| While I’d rather look like myself before the wedding, everyone else has other expectations |
| By Passant RabieI am now roaming the streets of New York to hopefully find my wedding dress. Because I’m quite pressed for time, my only option is to pick up a dress off the rack and possibly have it altered when I come back home. The one piece of advice that everyone has been giving me is to save the alteration process till the very last minute, ‘you know, after you’ve lost all the weight.’ Hmm, awkward. I wasn’t planning on ‘losing the weight’ and didn’t realize that everyone else thought that I should. Apparently, there is this unspoken rule that all brides must undergo a makeover prior to the wedding. This makeover should last long enough to get through the blown-up pictures of them in a white dress, but we aren’t required to maintain it during the actual marriage. All of a sudden, people are suggesting that you grow your hair out, get highlights, stay out of the sun, buy skin treatments and, most importantly, lose weight. Going on a diet right now is out of the question. Aside from the fact that I don’t actually believe in the idea of starving yourself for a month and then binging on unhealthy food to make up for lost time, the few months before the wedding are actually rather stressful so adding a strict eating regimen on top of that is the definition of hell on earth. I don’t know about you, but after a long day of stressing out about centerpieces, this bride needs a creamy cupcake to relax. Of course, I’m not suggesting you go on sugar binges to deal with your stress, but a treat every now and then never hurt anyone. I also discovered that another thing that helps keep me relaxed and in good spirits is exercising. I highly recommend that every bride-to-be pick an activity that she actually enjoys as a workout, rather than slaving away on a treadmill in some stuffy gym. For me personally, I’ve recently picked up kickboxing as a fun exercise that I do with my friends. It helps take my mind off things and keeps me fit to be able to dance all night at the wedding. But still, people keep asking if I’m going on a diet before the ‘big day.’ I’ve already been through my dieting phase in high school, like many other girls when they start to feel insecure about their body. But thankfully, I grew out of it and haven’t stepped on a scale since. Thank you, Tyra Banks for teaching me the slogan, ‘Screw the scale!’ So why now, especially after being in a loving and secure relationship for over three years, would I start worrying about my body image again? I reject this old-fashioned obsession to turn the bride into an exaggerated version of herself. If I’m happy with the way I am, then why can’t I just look like myself at the wedding? Why do I have to starve myself months before? Why would I cover my face with layers upon layers of make-up? Why do I have to put on hair extensions and fake eyelashes? I would rather just be myself in a pretty, white dress rather than some sugar-starved, powdered-up creature with giant hair. So yes, I will have that cupcake please. Extra frosting. |
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