Michelle Nedwick doesn't care if the 100 guests she invites to her October 3 wedding knows she used weight loss pills to help her slim down.
Nedwick, a 56-year-old prosecutor from Elyria, Ohio, began adopting a complex form of peptide-1 drugs like glucagon, or Zepbound, a type of GLP-1. So far, she has dropped 20 pounds. She hopes to dump another 20 in the next few months. (The FDA recently stopped producing many of its most complex weight loss drugs. Nedwick says she's stored enough to get through her wedding and understands what she's going to do next.)
“I don't think there should be a stigma around it,” she said of weight loss pills like Zepbound and diabetes mellitus like Ozempic and Moonjaro, which are often used for weight loss. She shared her story on social media, followed by her “GLP-1 Journey” and subscribers to her YouTube channel. She ordered three.
The drugs like the ones that Nedwick took changed the conversation. As the expression progresses, “loss for a wedding” is not only for brides and grooms, but also for dressmakers and tailors.
In March, market research firm Wedding Report voted for 73 vendors in the wedding industry on the impact of GLP-1 drugs on their business. Of the 7% who reported seeing “a big change in client requests and changes,” 11% saw “small changes in spending or preferences,” and 80% worked in clothing and accessories.
Namanavipur, a shop and couture wedding dress designer in Philadelphia and Austin, Texas, said she is helping the bride and bride's mother “always” try to coordinate. Two years ago, she added, that last minute change was unusual.
“What's going on is that the bride ordered a dress in size 16 or 18 six or seven months ago. She's now 10 years old,” Navipur said. “I'm not stressing about it because I know how to make a dress. You can rebuild the dress.”
But brides who need major changes to mass-produced gowns and dresses coming from overseas cannot count on those who made it to coordinate the reconstruction, she said. “Tailors don't want to touch wedding dresses because it's a big, scary responsibility.”
Recently, Bridal Boutique has called Navipool ” because I know I can do my job.” She prefers to focus on her designs, but she helps as much as she can.
Shao Yang, founder of Tailory New York, a bespoke atelier in Manhattan, also receives these requests on a daily basis. Some brides have clearly said they are using GLP-1, but for others, Yang, who said she was using herself, says she has suspicions about her.
Dramatic shape shifts can be difficult to keep up when it comes to wedding dress fittings. “Instead of being a simple change, they are now along the line of reconstruction,” Yang said.
Jamipack of Georgetown, Kentucky admits that when it began using compound tilzepatide in February 2024 it was seeking a simple fix.
“It wasn't as physical as it was a mental health issue,” she said. She used food to deal with depression surrounding movement and career changes. Eight months before her wedding, she said, “I realized I couldn't lose weight quickly enough.” “I needed other help.”
There she worked with nurses at a wellness centre in Lexington to monitor weight loss in Murjaro and supplement exercise programs and advice from a nutritionist.
The effects of these medications can extend beyond the dress. Some health experts believe that wedding menus can evolve to suit a more limited appetite. At Michelle Caldel Nutrition Science, a registered dietitian and doctoral dietary chief nutrition officer at Weight Watchers, the waiter said that in addition to the full-size cake, he might soon hand over a tray of mini cupcakes.
“Like weddings adapt to vegetarian and gluten-free diets, we hope that catering will create menus with smaller appetites in mind,” explained Dr. Caldel.
However, because these drugs can have side effects such as nausea, constipation and diarrhea, Dr. Melanie Jay, director of the NYU Langone Comprehensive Program on Obesity, said “I won't start taking these medications a few weeks before an event like a wedding.” She added that she recommends launching them over six months before the wedding.
Puck, a newlywed in Kentucky, was pleased with her outcome. When she found the gown she loved and lost the weight she wanted, she texted the nurse three photos, writing, “I can't put a price on my confidence in this dress.”
