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Imagine your wedding day, as you have many times: all eyes are on you; numerous friends and relatives greet you. So much emotion is felt and expressed on this very special day - a day you will remember clearly for the rest of your life. For many, it is undoubtedly one of the most important days of your life. It is a day when you and your best friend embark on a wonderful life together. This day is filled with so much meaning and clearly, it deserves all the preperation you put into it. All too often, a bride and groom-to-be put all their attention on organizing the day itself: arranging the caterers, selecting just the right suit, and, the perfect dress, etc... However, what is often neglected is what is of greatest importance: yourselves.

Your wedding day will require a lot of energy and stamina. In addition to having to greet many well-wishers, you will be dancing and walking or standing most of the time. As well, this day may well be the grandest performance you make in your life; this will put pressure on you. The excitement and anxiousness experienced on this day is often unsurpassed. In addition, the few weeks prior to your wedding day will entail running extra errands and may include final activities. Naturally, you wisely delegate much of the responsibilities; nontheless, you must oversee the whole “show”. Therefore, you will require so much more energy and you will need to take good care of yourselves. So, get enough rest, exercise, and finally, eat healthfully. This is the best kept secret to helping you look and feel your best on your wedding day.

The energy you have on your wedding day will ensure that you enjoy it to its fullest. Don’t worry about the make-up; your face will exude the energy inside you. It is always so impressive to see a bride and groom who have that healthy glow, special alertness and positive energy on their wedding day. This is a goal for most brides and grooms. As a dietitian, I can offer you a few sound tips to help you maintain good nutrition before and on the day of your wedding. Here is a suggested plan to follow:

A Few Weeks Before Your Wedding Day
Eat low fat foods. If you are trying to lose weight, eating low fat foods is the easiest way to lose weight. Prepare your own lunches for work using as little or no butter, margarine, mayonnaise, or oil as possible. In general, it is more difficult to control the fat in your diet when eating out or having take-out food. If you choose to eat out, order grilled, or baked lean meats that have no added fats. Be aware that some salads have a higher fat content and thus more calories, than some meat dishes. Caeser dressing, or any cream-based dressings will be high in fat.
Avoid ‘junk foods’ such as fatty fast foods, chips, doughnuts, chocolate bars and pop. Have three regular meals each day. In middle of the afternoon, have a light or low calorie snack, such as fresh fruit or some crakers with low fat cheese. This will maintain your energy level and control your appetite before dinner. Skipping breakfast and, or lunch will only cause your body to slow down; that is your body will not burn as much energy if you skip meals. Therefore, you will tend to gain weight and get that sense of fatigue so commonly experienced by people who skip meals or who try to lose weight quickly.

If you are trying to lose weight, avoid crash diets. Forget trying to lose weight quickly. Start early (at least a few months before the wedding), and go slowly. This way you will weight safely and permanently. A common error people make is to overestimate how many calories they burn off with a small amount of exercise. For example, you would have to jog for about one hour and a half to burn off a large bran muffin.
At each meal, have a high starch food, such as bread, potatoes, pasta, or rice. These foods are energy-releasing foods. They provide your blood with glucose which is sugar your body uses instantly for energy. Your brain remains alert, and your muscles ready for motion when you supply them with enough ‘glucose’. However, do not overeat; more is definately not better. Have about two to four servings per meal. One serving would be, for example, half a cup of rice, or one small potato. How much you should depends on whether you need to lose or gain weight. It is the olive oil, butter or mayonnaise that you put on these foods that adds too many calories to these foods. So, try to avoid fatty additions to these foods. Make a sauce with little or no fat to mix with your pasta. Have potatoes baked in the microwave with the skin instead of french fries. These are just some of the many things you can do to cut out the extra calories and maximize the nutritious quality of your meals.
Choose high fibre foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, breakfast cereals with wheat, corn, oat bran, wholegrain breads and rice, as well as, beans and lentils as in split pea, chick peas, or bean soup. Fibre adds bulk to your diet; so it makes you feel full helping you control your appetite.

