Black Meringue

Plastic Fantastic

Everyone wants to look their best for the big day, but some will go further than most. Rebecca Lindon investigates.

There is no doubt that all eyes will be on the happy couple at a wedding. So it’s easy to understand why any lumps, bumps or wrinkles that had previously been a minor cause for concern for the bride or groom can be transformed in to a major source of angst during the approach to the big day. Then there are the wedding pictures and video in which the day will be forever immortalised – everyone wants to look good for those.

But where would you draw the line between looking good and going too far? Lots of people get their hair and make-up done – is it such a big stretch to include a teeth-whitening treatment or wrinkle fillers? You might apply a bit of fake tan, have a manicure or slip some chicken fillets into your bra – so what’s the harm in a tummy tuck or breast enlargement? But, surely, somewhere we lose sight of the traditional symbolism of weddings. A wedding day should be about the simple joining of two people in love – is there any place for vanity in such a ceremony?

One thing that we can be sure of is that cosmetic surgery is on the up. In 2007, 1,600 cosmetic surgery procedures were carried out every day and Britons spent £1 billion on treatments. The number of operations has almost doubled in the last two years and this has primarily been attributed to the rise of non-invasive procedures such as Botox and collagen wrinkle fillers.

When you consider that the average British wedding now costs £17,000, it’s no surprise that the odd bit of cosmetic surgery is contributing to that total spend. The dream wedding is no longer down to just the flowers, the dress and the venue. More and more women are budgeting in a bit of Botox, body-reshaping and breast surgery to make them feel extra-special on their big day. Let’s not forget the grooms either – apparently Peter Andre indulged in a touch of pre-wedding Botox for his marriage to Katie Price.

Soon-to-be-wed Natalie Bennett from Liverpool is all for applying a glossy sheen to her wedding via cosmetic surgery.

“My wedding has taken a year of organisation and a big bank loan so I want to get the most out of it and look my best. I’m not a hugely confident person and the thought of walking down the aisle with everyone watching fills me with dread. I sometimes wish my fiancé and I had agreed on a smaller affair so that I wouldn’t feel quite so nervous.

“I’ve thought about getting my nose re-shaped for many years and organising the wedding has spurred me on to actually do it. I’m planning to put our wedding pictures up on our bedroom wall when we get them back and I’d like to be able to look at them without thinking that my nose looks big! If I have the operation done in a few years' time then I’ll never be able to change my wedding photos to incorporate my new nose.”

Conventionally, the cost of cosmetic surgery has been enough to put most people off investigating further even if they wanted to. However, many quick and easy non-invasive procedures have now been developed at affordable prices. Dermal fillers and Botox treatments cost around £200 and will take half an hour out of your day, while teeth whitening procedures take around an hour and a half and will set you back just £500 in exchange for a Hollywood smile. Facial peels, micro-dermabrasion and thread vein removal can all be completed with the minimum fuss and cost. In 2006, Botox remained the most common non-surgical procedure last year as Brits become more obsessed with anti-ageing. Facial and breast surgery were the two most popular surgical procedures but body-reshaping, such as liposuction, tummy tucks and buttock lifts, were very high on the list.

Many cosmetic surgery companies are conveniently now offering treatments aimed directly at brides. Pillows For Feet offers brides a means of combining fashion and comfort by introducing dermal fillers in to the sole of the foot in order to make walking in heels a painless experience. Maybe they know that the first pair of high heels was actually worn by Catherine de Medici at her wedding in 1533, and believe no modern-day bride wants blisters and aching arches to ruin her wedding experience.

The team behind new cosmetic dentistry development Lumineers is quick to remind brides that your wedding day should be the happiest day of your life. “The treasured moments of the timeless, happy smiles of guests, parents and bride and groom are captured in snapshots forever. That’s why it’s important to look your best, with a smile to outshine them all,” gushes the literature. Developed in California, Lumineers are made from Cerinate porcelain that is as thin as contact lenses and made to match existing teeth. There is no need for painful drilling and these porcelain veneers are clinically proven to last up to 20 years. A bright, white smile without hours in the dentists’ chair could be the perfect solution for a busy bride-to-be.

However, many believe these kinds of treatments contradict the whole spirit of marriage. “My husband and I love each other for who we are,” says 32-year-old Samantha Fearis. “I don’t look like a model or have a size eight waist but I looked exactly like this on the day my husband asked me to marry him so why on earth would I have surgery to look like someone else? For me, it just doesn’t make any sense. I’m not against cosmetic surgery on the whole but I think it should only be considered in cases where a person has been deeply unhappy about an element of their body for some time – not just to look glossier on your wedding day.”

