Chamein Canton has a message for all those brides who are obsessing about their weight before their wedding: Stop it!
"Life is meant to be lived," says the Long Island wedding planner and author. "Don't diet through your wedding. You're making yourself miserable -- and the people around you, too."
Canton, of Amityville, says many women think they can only look good on their special day if they are a size 2.
When it comes to the gown, size really doesn't matter, says Canton, who is 5-foot-8 and full-figured herself. What does matter? Style, she says.
Full-figured brides can look just as good as their slimmer counterparts, she insists. Have wide hips? Get a dress with an empire waist, says Canton. A tummy? Go for an A-line gown.
Bridal shops and fashion designers are just starting to cater to plus-size brides, industry experts say. But Canton, 41, who has been planning weddings for more than 10 years, says the market is still wide open, and her rapidly expanding clientele list is proof.
Five years ago, at the urging of a customer and a friend, she decided to take a battered notebook of advice and tips she had accumulated over the years and write "Down That Aisle in Style: A Wedding Guide for Full-Figured Women" (WindRiver Publishing, 2006, $34.95). The book has become one of the biggest sellers at WindRiver Publishing in Silverton, Idaho, says publisher J.B. Howick, who
took on the project because of Canton's enthusiasm and the paucity of books available for plus-size brides.
"There are not that many books out there telling full-figured brides how to look beautiful," he says.
Canton has been a wedding enthusiast most of her life. As a teenager, she thrived on bridal magazines, tried on wedding gowns on a lark and immersed herself in everything wedding. Even a divorce, a bout with cervical cancer and a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis couldn't dampen her enthusiasm.
She has helped more than a hundred brides and is looking forward to advising more.
"I am a wedding junkie," she says, "And I work with all brides. If I get a skinny girl, I won't toss her."
