Bridal Makeover: Plastic Surgery for the Bride-to-Be

It is almost universal that a woman would like to look her very best on her wedding day. However, from a plastic surgeon’s perspective, it takes careful planning. I’ve seen women who have requested fillers and Botox within a few days of their wedding. I’ve even seen women who have requested an upper lid blepharoplasty within 2 weeks of their wedding. And ditto for a breast augmentation. Quite frankly, all of these are terrible ideas. This topic covers a broad age group: many women are having their first marriages in their 20’s and 30’s and oftentimes a second or third in their 50’s. I’m also discussing others in the wedding party in the information below.  

Of course, each woman and her wedding situation can be different. However, I think as a general principle you should ideally do fillers and Botox six weeks before your wedding. I am being conservative here… 3-4 weeks before is probably fine, but I would lean towards six weeks to be certain. This allows any bruising that may occur to completely resolve and for any fine tuning that needs to be done. Even if you “never bruise,” there is always a first time, so I recommend allowing time for that possibility. A more minor point is to be careful using Botox on your forehead before your wedding. Although getting rid of all lines and wrinkles on your forehead is appealing, those same muscles allow your brow to elevate. Anyone who has Botox injected in their forehead (this does NOT include the glabella area or crows feet), can experience eyebrow descent. This is only correctable with time!

I personally would not do a breast augmentation closer than 4-6 weeks before a wedding, and perhaps much longer if a complicated lift is required at the same time. Three months before the wedding is a better timeframe. As I said previously, I have had women request a breast augmentation the week before their wedding. I’ve told them to enjoy their wedding and honeymoon and then get their augmentation. Remember it takes up to three months for your implants to drop fully into position – and sometimes longer with a vertical mastopexy. I would recommend the same minimum three-month timeframe for a tummy tuck as well. 

SmartLipo is fine three weeks before their wedding, though the more time in advance, the better, as improvements continue to take place over a six month time frame.  

Remember, you are likely your own worst critic. While the thought of looking your very best for your big day is appealing, you want to be sure you allow plenty of time to prevent having any issues or complications on your wedding day.