The most important aspect of a magazine is its front cover because it is the first thing a reader notices and it also acts as an indication to the readers of what is to be expected within the magazine. The front cover provides a preview of the contents of the magazines, which will fulfil the needs of the individual and her group by selling a future image of the reader as “happier, more desirable” (Bignell 1997: 67). All three
magazines use an image of a bride wearing a wedding dress on the majority of their front covers. According to Bignell (1997: 69), the images of beautiful women on the covers of female magazines are “iconic signs which represent the better self which every woman desires to become.” These front cover images give a sense of aspiration to the women readers in their journey towards becoming a beautiful bride.
Each bride on the front cover in the examples (Figure 5.1 - Figure 5.4 in Chapter 5) represents a future image of the reader, it is an image which can be attained through reading the magazines and following the recommendations given inside. There is a consistency in the imagery of brides on the magazines’ covers. All the model brides are Thai celebrities (either actress, model or singer) each of whom has slightly fairer than average skin tone and flawless complexion. They are beautifully made up and adorned with a big white wedding dress and accessorised with diamond jewellery on their neckline and a ring on their finger. The diamonds connote a sense of luxury while the white wedding dress connotes romance and fantasy. Their femininity is highlighted through their female bodies with low-cut dresses that expose their shoulders, allowing a small glimpse of cleavage, blushed cheeks, a gentle smile and a captivating gaze looking directly at the readers. On the magazines’ covers, these model brides are the embodiment of the bride that every woman should want to be and every man should want to marry - beautiful, glamorous and feminine. The readers are encouraged to believe that these are the ideal image of a bride and that she could be just like the bride on the cover one day.
Figure 7.1 WE April 2014 Figure 7.2 WE November 2012 Figure 7.3 WE December 2012
The images in the example of magazine covers are the ideal bridal beauty. Within each issue the ideal bridal images are being constructed in order to set a standard for whichbrides-to-be should aim to achieve. A bride is not just a bride, she is usually compared to an ideal woman such as a fairy tale princess, a real life royal princess or a fictional character from classic literature (most of which are of noble birth). A Thai bride can embody dual cultural personas; she can be a traditional Thai bride as well as a modern Thai bride. While the main distinctions between traditional bride and modern bride as discussed in Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 exist, the magazines further categorised bridal makeup look into three categories. Firstly, a sweet and feminine bride has a soft and gentle image, she is described as an angel and a delicate flower (Figure 7.1). Secondly, a classic and mystically charming bride has captivating charms and an allure of mystic around her, this is an epitome of a perfect traditionalised bride according to Thai’s imagination of noble lady from pre-modern Siam (Figure 7.2). And lastly, an elegant and sophisticated bride stands out from the crowd, sparkling with aura of luxury and elegance (Figure 7.3).
Perfection, glamour and beauty are the qualities that the magazines use to define a bride. Her beauty is a quality that is seen, portrayed, asked about and talked about the most. When a bride is written about, she is usually praised on how beautiful she looks. A woman can be ordinary looking, cute, sexy or beautiful, but a bride is always
beautiful woman at a wedding; even her bridesmaids along with the other wedding guests are recommended to wear makeup and dress in a way that will not outshine the bride as a common wedding etiquette. The constructed image of an ideal Thai bride is not only the woman of a man’s dream, but also the woman of any woman’s dream too - the woman that any woman should dream to be. As quotes chosen from the magazines have illustrated below:
“Really big things you can’t miss is to be a super perfect girl.” (WE July 2011 154) “Natural glam is a simplistic image with a touch of glamour.” (WE July 2011: 140)
The ideal beauty of a bride constructed and disseminated by the media have pressured brides to conform to these standards by undergoing bridal makeovers (Adrian 2003). A bridal makeover marks an important moment when a woman transforms into a more beautiful version of herself in preparation to performing her role as a bride. The process of transformation cannot be completed without the essential tools of beauty products and beauty enhancement procedures. The importance of bridal makeup is justified on the premise that a bride is constantly photographed on her wedding day as well as on the day of her pre-wedding photo shoot, and thus it is necessary for her to look as beautiful as she possibly can. An emphasis is being made throughout the magazines that a bride should be beautiful, the ‘Beauty checklist’ column in WE magazines has a subtext in English that reads:
“To be an irresistibly beautiful bride in the most unforgettable occasion of the lifetime.” (WE July
2011: 158)