Every bride wants to look and feel her best on her wedding day — beautiful skin, glossy hair and, above all, feeling comfortable and confident in her body. The good news: that's more within reach than you might think, and you absolutely don't need a draining, low-energy crash diet that leaves you pale and exhausted. If your wedding is coming up, don't panic — a few simple habits will get you there.
7 steps to feeling your best on the big day
1. Start with a realistic plan
If your time is limited, use it wisely. Work out what your ideal weight is and how much you'd like to lose, then aim for a healthy, sustainable 0.5–1 kg per week. That tells you how many weeks you need and when to start — no extremes required.
2. Eat well
Eating well doesn't mean eating expensive food. Balanced, healthy meals built on fresh vegetables and fruit, whole grains and low-fat dairy — while keeping processed foods to a minimum — will protect your energy levels and keep your metabolism from slowing down, even while you're losing weight.
3. Drink plenty of water
Around 8 glasses of water a day helps flush out toxins and keeps you feeling full. Alongside a balanced diet, good hydration gives you not just a healthier body but glowing skin, shinier hair and stronger nails — so whatever your make-up, you'll feel radiant.
4. Tone your arms
Always dreamed of a strapless gown but worried about how your arms will look? No need to worry. Light weights with plenty of repetitions will shape your arms nicely. Even if you only have six weeks, that's plenty of time — at the gym, in the pool, or with brisk walks outdoors.
5. Get support
Ask your bridesmaids, friends and family to help keep you motivated with regular exercise and healthy eating. Almost everyone tries to get in shape before a wedding, so they'll happily give you all the support you need.
6. See a dietitian
A personalised plan makes everything easier. As dietitians, we design nutrition programmes to help you reach your ideal weight, along with shopping lists and recipes that take the guesswork out of it. Whenever you feel ready, reach out to a dietitian near you to get started.
7. Smile!
Enjoy every minute of the big day and every minute of preparing for it. You've worked hard for everything to be perfect — and the first step to looking wonderful is feeling well, healthy and happy in yourself. So smile.
What to eat on the wedding day itself
A long day and night lie ahead, so on the day, favour light foods and small portions to avoid an uncomfortable, heavy or sleepy feeling later. Steer clear of rice, pasta, fried food and heavy desserts. To calm big-day nerves, 2–3 cups of chamomile or rosemary tea through the day can help. To prevent bloating, plenty of water is your best friend. [A traditional Turkish remedy is cherry-stem tea — a pinch of cherry stalks simmered in about 400 ml water for 4–5 minutes; it's a gentle diuretic folk drink.]
In the last few days before the wedding, eating mostly vegetables and fruit, keeping salt to a minimum, and avoiding sugar and sugary foods will help settle your digestion, reduce bloating and even improve your sleep.
Foods to avoid in the last 3 days
To minimise gas and bloating, it helps to avoid:
- Legumes — broad beans, dried beans, chickpeas, peas, plus cauliflower and soya
- Plums, apricots, raisins, bananas, peaches and pears
- Courgette, radish, onion, artichoke and celery
- Fried, oily and sauce-heavy foods
- Anything containing cream
- Chewing gum
- Alcoholic and high-caffeine drinks
- Deli meats and offal
- Any food you don't normally eat — the days before your wedding are the worst possible time to discover how your body reacts to something new
If stress still brings on tummy or gas troubles, 1–2 cups of fennel tea a day can help settle things.
Remember: it's your day. Savour every moment, and smile through all of it. Wishing you a lifetime of happiness.
Merve Tığlı, Dietitian