The wedding industry is facing a new, unexpected challenge as the popularity of GLP-1 medications, such as semaglutide, fundamentally changes how brides approach their wedding day attire. According to a survey by the wedding planning platform Zola, 10% of engaged couples are now using GLP-1s, with 42% of respondents noting that the drug's ubiquity has created pressure to feel they should look a certain way for their wedding.
For bridal designers, this trend has created a complex scramble to accommodate rapid physical transformations. Rebecca Schoneveld, who has spent 16 years in the industry, notes that while brides have historically hoped to lose weight, the scale of change seen in the last two years is dramatic. This sentiment is echoed by Kelly Cook, CEO of David’s Bridal, which operates about 200 US stores. Cook observed a significant shift at the end of last year, with many brides coming in early to try on dresses but expressing anxiety and delaying purchases due to concerns about weight loss.
To mitigate these issues, many stores are now requiring guarantees that brides will pay for the dress regardless of whether it fits on the wedding day. Jarithza Carlson, the Atlanta-based domestic production director for designer Anne Barge, has updated contracts to state that if a bride plans to lose weight drastically, she must notify the retail team. In some cases, the bride may be required to purchase a new gown if the original is more than three sizes too large. These logistical hurdles are also keeping alterations specialists busy. Melissa Lynn Oddo, an alterations specialist, warns that gowns requiring significant resizing often become custom projects, with costs potentially reaching $1,500 as every seam is reconstructed. Susan Ruddie, owner of The Wedding Dresser in Baltimore and Brooklyn, reports instances of brides needing dresses taken in by more than 20 inches, while also requesting design modifications like V-shaped backs or sleeves to manage loose skin.
Schoneveld describes the bridal sitting room as a therapy session, noting that among the many brides she works with, there is perhaps only one in 100 who does not have negative thoughts about her body. Broadly speaking, she observes that her larger clients tend to have a healthier mindset and are more accepting of themselves, whereas smaller clients often struggle with the pressure to look perfect from every angle.
For a bride named Laura, who was prescribed a semaglutide compound for medical reasons in early October 2024, the process was nerve-racking. She used ChatGPT to track her weight loss and measurements to predict her size, which proved accurate for the initial dress arrival. However, she continued to lose weight, and at her final meeting with the seamstress two or three weeks before the wedding, she was told: “Please, just don’t lose another pound. This is a strapless gown, it will start to fall off.” While Laura reports health benefits, including reduced spinal pain, she admits she is happier with her appearance in photos now than she would have been two years ago, though she views the pressure as a bummer and notes she would not have used the medication without medical necessity.
Not everyone using these drugs meets the FDA-approved criteria for Wegovy or Zepbound, which are typically for those with a BMI over 30. Carlson notes that she sees brides of all sizes, including those ordering a size six who arrive as a size zero. Dr. Darren Smith, a New York City-based plastic surgeon, reports that his patient mix has been transformed by the surge in GLP-1 users. Many brides now seek skin laxity procedures and small-volume breast augmentations to address unexpected volume loss. He warns that last-minute requests are common, and he must caution patients that they may end up looking as though they are wearing an aggressive push-up bra. Ultimately, he believes semaglutide use has further normalized cosmetic surgery for many who never expected to find themselves in a plastic surgeon’s office.
