the months leading up to their weddings. But custom wedding workouts, personal training sessions, Botox treatments and tummy tucks are now becoming the norm, and we think this is ridiculous. It is so common for brides to lose weight before their weddings that now it has become a foregone conclusion. Some bridal stores even insist that brides order their gowns in a size that's too small for them when they buy it. Then the bride feels even more pressure to lose weight, having spent thousands of dollars on a dress that she knows will otherwise be too small. As a result, so many brides end up showing up at their weddings looking like a completely different person, and that should not be anyone's goal. Your guests want to see you at the altar looking glowing and happy, not starved into a smaller dress size or red-faced from a fresh chemical peel.
The same thing goes for the groom. Many men become workout fiends and calorie counters when they get engaged, but the months you spend engaged should be months of celebration and joy, not torture and malnourishment. Our friends at GroomGroove.com asked us to help them give advice to grooms who are either looking to drop pounds themselves or hoping that their brides will lose weight before the wedding. Well, our advice is the same as always: Eat real food, indulge in moderation, and stay active. For more specifics, you can read the article at here. But for now, what we really want all grooms and brides to remember is to live a healthy, fun, active life together celebrating your engagement without the constant stress of trying to be smaller, tighter, better, or different in any way. Brides, he loves you already! You do not need to shrink considerably for him to marry you. Grooms, it's fine if you want to trim up before getting fitted for your tux. But don't go too far, insecurely sip Michelob Ultra at your bachelor party, or give your future wife a lecture about M&M's. Don't count calories at your engagement party or miss dinner with your fiancé to spend an extra hour at the gym. The only thing you should be fixated on right now is your passion for each other. Spend more time together under the sheets, and we promise that you'll feel hotter and happier on your wedding day than you would if you ate nothing but boiled chicken for a year.
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I am not saying that you need to endorse it, but I am saying that you ought not to present the unchaste position as a given.
Do you want to see yourself in your wedding pictures and think "I'll never be that size again." Or do you want to see yourself happy and enjoy the rest off your life gradually getting healthier and thinner?