Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! There’s so much to do, between picking out your dress, the cake, the decorations, the menu, and an endless list of other things. Of course, you will want to look your best for your special day, so you may be starting your diet and exercise program. In addition, you may be considering cosmetic surgery or non-surgical treatments so that you look your best on your wedding day.

If you are seriously considering cosmetic surgery as part of your wedding plans, you need to plan in advance, just as you will for your dress, wedding venue, and guest list. Dr. Paul Pin has some suggestions for how best to fit cosmetic surgery into your pre-wedding schedule, depending upon the cosmetic procedure you decide to undergo.

Timing Your Surgery with Your Dress

If you are having cosmetic surgery that will affect how your wedding dress might fit, you must take into account the time it will take for your dress to be made. Examples of such procedures include tummy tuck, breast augmentation, breast lift, or breast reduction. You will generally not see the final results of these surgeries until about eight weeks to 10 weeks following surgery.

Next, you will need to factor in that most wedding planners will tell you to select your dress eight to 10 months in advance of your wedding date in order to allow for alterations and fittings. So, we have to add in the two to three months after your surgery to the time needed from when you select your dress until your actual wedding date. This will mean that you are looking at scheduling your surgery for about a year prior to your wedding date, particularly for breast augmentations. This is due to the fact that it is easier to make alterations by taking in material than by adding it.

If you are considering a breast reduction or tummy tuck procedure, you may have some more leeway with your surgery schedule. There will be several fittings before your wedding date, so alterations can be made by taking in excess material once you have achieved the final results from your surgery. If this is the case, Dr. Pin recommends scheduling your surgery at least 12 weeks prior to your wedding, as final alterations to your wedding dress are usually done anywhere from six to eight weeks prior to the big day.

Best Face Forward

Maybe you want your face to look its best for your wedding day. This would be the ideal time for a facial procedure. Dr. Pin can recommend a number of facial procedures, ranging from Botox or dermal fillers to smooth out your face, to dermabrasion or chemical peels to give you glowing skin, to facelift procedures. Depending on the procedure, healing time can be anywhere from a week to four weeks. Obviously, this will affect your wedding schedule so that you will look your best for your wedding day.

Preparing for your big day can be both stressful and exciting. If you are considering undergoing cosmetic surgery as part of your preparation plans, you will need to schedule it in, along with everything else. It may seem overwhelming now, but the results when you walk down the aisle looking beautiful on your wedding day will make it worthwhile.