Similar to the tale of the Beauty and the Beast, Beauty and the Bride (BATB) will examine a relationship fraught with mistrust, deception, fear, and hopefully, a happy ending.  BeautyXposé will follow BATB as she traverses the perilous landscape of wedding-day beauty leading up to her September nuptials.  Have a question for BATB?  A topic you’d like her to cover?  A conspiracy you’ve uncovered in the Wedding Industrial Complex (WIC) you’d like exposed?  Email her at: beautyandthebride@beautyxpose.com.

Sure, they always tell you to drink a lot of water.  It’s good for you they said.  For years, I ignored them.  It’s just silly water – how important can it be?  Headaches I attributed to noise or lack of sleep.  My lack of energy, the dark circles and lack of color in my skin, the same.  Sure, sure, drink some water.  But really, I’d rather have a coke.

Of course, I was wrong.  I know it’s not mind-shattering to think.  And I realize as well that it’s certainly not a revelation in and of itself worthy of a blog article.  But hear me out.

Once I started drinking water regularly – and I’m talking the full eight glasses a day – carrying around a cute Nalgene bottle kind of regularly, I felt better.  A lot better.  (I know, I know.  Duh.)  And the days when I forgot to bring my water bottle to work, or was too busy to refill it a few times during the day, I’d notice it.  I’d get a headache around four in the afternoon; I’d think I was hungry when I really wasn’t.  Have you ever been so dehydrated that when you take a nice big sip of cool water you can almost feel the water distributing itself around your body and into your brain and instantly make you feel better?  No?  Just me?  Ok.

Since I’ve realized the error of my ways, I’m pretty good about keeping hydrated.  Want a soda with that hotdog?  Sure, but have a water too.  Playing two hours of hockey in the hot sun?  I bring two large Nalgene bottles and sometimes even refill one.  A night of drinking and debauchery planned?  Super – after that red wine, have a glass of water.  And after that fourth one, have another (or two).

So for my wedding day, in addition to packing a snack bar so my blood sugar doesn’t plummet and I become an evil beast, I’m also packing the water bottles.  And I seriously have to start practicing how to gracefully use the ladies room in my wedding dress…

Photos courtesy of Nalgene