Every bride wants to look beautiful on her wedding day. It is the one time in a woman’s life that she can be assured of all eyes being on her. Part of looking beautiful is being as fit as you can be for the big day. Not only will you fit (pun fully intended) into your wedding dress the way you are supposed to but you will also have the strength & stamina to withstand the stress and vigours of the preparation before your wedding.

The smart bride-to-be will start getting fit at least 3 months before her wedding if she is not already in the habit of exercising regularly and eating sensibly. Crash dieting and panic exercising two weeks before just wont get you the same results. You also run the risk of fainting during the ceremony and looking haggard and tired instead of fresh and glowing

If you need to lose more than 20 pounds of weight, consider starting earlier than 3 months. Otherwise, a three-month headstart is a realistic length of time to be at your "marrying" weight.

Commit to doing some aerobic activity (walking, aerobic class, cycling, ballroom dancing, etc.) at least 5 times a week for 30 – 60 minutes at an intensity where you can still talk. If you are unfit, you will need the first month as a break-in period to gradually bring yourself up to the level described above.

If you need firming up all over but you are satisfied with your measurements then you only need moderate aerobics 3 x a week for a minimum of 20 minutes and a program of lightweights. You will know it is light if you can lift the weight 15-20 times before the muscles get slightly tired.

There might be areas of your body where you need to increase your measurements such as the shoulders, sides of your upper back & chest so your waist and hips look smaller in comparison. For those areas, lift a weight heavy enough that the muscles will be tired in 8-12 repetitions. Don’t forget to stretch to keep yourself flexible (think of the pay-off during your honeymoon!) and also to improve your posture. Nothing ruins the look of a gorgeous dress or woman faster than poor posture.

As the wedding approaches and meetings with caterers, florists, wedding coordinators and etc. increase in frequency you might be tempted to skip some of your fitness sessions….. don’t!

Instead, follow the schedule below:

What you eat in the three months before your wedding will play a big role in whether you achieve your goals or not.

Try limiting junk food, fast food like burgers and fries and sweets to just one day a week. The rest of the six days eat sensibly- fruits, vegetables, lean meat, chicken, and fish, whole grains like whole wheat bread and brown rice, low fat dairy.

Hopefully, you have convinced your fiancé and soon-to-be husband to join you on this fitness quest not only for your wedding but also for the rest of your life together….