Is there an unwritten rule that all brides lose weight?

Question

Everyone I have ever talked to had to lose a few pounds to fit in their dress. ok... why? Why not just get a dress that fits?

However I am naturally underweight and I have lost several pounds without much effort.

Why is it drilled into our heads that we are supposed to do that even if we don't know it consciously?

Answer 1

Because the pictures will last forever

BUT

in my case I actually gained a few pounds and the only reason I am trying to lose is so I can fit in my dress comfortably!! haha

Answer 2

People are never happy with what they've got... Everyone is always putting off "shedding the extra puonds" till last minute, and this get's taken to the extreme of "last minute" by waiting till right before the wedding to fit into their "dream size". Since most of us are on the heavier side of the scale, (overweight as opposed to underweight) we all strive to lose weight, to "look our best" on the big day... As stress usually makes me eat a bit more than I should, I wish I had your ability at weight loss..

You want to know who drills it into our heads? Have you SEEN a bridal magazine in the last, i don't know, 40 years?

All the models are skinny as a twig, and the dresses look heavenly on them... I tried one of those dresses, and I look more like a heavenly hippo, than anything else! False advertisement, that's what all those magazines portray!

Answer 3

I think some women buy a dress in the size they want to be and have to lose weight to fit it. Stress makes alot of women lose too, unfortunately not me. I have to get my dress let out (which fit me when I bought it) and my wedding is just under two weeks away! talk about cruel twist of fate after everyone was telling me how brides "always lose weight before their wedding"

Answer 4

Isnt it great being a woman?

Answer 5

well alot of brides have to order their dress far in advance (i ordered mine a year before my wedding.. it took almost 9 months to make)

within that year my weight has definately fluctuated... not intentionally but because of holiday eating and just losing focus and stress etc. so now, im doing my fittings and its like oh c**p i dont like the way that area looks when i put my dress on.. so now its strict diet and stuff..

pretty much the thought of all "eyes on you" makes you want to look your best. and it sucks but it seems as though the only way we can look our best is meaning to "get skinny". ya know?

but in the end, no bride wants to deal with the day of not being able to zipper her gown so i guess the thought of that even subconsiously drives women to try and lose that extra 5 pounds ...  

Answer 6

Gosh, no. However, some just think it's some sort of a rite of passage that the bride needs to be her thinnest.

However, there are those of us who eat from stress, not the opposite.

I made sure my gown fit, after alterations, and simply stayed the same weight, curbing my munchie urges!

Ah, "naturally underweight" - lol.

Answer 7

there are two camps when it comes to brides:

1) stress makes her eat

and

2) stress makes her lose her appetite...

weddings are stressful... and people can't sleep or concentrate...

most brides lose weight from not eating or sleeping...

Answer 8

I was always reminded ........

"although the wedding is but one day, the photos last a lifetime."

The thought of this drives bride the world over to lose the weight.

Just think, when you are 40, 50, 60, 70yrs and you look back at your wedding photo's ... what do you want to see?? Herein lies your answer.

Answer 9

Because too many people believe they have the right to tell others how to live their lives.

You are the one who makes the choice to heed what others say.

Answer 10

Not necessarily so, my husband made me gain weight so I would look right in our wedding pictures.

I weighed 80 lbs. at 4'10" and he made me gain 8 more pounds.

I looked great and even after having a baby, I maintain that 88 lbs for him.

I thank him every time we look at those pictures as I would have looked like a refugee!

Answer 11

I suppose it is because most people are even just slightly overweight and are told that to be beautiful they need to be model thin.

They want to look 'beautiful' for their wedding so they try to lose weight.

Stress also makes people lose weight.

Having said that a friend gained alot of weight just before her wedding and had to have her dress altered twice just to fit her. It ruined the effect of the beading around the bodice.

So it not a great idea to gain weight before your wedding either.

I think it is most important to be happy with yourself on your wedding day (and every other day of your life) whether that be as you are or a few kilos heavier or lighter.

Answer 12

I didn't lose any weight for my wedding.  I was asked if I would, and I said "no, why should I?  I'm happy and he loves me the way that I am."

I bought a dress that fit me properly from the start.

I've only started losing weight now that the wedding is over and that's just because I'm living with my in-laws and I've been eating differently since moving in with them.  No complaints here though, I wanted to lose a bit of weight.  I just didn't feel like I needed to for my wedding.

Answer 13

I think everyone thinks they want to look "better" on their wedding day, so they want to lose weight. I had a similar situation with tanning... my uncle owns a tanning place and said I needed to go get a spray tan for the wedding. I didn't understand- I'm never tan. Why would I tan for my wedding? I want to look like myself.

I think it's great to lose weight to be healthier, and if a wedding motivates one to do that, fabulous. But if you don't need to lose weight, why would you try to just because you're getting married?

Answer 14

To be honest, I think it naturally happened that brides were so stressed out that they naturally lost weight lol. Now, the perception of western beauty is that of a thin curvy figure. If your honey decided to marry you at the weight you are now, then get married at the weight you are now. He loves you for you, not for how skinny you could be on your wedding day.  

Answer 15

A lot of people gain weight under stress. If were naturally a 4 (and you have my sympathy if you are that skinny, I know how difficult it can be), and then gain a stone from stress you're not going to fit into your dress.

I, on the other hand, was a 14 last time I sewed anything, and am wearing a size 12 dress. If I wasn't getting professionally fitted I might have ended up with a dress that's too big because of the numbers on the tag.

Answer 16

I didn't lose weight, I actually gained a few pounds (due to birth control side effects). Fortunately, I ordered my dress a size above the size that "just fit".

I don't understand why anyone would order a dress small. I would be too paranoid that it wouldn't fit.

Answer 17

I was 37 weeks pregnant, weighed 90kg, and looked fab. Granted, I bought the dress ten days before the wedding, so I was sure it would fit!

Answer 18

I didn't! I was wildly happy to be marrying the man I love and enjoyed every second of the planning. My engagement was a fest of good wine, happiness, and chocolate!

Answer 19

I think that many women insist they are a "size x" and won't see the light of day that wedding gowns tend to run small.

My bridesmaid is a size 0/2 in normal clothes and couldn't believe we had to order her a bridesmaid size 6 dress.

So if a bride insists she's a 10, and forces the shop to order a 10, she then realizes she's got to lose weight or order a new dress.

Then there are other brides who feel that the wedding day is a reason to finally slim down as they had been hoping to do for some time (and they forget that their fiance proposed to them just as they are today).

I've been dieting for years anyway and never done anything exceptional with weight loss.  My only goal is to order a dress that fits and not gain any weight.