How far you’d go to look good, then, is clearly a matter of personal choice. While cosmetic surgery shouldn’t be the prime source of contentment and confidence on your wedding day, for some it provides an added injection of the feel-good factor. And if you were planning to get something done anyway, your wedding is as good a place as any to unveil your new self.

Sonja Baterip

Forty-three-year-old Sonja Baterip married her husband Colin at Down Hall Country House in Hatfield Heath, Hertfordshire in June 2004. The couple had been together for four years and it was the second wedding for both parties.

“Whenever I saw myself in photos, I always had a pang of ‘nice picture but my teeth don’t look perfect’,” explains Sonja. “My husband wasn’t bothered by my teeth at all but now that I’ve had it done, he thinks they look great.

“Initially I wanted to have my teeth bleached for the wedding. I had telephoned a few different places but I ended up choosing Senova because the conversation I had with them was so professional and informative. They really made me feel comfortable.”

Senova Dental Studios is an award-winning practice in Watford. The surgery offers a range of dental treatments, including porcelain veneers, tooth whitening, dental implants, laser gum contouring and more traditional routine dental care and prevention treatments.

Sonja was introduced to Dr David Bloom for initial consultations:
“When I went in to see the team at Senova, David suggested some other options that I might consider as well as teeth whitening. He did a mock-up of how my teeth could look and I was amazed. I had dreamed of having perfect teeth but there’s a fine line between looking good and just looking like you’ve had your teeth done.”

Sonja first went in to Senova Dental Studios just a month before her wedding and agreed on a mixture of treatments with her surgeon.

“In the end I had my lower jaw bleached and 10 ceramic veneers fitted. The first session was four to five hours in the chair but it wasn’t uncomfortable. I even had a hand wax and massage while the work was being done. David filed my teeth and put in temporary veneers which I had to wear while they made the real ones.”

“I had two weeks with the temporary veneers and then another four to five hours in the chair while they fitted the real ones. I was also advised on after-care, mouth hygiene and looking after my gums. I spent £8,500 in total and it was worth every penny. No-one knows unless I tell them and I think that’s a good measure of how successful the surgery has been.

“I don’t think the surgery made any difference to my actual wedding day but it has made a huge difference when looking back at my wedding photos and video because I love the way my teeth look. I also wasn’t conscious of them on the day and I have a big grin on my face. Before the surgery, I always used to try and smile with my mouth closed. I now have more confidence in my smile.”

Visit www.senovadental.com for more information.

Samatha Janes

On 23 December 2006 Samantha James, 35, wed Col James, 39, at Beverley Register Office in Yorkshire. Samantha has four children aged 11, 12, 13 and 17. Just before her wedding she had a tummy tuck at one of the Harley Medical Group’s clinics in Manchester.

“I first thought about having a tummy tuck after the birth of my third child but then I fell pregnant again so I put it to the back of my mind. I met Col three years ago when he was playing in a band with my sister’s husband. He knew how I felt about my stomach because I was shy about my body and was always covering up. He didn’t think I needed the surgery because he loved me exactly the way I was, but I still hated my belly.

“We had been together for two years when we decided that Col would sell his house to move in with me. He offered to give me the £8,000 I needed for my tummy tuck from the sale of his house.
“One of my friends had already had a tummy tuck at The Harley Medical Group and I thought the results looked great so I decided to go to the same place.”

The Harley Medical Group has a network of 16 clinics throughout the UK and Ireland. Founded in 1983, the company has established itself as a market leader in both cosmetic surgery and non surgical solutions. A wide range of cosmetic procedures are available for men and women from liposuction and rhinoplasty (plastic surgery on the nose) to chin implants and tightening of the female genitalia.

“On the day of the surgery I left the house at 4am to go to Manchester and was taken to my private room as soon as I arrived. The doctor drew all over my stomach and then it was time to go in to surgery. It took about four hours and I was very groggy straight afterwards but I remember coming out of surgery and looking down at my belly and saying: ‘It’s gone, it’s gone!’

“The real pain had gone in a week and I was back at work in two weeks. I had to wear a corset for three months and when I finally took it off I felt brilliant. One of the first things I did was go shopping for new underwear and I found the perfect red and white dress for the wedding.

“The surgery definitely changed my wedding day because I was so much happier and more confident. My husband was happy with the difference too and I don’t cover up as much anymore. I wore a bikini for the first time in my life on holiday, whereas I never used to even go in the pool.”

Visit www.harleymedical.co.uk or call 0800 085 4984 for more information.

BM