I know I mentioned that I have an outlet for wedding blogging elsewhere (Interested? Read about my wedding adventures as Lilac Bud) but this just grinds my gears so to speak.

Ever since Brad and I changed our relationship status on Facebook to ‘engaged’ I have been getting advertisements for “the wedding dress workout” or “bridal boot camp” and several other assorted wedding related weight-loss programs. It’s horrible in my opinion. I don’t want to be insulted by the sidebar every single time I log into my Facebook! May I add that Brad has not seen any weight-loss ads, he still gets the same ones as when we were listed as ‘in a relationship.’

Low self esteem is a common problem among women, so having advertisements that call women fat as they prepare for a day on which they want to look the best.

Now there’s a show called Bridalplasty about brides having cosmetic surgery. Shortly after being appalled by Bridalplasty, my bridal magazine highlighted plastic surgery that is most common to have during an engagement period. The ladies in the magazine had elected to have cosmetic surgery for their weddings.

But they also surveyed six men, asking how they’d feel if their fiancées got plastic surgery for their weddings. Five of them said that they proposed to their ladies because they love them the way they are and wouldn’t be thrilled for their ladies to go under the knife to change their looks for the wedding. One said that if his fiancée had really wanted it before and they had the money, why not? But it was clear he wasn’t going to encourage it.

Ugh! It makes me sick the way that women feel inadequate. Yes, there are internal forces at work but there are some major outside influences that cause those feelings and there is no need to play on those feelings. If a bride wants to lose weight, she will pick her program (no Facebook pushing necessary!) and if she was planning on having cosmetic surgery, she doesn’t really need reality television pushing her.

I’m never going to view myself as perfect, but I know that Brad proposed to me because he loves who I am, no nipping or tucking required.