Why brides are increasingly picking fatter bridesmaids to make themselves look better on their big day

As every bride knows, planning the big day involves some big choices.

But it seems picking bridesmaids is the most weighty decision of all.

A third of British women say they would choose an overweight friend to make them appear slimmer as they walk down the aisle, according to research.



Weighty issue: Brides are choosing women who make them look slimmer as their bridesmaids and 40 per cent say skinny guests would make them self-conscious. (Posed by models)

And many give heavy consideration to their guestlist, as 40 per cent claim slim guests would make them feel self-conscious.

Just under half of brides also go on a diet in order to look their best for their special day.



But the survey, which was carried out by diet planners Slim-Fast, revealed that it's not just those exchanging vows who worry about their weight at a wedding - a fifth of female guests feel the need to diet for the occasion.

The company's nutritionist Fiona Hunter said yesterday: 'The wedding season is a time when every woman wants to look good, whether it's for their big day or for their friend's, and there are ways to boost your confidence.

'This survey reveals that some bridesmaids and even female guests feel the stresses of looking good for the event as well as the bride.

'Brides have always wanted to look their best on their wedding day but this obsession with being slender and skinny is a modern thing.

'If you're a bride all eyes are going to be on you on the day and this can make a lot of women very self conscious.

'Women are obviously feeling such pressure to look good on their big day that they're resorting to selecting bridesmaids larger than themselves.

'It's very sad and a real shame. Looking at these statistics, it seems to be a worrying new trend.'

Earlier this year, another survey revealed that couples are ditching traditional wedding lists in favour of cold hard cash.

The poll, for Wedding magazine, found 45 per cent of couples would prefer their guests to give them money, and 26 per cent opted for vouchers for the honeymoon.

The same survey found that the average spend for a wedding had reached £20,000.



