Strategic fitness tips for slimming down, toning up, creating curves, and feeling great on your big day

Let me be the first to admit it, I am a yo-yo dieter. When I’ve got the time and the motivation to do so, I try to eat well and exercise at least 4-5 days a week. However, if an important deadline appears out of nowhere, or if any of life’s normal stressors emerge, I will completely abandon everything I know, have a PopTart for dinner, and avoid the gym like the plague. I know, I know, not the greatest habits, but it’s the truth. I’m easily distracted from keeping up with my fitness and nutrition regimens.

My decades long experience as a professional wedding planner has also afforded me great insight into the lifestyles of most brides. They are busy people, juggling their careers, family lives, and now the planning of their wedding. While my job is to minimize the amount of stress that a bride experiences, brides will struggle with some form of stress throughout their entire planning process. Whether their stress is related to the financial burden of their wedding, the new time commitment for planning and decision making, or the stress from parents, bridesmaids, and other wedding guests, the normal stress placed on the average bride is colossal. Now, try to add a healthy fitness and nutrition program into this equation. Good luck!

For some brides, the new spotlight placed on their physical appearance can also be overwhelming. The engagement period may involve an enhanced focus on the superficial, more so than what they are normally used to in their everyday lives. Somehow, body parts that never bothered someone before now tend to be the center of self-loathing, simply because there are more eyes viewing them. The constant conversations on make-up looks or fittings and dress sizes can also add to the pressure of being perfect. Additionally, the seemingly never-ending number of times that the bride will be photographed and even Photoshopped can’t help either.

Most people may not realize this, but brides will often tell me that they “have to” lose some amount of weight just before their wedding. We are talking about absolutely, stunningly beautiful confident women who feel the need for a minor or even major physical transformation just before their big day. I must admit, it breaks my heart a little to hear this so often, but I completely understand. The amount of pressure that women experience in the pursuit of looking absolutely perfect on their wedding day can be overwhelming. While I try my best to tell them how special I think they are, not to mention their fiancés, I will never discourage anyone from wanting to look and feel their absolute best, IF they are doing it for themselves and no one else. IF that’s the case, then I’ve got you sis! We’ll give you some great, healthy tips on how to reach your fitness goals just in time for your big day.

The purpose of this blog post is to give brides a “cheat sheet” on how to target specific areas of the body depending upon what type of wedding dress they will be wearing. Strapless dress? We’ll give you exercises that will help you tone and firm up your arms, back, and shoulders. Mini silhouette? No problem, exercises for showing off your gorgeous gams are on the menu. We’ll also provide a few nutritional tips as well. Let’s get started!

Myth Busting

First things first, I personally believe that having a healthy, mental attitude about how you see yourself is vital. While I’m not a huge fan of weight loss being depressing, depriving, or defeating, I do however believe that maintaining a healthy weight can be incredibly rewarding—it all depends on how and why you begin your weight loss journey. Will you begin your journey based on your own personal desires or based on what society has told you that you need to be?

“myth (n.) an unproved or false belief that is used to justify a social institution”

— Dictionary.com

Before you begin your physical transformation, begin thinking about what you are working towards and if any of those goals are negatively impacted by things that they shouldn’t be. What are some of the myths you’ve been sold? How can we turn this process into a positive experience? Let’s debunk some myths.

You Should Look Like a Completely Different Person on Your Wedding Day

First of all, who told you that! While your wedding day may be a great opportunity to pump up the glam, I believe that you should still look like the same person….or at least a distant cousin. Think about it, don’t you want to recognize yourself in your own wedding photos? Let me be the first to say it, drastic transformations are not necessary for you to be a beautiful bride.

Thinner is Better

Once again, who told you that! Instead, think healthy, happy, and authentically you.

[Exactly] Who You Are is Not Enough

Who you are and what you look like at this very moment IS absolutely enough. It was enough when your sweetheart asked you to marry them and it’s certainly enough now.

You Are Superficial for Wanting to Make a Change

It is absolutely no one’s business if and how you decide to change your personal appearance. Additionally, there is nothing superficial about wanting to look and feel your personal best. The last time I checked, having self-confidence is a positive thing, no matter how it’s achieved.

Going Down the Rabbit Hole

Beware of involving yourself in practices and activities that will consume you with self-doubt or confusion. I truly believe that doing too much of anything can trigger compulsive behaviors; this includes spending too much time focusing on the appearance and opinions of others and letting it affect your own mental well-being. Here are a couple of ways that businesses and brands often “discreetly” send you into a never-ending cycle of standardization, comparison, and correction, which could lead to disappointment.

