Looking And Feeling’ Great At Your Wedding And Beyond!
- Designer Salwar Suits and amazing sarees – check!
- Well-planned wedding trousseau – check!
- Designer Bridal Lehenga Choli – check!
- Other trendy outfits and ensembles to-die-for – check!
- Latest imitation and fashion jewellery and stylish accessories – check!
- Beauty and make-up appointments – check!
All set for your dream wedding!
However, innumerable beauty sessions and dress fittings later, why aren’t you still looking your radiant best? What’s holding you back?
In fact, what holds all of us back from looking our best – even when we spend so much time, money and effort on getting expensive dresses and tedious designing/tailoring, not to forget costly beauty treatments? Why after putting in so much into maintaining our hoity-toity lifestyles, we fail to see a happy and resplendent image looking back at us from our mirrors?
The answer lies in 7 Vital Aspects that go into looking and feeling great – and they are NOT about how and in what you dress!
1. A Beautiful Mind and A Giving Heart
Your inner beauty reflects in your external beauty. This axiom is an extension of nature’s integral law. You can’t look great, if you are an angry, cruel, unhappy, suspicious, negative person. You need to ‘give’ to feel the joy of giving. You need to be ‘positive’ to feel the cheer of positivity. And, you have to be beautiful inside, to look radiant outside.
2. Self Confidence and Faith
An insecure person is never happy. Inner strength and faith reflect in the way you behave and look at the world. If you are confident of your-self, your beauty, your choices, your life ahead, your abilities – you will be more relaxed, you will be happier and that shall show! Your self-confidence will help you make right choices and stay calm, in event of confusions or troubles. Lack of self-confidence will show on your face and the way your conduct yourself, even on your D-day.
Still worried about why everything seems to be going haywire? Have faith in God, in the cosmic forces, and in your (prospective) partner, your parents and your own self.
3. A Great Smile
Smile a lot, it costs nothing! Really, this is the key to the treasure of happiness. A charming, ready smile that treats everyone equally is the key to great looks, cheerful personality, healthy relationships and a rocking social circle. Everyone’s life is made of ups and downs. But, that shouldn’t stop you from smiling and staying amicable to the world around you. Smiling releases stress and forges bonds. A natural smile wipes away stresses, grudges and anger. So, you may be busy and tied up, but don’t hold back that smile. Not even, on your wedding day!
Get professional dental work done, if your dental hygiene, bad breath or any other oral issue bother you. But, don’t run after too many procedures, aiming for perception – that too at the last minute. Remember, your partner fell in love with your imperfect smile only!
4. Good Posture
The way you stand, sit and generally conduct yourself says a lot about you as a person, your confidence and your inner self belief. Plus, any outfit looks great on a person, who stands tall (irrespective of your actual height), walks in a balanced way and is poised and suave. A bulging tummy (due to bad posture) or rounded, stoopy shoulders will spoil even the best of the dresses, be it a graceful designer saree or a stylish trendy salwar suit. Work on your posture.
*Star Tip – Keep a few hard-bound books on your head (2-3 will do, or 1 heavy one will work too), don’t hold them and now try walking without dropping them. Initially, this will be a tough task, and will get easier as you practice.
5. Fitness
Tomes have been written on the importance of fitness and exercise. This is a non-negotiable aspect for looking good and feeling great. Simplest of the clothes look great on fit bodies! Fitness adds immensely to your confidence, mental clarity and overall happiness. Working-out releases happy hormones; it makes you more balanced and cheerful. Need more motivation in starting a serious and long-term fitness practice? Read up on internet, talk to your partner, and get in touch with fitter people.
However, do remember that your fitness is NOT in your weight! Don’t aim for short-term, so-called quick-fix plans, which will rob you off radiance and charm.
Fretting about weight issues right before wedding is useless. Your partner said ‘yes’ to you – looking at your current weight. What if your prospective groom/ bride sarcastically coaxes you to ‘lose weight’? Well, re-consider your decision, we say!
6. Healthy Skin and Hair
Your dress looks perfect with coordinated, well-applied make-up. For that, though, you need the all-important-base – your skin – to be taut, glowing and blemish free. It’s indisputably true that radiant and clear skin goes a long way in ensuring flawless looks. Ask those, who are blessed with naturally great skin; they will tell you they won’t trade the world for it!
Sadly, not everyone is gifted with great skin. Happily, we have access to tonnes of skincare products. Also, use tested home remedies to your advantage. Avoid direct sun. Sleep well. Eat well. Cleanse well.
Same goes for hair. Your hair is your crowning glory. If you colour your hair, take special care. Avoid harsh treatments, right before the wedding. Treat hair-fall split ends & dryness.
Have hair, nail and skin vitamin supplements, after consulting your doctor. Treat acne and blemishes, only under an expert dermatologist’s care.
7. Good overall health and a balanced diet
Last, but inarguably, the most important aspect that goes beyond your wedding or the days building up to it! Inculcate the habit of maintaining good health and diet – for life. This is not something, whose result you will be able to reap in a short time But yes, your wedding is a good point to start, if you haven’t yet done that.
Always follow the ground-rules of good health – no late nights, light dinners, fresh foods, regular check-ups, prompt medical care – and drinking lots of water, maintaining good digestion, staying away from junk/processed food, having balanced diet etc. Steer clear of crash diets, in your last minute bid to lose weight.
If you suffer from a health issue, get resolution and proper diagnosis. Don’t hide your medical conditions, especially congenital and hereditary sicknesses, from your prospective spouse and in-laws. Address hormonal issues like hypo-thyroid promptly. Get your and your groom/ bride’s Rh-factor matching done. Go for a complete pre-marital counselling with a trained doctor as well as psychologist.
Once you do all this, go ahead and wear that special dress. Look in the mirror with your head held high. Smile at yourself. Close your eyes and be grateful. Appreciate your radiant self!
And, now let’s make a new Wedding Checklist –
- Have faith in God and your loved ones.
- Smile! Smile all the time – you are getting married ï Š
- Shun negativity, insecurities and fear.
- Stop being a bridezzela NOW!
- Respect others’ opinions.
- Say thank-you and sorry, where they matter.
- Connect!
- Be confident, but not over-confident!
- Stop comparing your wedding & would-be-spouse to your friend’s.
- Stop scheming and stop fretting.
- Play with the kids in your neighbourhood.
- Take care of your fitness, skin and diet.
- Take a break from work, possibly a couple of weeks before your wedding.
- Don’t step out in extreme sun; avoid swimming too, if you can.
- Work on your posture, personality and overall health.
- Take supplements, after consulting a good doctor.
- Set some amount aside from your wedding budget to spend on a children’s home.
- Offer to help your mom, mom-in-law or anyone, who is generally over-worked.
- Let go!
- Meditate, listen to music and just relax.
- Always invest in classics; buy good quality stuff!