Manolo for the Brides

I’ve never been a big fan of plastic surgery for purely cosmetic reasons. Then again, I’ve always figured it was a decision up to the person considering it. I don’t think less of someone for having had breast implants or a nose job or a tummy tuck. As I said, it’s a personal decision.

And while it’s not something I would recommend, I’m certainly not going to rain on the parade of a bride who decides that before the wedding is the time to have her chin or cheekbones enhanced.

But now E! has ordered a new bridal reality show. What does this have to do with plastic surgery? Everything, as it turns out.

You see, Bridalplasty (yes, you read that correctly, Bridalplasty is the name of this horror) is a competition. Each week, the brides will compete in a new challenge. The winner of said challenge will win – wait for it! – her choice of plastic surgery from the ‘wish list’ she has submitted. She goes straight in for surgery and the audience will see the results the following week in the next episode.

Think about it. The average competitive reality show has somewhere between twelve and sixteen players. On each of these shows, there are always several competitors who never win a single challenge. On each of these shows, one or two competitors seem to wind up winning at least three or four challenges each. That means that at least a couple of these women are going home looking very, very different than they did when they left.

Each week the competing brides will vote off one of their rivals until just one bride is left standing. Said last bride standing will win a dream wedding at which, of course, she will wear a veil with full blusher so that the audience can enjoy that voyeuristic moment when the groom gets his first chance to see what his bride now looks like. That’s right, he doesn’t get to see her until she stands at the altar in a brand new face.

All of this is, of course, in the name of seeing a ‘perfect bride.’ Because, you know, a woman who hasn’t been touched up by a surgeon can’t be perfect.

My advice? Ignore this show. It’s just trying to sell us all more on the idea that we’re not good enough as we are, that we are automatically better if we change ourselves quite possibly to the point of being unrecognizable.

Even if you do decide you want to change something about yourself before the wedding photos, you still want your nearest and dearest to know who you are when you walk down the aisle. Trust me, you’re good enough as is that someone asked you to marry him or her. You don’t need to change a thing to be good enough to deserve a pretty wedding or a happily ever after.

Don’t fall for the hype. Be you on your wedding day.

And this show? Let’s all agree not to watch it. We don’t need the toxic messages or the sensationalism.