Strategic Marketing

No, you aren’t crazy. More than likely, if you are shopping for wedding gowns right now, you are probably staring at dresses on models who do not reflect the average woman’s body type. Why? Because somewhere along the way, we were programmed to think that all clothing just looks better on a smaller frame and/or that the camera adds more weight...so therefore, the models wearing the clothes have to be as thin as possible to “make the clothes look better,” instead of just making better clothes that fit better and are more flattering to many different body types.

My tip? Get into the right headspace and have the right perspective before even looking at images of wedding gowns. Keep in mind that most advertising for high fashion bridal attire will generally feature an editorial model. Standard editorial models are typically at least 5 feet, 9 inches tall with measurements of about 33 inches around the bust, 23 inches around the waist, and 33 inches around the hips maximum. In model terms, this equates to about a 90 to 120 pound woman or a size 0 or 00—yes, that’s a thing. If this is not a healthy, natural weight for you, then this is not something to aspire to; please, shop with caution.

Sample Sizes

The term “sample size” refers to clothing made specifically for models to wear on the runway and/or at trunk shows and in advertising campaigns. They are not typically made to be sold to anyone, but are previews that just serve as a “sample” of what the garment will look like on an actual person rather than a hanger. Sample sizes typically range from a size 0 to a size 4. Sometimes bridal salons will keep these samples from the in-store “trunk” shows and use them as the sample for you to try on, yes the size 0 (or even size 00 sample). Theoretically, salons should order more sample sizes of a design that are more reflective of their clientele, but unfortunately, some don’t. When this happens, it means that every bride will not be able to try on her gown of choice. The alternatives are for a bride to either order her dress blindly (without trying it on first) or to select a gown from the limited choices that she can sample. Poor choices, either way.

I Wear a Size What?

This will definitely mess with your mind, but when you walk into a bridal salon you should keep in mind that “streetwear” sizing does not always correlate with bridal gown sizing. Try not to get too hung up on the numbers, but if you currently wear a size 4-6 in jeans for example, you may be a size 8-10 for your bridal gown. Similarly, if you wear a size 14-16 in regular clothes, more than likely you will be sized up to a bridal size 18-20.

Aggressive Alterations

I have no idea why this is a thing, but I’ve found most seamstresses who alter wedding gowns to be a little overzealous. Think lots of hard tugging, gut sucking, talk of corsets and shapewear, and overall discomfort as the norm. And for some reason we as women just deal with it. In a lot of ways, I believe that tailors are inadvertently sending the message that “the tighter the better” and “you will lose weight” based on how gowns are often altered. This doesn’t have to be the case; remember that you are in control of your own body and how you want your gown to fit. Speak up if your preliminary pinnings are too tight or uncomfortable.

Your Best Defense(s)

As you can see from the previous sections, when searching for your bridal gown, you may encounter a lot of distractions that may cause you to think differently about how you view yourself, but don’t fall for it!

This is by no means a scientific study or clinical advice, but I have found that when it comes to a bride’s personal appearance, brides who tend to focus on the following five items emerge from the entire wedding planning process with a grander sense of self:

Accentuating the positive
Getting used to the idea of looking like a bride
Selecting wedding gown styles and silhouettes that are “YOU-friendly”
Determining what changes (if any) you’d like to make to your body type
Setting your own beauty standards, priorities, and goals

Accentuating the Positive

No pressure, but you are shopping for a single outfit that will more than likely garner more ogling than any other event in your entire life. Like I said, no pressure! If you’d be self-conscious about wearing a deep V-cut dress or if you wouldn’t feel comfortable going strapless in your everyday life, you may not want to start doing so on your wedding day. However, if you can’t pass a mirror without admiring your near-perfect backside, then girl, that’s your thing!

Whatever your “thing” is, highlight it and showcase it if it makes you happy. Don’t get me wrong, if you don’t like something about your body (and trust me, we all have something), that’s okay too. But just know that focusing on what you do have instead of harping on what you don’t have (or like) will ensure a better bridal experience.