Day Before the Wedding
Have no more than two alcoholic drinks. Examples of one drink would be a 340 ml bottle of beer, 125 ml of wine, and or 45 ml of distilled beverage. Although alcohol may reduce feelings of insecurity, tension and discomfort, if taken in excess, it will effect your performance and leave you with a hangover the following day. Waddling down the isle will not impress your guests or your new spouse. Also, alcohol acts as a diuretic and also raises blood pressure. Therefore, it is wise to avoid excessive amounts. Choose no more than two drinks the night before your wedding day.
If you are going to have coffee, unless decaffeinated, do not have more than you usually have. Caffeine is a stimulant which causes your heart rate to increase; it may keep you awake the night before your wedding. You may be anxious enough; you do not need any extra caffeine. Colas, tea, and some medications also contain caffeine; be aware of this and if you can, avoid them.

Forget taking vitamin and mineral supplements. They do not provide your body with energy; they do not control stress as some labels lead you to believe. Rely on healthy foods to give your body the energy, vitamins and minerals it needs.
Pack some food and beverages for the time period between your ceremony and the reception. (Refer to suggestions below.)

Avoid trying new foods. You may not digest them well and experience abdominal discomfort.

It is a good idea to exercise the day before your wedding day. Do only as much or slightly more physical activity than you are used to. This is not a day to overexert yourself. If you do , you can expect sore muscles the following day. A good walk on your own will do you wonders, not only physically, but mentally. And after that nice long walk, get a good night’s sleep; tomorrow, there will be no time for rest.

Day of the Wedding
Start your day with a good breakfast. Include bread or cereal, fresh fruit, and a glass of milk or an ounce of cheese. Having some high protein source such as peanut butter, cheese, or for instance, a few slices of ham will maintain your energy level until lunch time, that is for about four hours. Avoid having simply a glass of juice or something very sweet. This will give you immediate energy that will not last long, and in about an hour and a half you may feel ‘low’ or tired and drowsy.

Limit the amount of coffee you have today. Coffee containing caffeine will act as a diuretic and today, above all other days, your body will demand extra fluid since you will be more active. Conversely, if you are a coffee drinker, you should not make your wedding day the day you choose to quit drinking coffee. If you do, you may find yourself suffering from a huge headache, one of the withdrawal symptoms of caffeine.
Pack a lunch and some beverages for the interval between your ceremony and your reception, during the picture-taking session. Good examples of what to pack include: sandwiches that have little or no added fat such as mayonnaise, and finger foods that are easy to handle such as carrot sticks, cheese and crackers. Make sandwiches using lean meats such as black forest ham, pastrami, roast beef, or turkey. Pack some fresh fruits; many are good sources of potassium, a mineral that is beneficial for those hot days when your body loses more water.

For beverages, include fruit juices and water. If you find you are sweating excessivel and feel very thirsty, drinking diluted juice with a little salt added will help replenish body water. A third of a teaspoon per litre of diluted juice will act to rehydrate your body. Try to avoid pop. If you choose to have pop, limit the amount you drink; the carbonated beverages may cause bloating, especially on such a highly stressful day.
Pack food in a cooler with ice to avoid spoiling. The last thing you need is to end up with diarrhea or nausea on your wedding day.

Eating small meals or snacks throughout the day will help you if you are extremely tense and have a poor appetite. If you find you can not tolerate any food on your wedding day, have a lactose-free liquid such as Ensure, Resource or Boost, to name a few; these can be used as meal replacements.

As for what to do during your reception, well, there is no secret to that: eat, drink, dance, and be merry! Enjoy your wedding day, take good care of yourselves. You are sure to give your guests something to talk about: an amazingly energetic bride and groom with so much life and love to share. They are sure to remember your wedding day. And most importantly, you are sure to remember and cherish every precious moment of this very special day of yours.