Exercise takes a weight off brides mind over dress fit
But this was the case for 34-year-old Donna Smith last month, after she and her partner, Paul Smith, aged 42, decided to bring their wedding forward by 10 months.
The couple had originally planned to tie the knot in Australia, however their nuptials were rearranged as the expenses began to rack up, and they managed to get a last-minute booking for New Year’s Eve at The Bear Hotel, Hungerford, where Mrs Smith had grown up.
Mrs Smith, a sales assistant at Hungerford store Bei Cappelli said that she had already ordered her dress for October, but when she went to pick it up, she couldn’t squeeze into it.
“I was absolutely gutted. I had always wanted the lovely dress and the dream wedding like every girl does.”
With just 17 days to lose the extra pounds, she began a strict diet and exercise programme with the aid of friend Chloe Chapman, a personal trainer at Newbury gym, Energie Fitness.
“Chloe was absolutely brilliant,” she said. “She put me on a food and exercise plan. I did weight circuits, cardio workouts...I had never set foot in a gym in my life before.”
She stuck to the rigorous schedule, which started at 6am every day with a gym session before work, resting only on Christmas Day.
Yet, despite her dedication, Mrs Smith was too frightened to try on her dress and waited until the morning of her wedding before taking the plunge.
She was not disappointed, having lost a total of 3cm from each arm, 4.5cm from her waist, 2.5cm from her hips and 3cm from each thigh, and walked down the aisle in her dream dress.
“The whole day was completely emotional,” she said, adding that the pair cried as they were reunited at the end of the aisle.
“I would like to thank Chloe and Energie Fitness,” she said. “Without them I wouldn’t have managed to get into my dress.”
Mrs Smith said that she plans to stick to the regime in preparation for their honeymoon later in the year.