Practice Looking Like the Bride You Want to Be

Although wedding gown silhouettes, fabrics, and even the color (all-white) may be very different from what you’re used to wearing in everyday life, I always recommend that brides begin to “practice” morphing into, well, a bride, well before their wedding day. Consider purchasing everyday outfits that are similar to the types of bridal styles and silhouettes you are considering. Try wearing all-white, silky, flowing, or fitted fabrics, and clothes with varying necklines and hemlines in your everyday life. If you find that you are uncomfortable or are constantly tugging at or covering up parts of your body, this is a great indicator of what you should avoid when looking for a wedding dress.

“YOU-friendly” Wedding Gown Silhouettes

As women, our bodies have been compared to everything from geometric shapes to fruit. Yes, it’s unfortunate, but real, especially considering that I’ve never heard of a man being described as having a ‘beer-keg’ body shape.

While every bit of my inner feminist fights it, I hate to say it, but yes, body types are a real thing and certain clothes tend to look better on certain body types. Although I always welcome a true fashion rebel, in my personal opinion, I still believe that everything doesn’t look great on everybody. While I won’t go into it in this post, take some time to research what your body type is and what silhouettes tend to look better on you—subjectively of course.

This is by no means my way of forcing everyone to follow a monolithic standard of beauty, but my many years in the wedding industry have afforded me amazing insight in this area. Brides who take these factors into account are typically less frustrated in their dress search process. Those who use these “formulas” also tend to be more pleased with how they see themselves in their wedding gown and are more likely to have an overall positive shopping experience. Call it “fashion science” or “couture calculus,” but it works.

Changes Needed?

When I talk to brides caught up in the whirlwind of “needing” to lose weight for their wedding, I often ask them what their motivation is. Have they been wanting to lose weight for some time now or is this a new endeavor brought on by the engagement? Is someone else (other than a doctor for health reasons) telling you that you need to lose weight for your wedding or are you doing this for yourself? Will losing weight at this point in your life cause you any undue mental anguish?

For every bride, the motivation is different, but the choices are the same. In reference to wedding weight loss, EVERY bride has the option to either (1) start a weight loss regimen, (2) tone and sculpt their existing figure, or (3) do absolutely nothing differently and work with what they’ve got.

Of course every bride wants to look her absolute best on her wedding day, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that this can’t be achieved without a physical transformation.

Goal-setting

Take ownership of your goals. If you decide to make any physical modifications, think about what you’d like to change and develop a plan on how to achieve your goals. Determine how you’d like to incorporate your fitness regime into your everyday life and still feel confident, happy, and healthy through the process.

Ask An Expert

While I’ve provided all of my advice on getting mentally prepared for your possible bridal weight loss journey, I thought that it might be helpful if I enlisted the help of a true industry professional to assist you with the actual physical work.

In January of 2019, Angel Campbell Witt opened up Intentional Fitness as a “one-stop shop” for nutritional and personal training services for men and women looking to reach their personal health goals. Angel is known as a “fitness unicorn” of sorts and has both Sports Nutrition Specialist and Personal Trainer certifications.

Angel Campbell-Witt of Intentional Fitness

Within the nutrition component of her business, Angel provides services that include:

Providing personalized macronutrient calculations and caloric breakdowns and intake recommendations
Attending guided grocery store shopping trips with clients
Supplying clients with “how-to instructions” on reading and understanding nutrition labels
Helping clients discover what foods work best for their body
Providing in-home “pantry sweeps” (if needed)
Assisting clients with DIY meal prep
Monitoring and tracking food intake
Being an accountability partner

The personal training branch of Intentional Fitness involves the following services:

Fitness consultations
Body assessments (measurements/weigh-ins)
Customized workouts based on individual client needs
Before and after photos to mark your progress
Training on how to optimize body functionality
Being an accountability partner

If you’ve ever wanted to pick the brain of a personal trainer and a nutritionist at the same time, today’s your lucky day. Below you will find Q&A sections in which Angel has been kind enough to share her personal training and nutrition expertise.

WEIGHT LOSS TRUE OR FALSE

Q: When considering diet versus exercise, which one is more important or responsible for weight loss?

A: If I had to assign a percentage to each, I would say that weight loss is about 60% dependent upon nutrition and 40% dependent upon exercise. What we put inside of our bodies is so important and making a small switch from processed foods/foods high in sugar and fat content to a more balanced wholesome diet can really make a huge difference. Also, think about food as fuel for exercise. You will not be able to perform at your highest physical level if your body is depleted and you are not getting the right balance of nutrients.

Q: What are some of the biggest myths about diet and/or weight loss?

