When Alyssa Cantrell began planning her wedding last year, she wanted two things: a sharp jawline and a tiny waist. "Saying it out loud makes me sound vain and vapid," she tells Popsugar, "but that was genuinely what I thought to myself."
After feeling dissatisfied with her weight and body image for years, she decided to officially pursue a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) prescription shortly after getting engaged. "I was planning out outfits for our engagement photos, and the pants that I had envisioned for the photos could not button up and were not going to work at all," she says. After experiencing an "extra hard crash out" that night, she emailed her medical provider about GLP-1s. Three days later, a full dose of tirzepatide was delivered to her door. "I was both amazed and annoyed at how easy it was."
For as long as weddings have been an elaborate event with a growing guest list, there's been pressure for brides to look and feel a certain way. But what the industry doesn't tell you is that "looking and feeling your best" can sometimes be a boon to toxic diet culture: calorie-counting tips, CoolSculpting ads, cellulite-removal promotions, bridal arm workouts, fad diets, and more.
"I have never gotten so much messaging that I'm not good enough or pretty enough or thin enough as I have since getting engaged," bride-to-be Kelly Dyal says. "At a bridal expo I attended, every other booth was for a gym or a weight loss and aesthetics business - and not in a 'treat yourself' way, but in a 'laser off all your dull disgusting skin so you can finally be radiant' way."
"I have never gotten so much messaging that I'm not good enough or pretty enough or thin enough as I have since getting engaged."Unfortunately, the wedding industry has always had a reputation for perpetuating this harmful messaging. But according to Zola and its 2026 trend report, the need to lose weight for one's wedding day may be even more prevalent today with the abundance and increased accessibility of GLP-1s.
Per the trend report, the wedding planning platform found that couples spend over $1,100 to "look and feel 'wedding ready'" by updating their exercise habits, changing their diets, refreshing their skincare routines, and updating their beauty routines. But now, GLP-1s are putting on even more pressure: 42 percent of all couples say "easier access to weight-loss medications has increased the pressure they feel to look a certain way." According to the survey respondents who are on a GLP-1, 21 percent of them said they're "taking the medication entirely to lose weight for their wedding," and 33 percent said "their wedding is one of multiple motivating factors."
Like Cantrell, Dr. Lindsey Upton is another bride-to-be who sought out a GLP-1. Though she was initially prescribed Zepbound by her doctor after a bloodwork test, she says the effects of being on a GLP-1 has helped her feel more confident. "More than anything, I want to feel good in my own skin walking into [my wedding], and [a GLP-1] is definitely part of my pre-wedding health regimen and changes," she says.
Though she still has a couple of months before her nuptials, Dr. Upton is happy with the results. "I'd consider it successful not just because of weight changes, but because of how it helped regulate my metabolism and the way my body processes food for nutritional and metabolic purposes." She adds, "The biggest shift wasn't just the number on the scale - it was how my body processes water and food in general."
Cantrell is equally satisfied with her results. When she got married in January, she says she was extremely happy with how she looked - even after the monthly $150 cost of her GLP-1, which sometimes rose to $300 a month for a higher dosage. "It gave me the extra oomph to drop the last few pounds and help me feel the best I possibly could," she says.
"It gave me the extra oomph to drop the last few pounds and help me feel the best I possibly could."Despite the pressure to lose weight for the big day, though, there are still some brides actively working against it. Ahead of her wedding in August, Dyal is choosing not to focus on weight loss, despite an expressed desire to lose weight. "The size of my body has just stayed so low on the priority list of things to work on or think about related to the wedding," Dyal says. "I want to be comfortable - both day of and in the lead up - and that means not putting more effort into calorie counting than centerpiece building."
Though she says weight loss may be something she works toward in the future, it's not what she's focusing on now. "Instead of counting calories or spending hours at the gym, I've been prioritizing time with family and friends, and have enjoyed lots of wedding-related crafts," she says. "Instead of thinking about my waistline, I've been thinking of our guests - and though that doesn't mean I'm thrilled with my waistline, I can honestly say I'm pleased with how I've used our most valuable resource of time."
Ultimately, there's no clear right or wrong way to think about weight loss or your "wedding body," because every person has different goals and visions for how they want their special day to look. But as weight-loss drugs become more widespread, the choice between a snatched waist or an elaborate centerpiece might, for some, become even murkier - or, at the least, more costly.
Related: I Overdosed on Ozempic - Here's What to Learn From My Mistake Taylor Andrews is the senior balance editor at Popsugar, specializing in topics relating to sex, relationships, dating, sexual health, mental health, travel, and more. With eight years of editorial experience, Taylor has a strong background in content creation and storytelling. Prior to joining PS in 2021, she worked at Cosmopolitan.Hence then, the article about for many brides wedding prep now comes with weight loss drugs was published today ( ) and is available on popsugar ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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