An examination of pre-wedding body image concerns in brides and bridesmaids

This study examined the prevalence of appearance and weight-related concerns in brides (N=347) and bridesmaids (N=122). Participants completed a short questionnaire on their pre-wedding beauty preparation plans at two bridal expos held in Adelaide, South Australia. Over 50% of participants planned to lose weight before the wedding, 40% intended to go on a diet, and around 67% indicated that they planned to exercise more. More than 10% of participants had been told by others that they should lose weight for the wedding. Looking good on the wedding day was seen as extremely important for both brides and bridesmaids, with 'for the wedding photos' the most highly cited reason. These results illustrate the focus on appearance in general, and on weight in particular, surrounding contemporary weddings.