A: The biggest myth that I try really hard to debunk with my clients is that you have to starve yourself in order to lose weight. No one has to be miserable to be in shape and I believe that moderation over deprivation is the key to true, sustainable weight loss success. I try to help my clients understand their limitations and how to work within them instead.

Q: Is it true that it is more important to lose pounds rather than inches to see a noticeable change in appearance?

A: This is not necessarily true. Because my smaller framed clients do not have as much body fat to lose, inches are the first priority, followed by a focus on toning and muscle gain. For my clients who have more weight to lose, weight loss will be the priority not only for the purpose of physical transformation, but for increased overall functionality, range of motion, stamina, and endurance.

Q: Do men and women lose weight in a similar manner?

A: No, men typically lose weight at a much more rapid pace than women. This is typically due to hormone and metabolic differences.

Q: What parts of the body tend to be the quickest/easiest to tone?

A: Typically, the legs and arms are the easiest and quickest to see results.

Q: What parts of the body tend to be the least resistant to toning?

A: The tummy and butt usually take a bit longer to tone and are prone to more resistance.

Q: What are your thoughts on diet pills and appetite suppressants to lose weight?

A: I’m not a fan and it’s not the safest way to lose weight. Additionally, I’ve also noticed that when people do utilize diet pills or appetite suppressants, they typically gain all of the weight back and then some once they stop taking them.

FOOD AND BEVERAGE INTAKE

Q: What types of foods are considered the biggest “hidden enemy” to weight loss?

A: I would have to say that dairy products are my number one. Although they can be great elements to a balanced diet if used in moderation, too much can be counterproductive because they are typically high in fat content and sometimes sugar. More specifically, beware of yogurts and cheeses.

Q: What would you say is on your weight loss “Forbidden Food List”?

A: If you want to start seeing results immediately, stay far away from fast foods, period! Additionally you should avoid pre-packaged, ready made foods that are typically high in sodium.

Lastly, I know this may be controversial, but I would stay away from the daily consumption of coffee. The reason being is that most people rarely just drink black coffee, but instead load up their drinks with lots of cream and sugar which will work against any progress that you are trying to make.

Q: For those of us with a killer sweet tooth, what types of sweeteners work best?

A: Definitely avoid artificial sweeteners and try to use something that is natural and/or derived from a plant. While agave and honey are great sweeteners, remember that sugar is still sugar even in its most natural form. When trying to maintain a healthy diet, the key is to still moderate your sugar intake. I find that this is more easily done by cutting out the sugars in drinks first over foods. Sugary drinks such as teas, lemonades, coffees, and sodas are full of empty calories that provide no nutritional value when compared to consuming sugar through foods like fruits.

Q: How much does alcohol consumption play into weight loss?

A: Unfortunately, alcohol consumption plays a huge role in weight loss, sorry guys! While I’m not saying that you cannot drink while you are trying to lose weight, I would recommend that you stay away from wine and mixed cocktails because they contain so much sugar. If you do drink, I would stick to spirits like vodka, tequila, and whiskey on the rocks or with sparkling water and some fruit for flavor. Remember that alcohol equates to empty calories and provides no nutritional value. If you can, save up those alcohol calories for your big day instead.

Q: Are there any “Miracle Foods” and/or supplements that support weight loss?

A: Green tea, berries, and fruits and veggies with plenty of vitamin C are great for weight loss. I also love fibrous foods such as beans or foods that contain lots of bran and whole grains because they promote healthy digestion and act as a natural detox.

Additionally, I believe that probiotics, multi-vitamins, and apple cider vinegar are excellent items to incorporate into your lifestyle.

TIMING AND GOAL SETTING

Q: With a shift to a balanced diet and increased physical activity, how much weight loss is realistic?

A: On average, a 1 to 1 ½ pound loss per week is feasible. While it is not impossible, losing about 2 pounds per week is considered aggressive. It is truly up to my clients to decide how aggressive of an approach they’d like to take in terms of exercise and sticking to a clean diet.

Q: What’s your best advice to brides who are considering embarking upon a weight loss journey?

A: I have a few bits of advice, but the first is don’t bite off more than you can chew (no pun intended). Be reasonable with the timeframe that you are working within to reach your goals. Also focus on short term goals such as committing to how many days a week you will workout instead of dwelling on the total number of pounds you “need” to drop as a whole. Allow yourself some grace and some time to understand how your body works and responds to a change in diet and exercise.

