Here comes the Botox!
Grooms, parents, and bridal parties are increasingly joining brides in having cosmetic procedures before weddings, according to the aesthetic treatment resource portal, RealSelf.
For its 2025 Wedding Glow-Up Real Talk Report, RealSelf polled top cosmetic physicians across the U.S. to find out which trends are dominating their practices this wedding season.
Here are the big ones.
Natural-Looking Enhancement. The overwhelming desire is for procedures to help people in the wedding party look like the best version of themselves, rather than making dramatic or exaggerated changes.
“There’s a significant demand for sculpted, lifted features without looking overdone, a look popularized by influencers and celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Bella Hadid,” Miami dermatologist Dr. Deborah Longwill says in the report.
She says that “subtle yet effective aesthetic tweaks,” such as microdoses of Botox and baby lip flips, are popular among pre-wedding patients.
Impeccable Skin is the #1 Goal. Entire wedding parties, including parents of the bride and groom, are requesting non-surgical skincare therapies such as HydraFacials, PRP microneedling, BBL light therapy facials, chemical peels, and DiamondGlow dermabrasion.
“Radiant, flawless skin remains the ultimate beauty essential” for weddings, says New York City plastic surgeon Dr. Barry Weintraub.
Brides are Still the Main Character ... Though more bridal party and parent appointments are being booked than ever, brides still dominate pre-wedding procedures.
Of the brides who wrote cosmetic treatment reviews for the RealSelf platform, 70 percent has a surgical procedure such as eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty, or chin liposuction.
… But Grooms Are Stepping Up Their Cosmetic Game. Several doctors noted a rising demand in procedures among grooms, most notably for hair restoration, liposuction, Botox, laser skin resurfacing, and skin and jawline contouring with fillers.
“For grooms, we have seen a significant increase in hair transplantation procedures,” says New Jersey facial plastic surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Wise.
In addition, doctors cite the influence of celebrities such as Chris Evans and David Beckham who have “made skin care and structured jawlines a big deal” for grooms, says Delafield, WI plastic surgeon Dr. Andrew Campbell.
Parents Are Getting in on the Action. “We see mothers and fathers of the brides and grooms seeking to get ‘wedding-ready’ by embarking on comprehensive surgical procedures such as facelifts, blepharoplasties (eyelid surgery), and fat transfers,” Dr. Wise says.
Among RealSelf reviews of pre-wedding procedures, 17 percent are written by mothers of the bride or groom, the report says.
Recession? What Recession? Most weddings are immortalized via photos, videos, and on social media. That means even in the face of economic uncertainty, people feel it's worth it to spring for aesthetic procedures.
Doctors surveyed by RealSelf reported no decline in bookings for pre-wedding treatments, regardless of the tough economy.
“Even in the current economic climate, we’ve found that people are still prioritizing these procedures, seeing them as an investment in their confidence and happiness on one of the most important days of their lives,” says Seattle facial plastic surgeon Dr. Shahram Salemy.
Botox and Fillers Rule the Day. The top 7 cosmetic procedures among members of wedding parties were:
- Neuromodulators (neurotoxins such as Botox, Dysport, etc.). The report notes that among the most in-demand procedures among grooms is neurotoxin injections in their armpits for sweat control.
- Injectable fillers (such as Juvéderm, Restylane, etc.). Hyaluronic acid-based fillers are the most popular choice to add volume to lips, cheeks, temples, or the under-eye area, or to contour cheeks and jawlines — the latter a popular choice with grooms.
- Non-surgical skin rejuvenation (such as microneedling, chemical peels, laser resurfacing, photofacials, dermaplaning, etc.). These are often performed in combination.
- Facial plastic surgery. Facelifts, especially among mothers of the bride and groom, are popular choices. Others are chin and neck liposuction and eyelid surgery.
- Body liposuction. Though non-surgical fat reduction treatments (such as CoolSculpting) are being booked, more wedding party members are opting to go full-bore to remove fat in the belly, waist, and arms.
- Breast augmentation. New surgical techniques that allow faster recovery “has made it easier for brides to undergo surgery with minimal disruption to their wedding plans,” says Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Urmen Desai.