Close encounters with the shapewear kind

A good wedding day look requires a good number of facets to be working together flawlessly.  The hair, the make-up, the dress, the jewelry, the veil, the shoes.  All brides want these pieces to come together effortlessly and beautifully, creating a vision in bridal beauty, no doubt.  One piece of the puzzle that doesn't get its moment in the spotlight but is still hugely responsible for the overall look coming together is the undergarmentry.  Without the proper underwear, it's easy for a beautiful dress to drape awkwardly over any one person's body, a rather unsightly smudge on the otherwise ideal look.

In order to avoid any lumps or bumps in my mid-section, I decided to invest in my first piece of shapewear for w-day.  I decided to go with Spanx Super Power Panties, as seen here:

Image via All Things Chic

I opted for this model because I was looking for something to go above my navel without being too high up on the mid-section, and I thought this was a perfect fit.  I'd heard all about the wonders of Spanx from many of my female friends, but I'd never really had an outfit or event that warranted investing in any shapewear pieces.  For that reason, I was pretty curious and nervous to see what all the fuss was about, and how they would actually work on yours truly.

In order to get a clear picture of the Spanx effect, I decided to take a couple before and after shots in my rehearsal dinner dress, just to (objectively) see what differences, if any, emerged.  Here are the results!

No spanx:

Looking at the Spanx against the width of my torso:

With the Spanx on:

And, for easy comparison's sake...

Before (left) + After, front:

Before (left) + After, profile:

The final verdict?  They're definitely keepers.  I'm not completely razzled and dazzled by their slimming attributes, but I am quite content with the way they just smooooooth everything out, making you look like frozen yogurt instead of lumpy gravy.  Everyone likes frozen yogurt better than lumpy gravy!!  I'm pretty confident that these "power panties" will help me to look smooth and toned for the rehearsal and wedding day, allowing me to eat and drink a bit without getting any excessive pooch.  Plus, they'll prevent any weird belly-button suction thing in my gown, which is always a plus.  The only downside is that there's no easy way to relieve yourself in these.  I'd heard that other Spanx have little openings to make bathroom trips logistically easier, but no such luck on these bad boys.  Thankfully I'm like a human camel, but I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea to brainstorm some solutions to this quandary between now and August...

Are you wearing any shapewear for your wedding?  Any great bathroom tips for other shapewear brides?

(All photos personal unless noted.  Sorry if me talking at length about my underwear dilemmas made you uncomfortable, Dad!)