Purge your inner Bridezilla

It was recently reported that Prince William’s fiancée Kate Middleton had commissioned three separate wedding dresses for her big day on April 29, at Wesminster Abbey, in London. And before that, there was news that the royal lady is on a special diet to slim down. In fact, reports stated that her weight loss was materialising too. Could it be pre-wedding jitters?

There’s a commonly known term — ‘Bridezilla’ — for to-be-brides who turn into OCD-ridden souls, just before their D-day, albeit unknowingly. Remember Bride Wars? Don’t get us wrong, we’re not calling Kate a Bridezilla. But the phenomenon seems pretty common. There have been reports of women who turn freakishly perfectionists before their wedding day.

Dr Hemant Mittal, behavioural expert, said, “Medically speaking, it can be described as the increase of anxiety and stress as the wedding day approaches. The need to have everything perfect leads to symptoms like increased sense of grandiosity, constant need for admiration, controlling every single aspect, lack of empathy, arrogance, unreasonable expectations from family and friends, increased anger and complete lack of enjoyment of the marital process.” Sounds terrible? Well, some do turn into Bridezillas, as Hemant cites how they even fall victim to eating disorders, chest pain, low self-esteem, clinical depression, among other symptoms.

Model Anchal Kumar said, “Women do get more obsessed with their looks, dress and they’re definitely fussier than men. But that’s also because they’re more into the detailing of every thing, plan so much in advance and hence the obsession with perfection.” She recalls the time when her older sister got married and says the wedding turned out to be absolutely gorgeous. “The entire credit goes to my sister,” Anchal smiled.

Well, if the brides-to-be seem to have a nagging sensation about certain problems, have heart. Effective communication between the bride, her parents and her to-be-husband is important. “Defining your dream wedding as ‘perfect’ is really vague. A more precise definition has to be planned taking into account the financial, social and personal boundaries. There should be delegation of work that will allow time for de-stressing and personal grooming. Hanging out with friends is a must, so is doing a little bit of yoga and exercises,” said Hemant. Anchal laughed, “I’m scared. After watching three of my elder sisters having the perfect wedding, the whole process seems unnerving. It takes so much to make a wedding perfect. But you’re supposed to be relaxed, it’s your special day.” Sure it is. Guess that’s why the focus should be on creating a perfect life after marriage, rather than the marriage process itself.