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WEDDING STYLE
Big and Beautiful Brides Springtime marks the beginning of wedding season for most wedding professionals. Although weddings are performed throughout the year, spring is still the official kick off point for wedded bliss. According to the Association of Bridal Consultants here’s how it breaks down from month to month:
Nearly 70% of all weddings take place during the warmer months when gown styles are more body conscious and/or revealing, which for many brides to be leads to a state of panic. Suddenly brides begin to obsess over their arms, butt, back, tummy and hips just to name a few areas. Then come the diets and a vicious cycle of weight/size obsession is born. This is exactly what I have termed “event based dieting”. Instead of preparing for a joyous occasion, the focus is on the superficial; how you look and that’s a real shame. Planning a wedding should be a happy time spent counting your blessings, not carbs. Moreover there’s a difference between dieting and making changes in your life for the better. Dieting tends to be a temporary fix. We’ve all seen people lose weight on a diet only to gain it back (plus more) once they reach their goal. On the other hand life style changes concentrate on improving overall health without focusing on the aesthetic. In my experience as a wedding planner I have seen the difference firsthand. I call it a tales of two brides. The first was a size 22 and completely focused on becoming a size 12 in time for her wedding in seven months. The second was a size 20 and decided she’d make some changes in her eating habits, exercise regularly and let the chips fall into place. Although I did all I could to dissuade bride number one from concentrating on numbers and dieting, she indeed achieved her goal (after months of calorie counting and obsessive exercise) However what was truly interesting was bride number two; I began to notice her body change from fitting to fitting, finally by the time the wedding rolled around she was a size 16. Yet despite the difference in size between them, neither was more or less beautiful than the other. Some time later I ran into bride number one in the store she’d gained some weight again. Funny thing was she looked happier. She remarked that she felt better about herself now and is satisfied with her body. So in fact being a thinner bride wasn’t the key to happiness she once thought it was. Regardless of the media hype you can be a big and beautiful bride. The key is to remember beauty isn’t determined by size, it’s a combination of inner strength, radiance, confidence and love (of self). After all getting married results in a figurative weight gain, as your heart expands with the love of another. Focus on that and you will truly be a big, beautiful and blessed bride. about chamein canton Chamein, mother of two and the 2002 Long Island MS Society Mother of the Year, has spent a lifetime dreaming about weddings. Undaunted that today's wedding markets are ignoring the majority of U.S. women, and determined to help women everywhere enjoy that one fabulous day, she set out to create Down That Aisle In Style! A Wedding Style Guide for Full Figured Women. The book will be published in October, 2004 and will be available in bookstores everywhere in April, 2005. |
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