Q: In general, how much time should the average bride give herself to lose weight before her wedding?

A: To reach a healthy, realistic, and consistent weight loss goal, a bride will need about 90 days.

Q: If a bride doesn’t have 90 days to begin a weight loss transformation, what are some immediate steps that you’d recommend to tone up before her wedding?

A: Here are four quick tips for brides who don’t have a lot of time:

Increase water intake
Moderate/reduce sugar consumption
Increase workout frequency to about 4 days a week
Add resistance bands to workouts

TARGETED WEIGHT LOSS AND TONING

Q: I would like to take some pre-ceremony, “getting ready” shots. I want to look my absolute best in close-up photos/beauty shots that will show off my face, neck, and decolletage area. What’s your best advice for contouring these areas and avoiding looking puffy and bloated?

A: My best advice for decreasing facial bloating would be to increase your water intake, decrease your sodium intake, and add cardio to your workout routine. For your neck and decolletage area, I would incorporate shoulder shrug exercises with push-ups and chest presses, respectively.

Have you ever wanted to know what types of exercises will help you tone up specific areas of your body based on the style of your wedding gown? Or if you’re still on the fence about which wedding gown style may be right for you, depending on how much “work” you feel like you have to put in, take note, this upcoming Q&A section is just for you!

Q: I really want to accentuate my curves in a mermaid silhouette wedding gown. What types of exercises can I do to add volume and shape to my hips and butt?

A: The key will be to add weight or resistance to exercises such as squats, hip thrusters, and hip abductor exercises.

Q: I am wearing a backless, spaghetti strapped gown on my wedding day. What types of exercises would you recommend that I do for muscle toning?

A: For this type of gown, the back, shoulders, and arms are the key areas where you want to sculpt and add definition.

Lat pulldowns, iron crosses, and weighted rows will do the trick for back muscles.

Iron Cross: Stand with your feet together. With weights in both hands, have your thumbs pointed upward (A). Raise both arms directly in front of you keeping hands close together (B). Separate arms out to the side fully extending the elbows the span of your arms (C). Continue alternating between steps B & C.

Shoulder presses, diamond pushups, high pulls, flies, and front raises are great for the shoulders.

Diamond Pushups: Begin in a planking position with your hands in a triangle formation (A). Begin pushups (B).

Lastly, I would recommend tricep extensions and bicep and hammer curls for the arms.

Tricep Extension: Stand with your feet together. With one dumbbell in both hands, raise your arms upward above your head (A). Next, bend your elbows behind your back (B) and repeat.

Q: I want to try something a little different for my wedding day and wear a short dress for my modern, trendy event. What types of exercises should I do to make my legs look their absolute best?

A: Lunges, step-ups, and ice skaters are the way to go for shapely legs and calves. For extra toning, don’t forget to add in some resistance bands.

Ice Skaters: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your body to a subtle squat, raise your left foot diagonally behind your right leg standing only on the right leg (A). Hop from side to side (B) switching legs [and arm positioning] in a skating motion (C) and repeat.

Q: My wedding gown has a high split in the front. Can you tell me what exercises I should do to firm up my thighs?

A: Any exercises that work out the butt and hips will also work well on the thighs; however, exercises such as wall sits are especially great for the quadriceps or the muscles located at the front of your thighs.

Q: I love the current two-piece boho crop styles, but I’m a little self-conscious about my midsection being exposed. Can you give me some recommendations on what I can do to slim down my waist and flatten my tummy?

A: The first step would be adjusting your diet to clean carbs, high protein, and avoiding sugar. In terms of exercise, I would do lots of cardio and do core exercises like planks, “Supermans”, v-holds, and seated knee tucks to take inches off your waist.

Final Thoughts from Aisle Runners

We hope that this blog post has added more inspiration than anxiety into your wedding planning routine. Our goal is, and has always been, to uplift women and help them see the natural beauty that we see in them; but if they chose to tweak, tighten, or change, we’re okay with that too.

Please be sure to reach out to Angel Campbell Witt of Intentional Fitness for customized meal plans, exercise regimens, and more. Mention our blog post and get 10% off a Monthly Package or $25 off the November 28-Day Challenge.

Special thanks to Sean Dapper Studios for taking great care of our manes and tresses, EnElle Make-up for lips, lashes, and such, Nhoo Matthews Atelier for all of the gorgeous fashion sketches, and Anchor Studios for all of the great images captured during our fun day of fitness!