Patients who are marrying later in life — or are the mother of the bride or groom — are seeking what Dr. Maia calls “major transformations.” Face-lifts and tummy tucks, in particular, are popular with women over 40. One of her patients, preparing for her sons’ back-to-back weddings, scheduled a tummy tuck before the first wedding and a face-lift before the second.
Instead of going under the knife, other brides-to-be have chosen injections, such as Botox treatments, which are often a less expensive alternative to surgery. Patients who visit Dr. Reish’s office for Botox treatments on average spend from $1,000 to $1,400, targeting multiple areas of the face during their appointments. “Most patients will need to do this three times per year, as it is a maintenance treatment,” he said.
Lindsay Edgar, 42, a wedding planner and the owner of 22 Weddings & Events in Austin, Texas, said that her facialist encouraged her to try Botox for the first time ahead of her November 2022 nuptials. “She said that it would just make makeup look smoother in pictures, so it wouldn’t so much look like you were wrinkle-free, but everything would lay nicer and photograph better,” Ms. Edgar said. Still, she “never thought” that she would get Botox. “Wrinkles on my forehead have never really been a thing that I have noticed or been worried about.”
However, Ms. Edgar said she chose to go forward with Botox to feel her best on her wedding day. “I think one of the reasons why I wanted to look so good for my wedding is because sometimes it is hard being around so many younger brides,” she said. “The wedding industry often feels like it’s built for someone closer to their late 20s who is small and trendy.”
For other brides, pre-wedding Botox is more than a skin-care regimen; it’s a group activity.
While helping to plan a close friend’s February bachelorette party in Palm Springs, Calif., Carly Hill suggested an afternoon of Botox and relaxation by the pool. Ms. Hill’s sister is an aesthetic injector at the Fitz, a medical spa in Chicago, and the bride’s sister is a children’s nurse practitioner who also runs a medical aesthetics practice. The two were expertly able to administer Botox to the 10 other women in attendance.
“I’ve become quite a bachelorette party planning pro these past few years, and this felt unique and practical as an activity for the weekend,” said Ms. Hill, 31, who lives in Brooklyn and runs an influencer marketing firm. “Everyone took turns receiving injections while the rest of us hung in the pool, tanned, listened to music and caught up.”
