Stories 'fat brides' around the world have told about marriage

Following the marriage of renowned actor Kalana Gunasekara and Ruchini Wijesundara, a discussion about men marrying overweight women has strongly emerged on social media. There have been numerous well-known examples of couples with noticeable differences in body size reported in international media as well as among world-famous personalities.

American writer Lindy West directly described the difference in body size between herself and her future husband, Ahamefule J. Oluo, in an article titled “Why I can’t wait to be a fat bride” for The Guardian newspaper in 2014. After marrying on July 11, 2015, she later published another article titled “My wedding was perfect – and I was fat as hell the whole time.” 'This American Life' media reported that Oluo was introduced as slim and handsome, making it difficult for some people to believe they were a couple.

The relationship between world-renowned plus-size model Tess Holliday and her former partner Nick Holliday is another famous example. Tess, a US size 22 model, had doubts whether a good-looking man would choose her because she was plus-size. A 2015 Guardian report stated that she secretly married Australian national Nick, whom she met through Tumblr, on July 5, 2015.

Irish broadcaster Louise McSharry married Gordon Spierin in 2015, and on her wedding day, she directly stated that she was a size 20 'fat bride'. According to her, she did not attempt to lose weight before the wedding. Although her husband appeared to have a normal body in photographs, the media has not introduced him as plus-size.

In 2019, photos and videos of the wedding between Ghanaian photographer David (Bryan KayDee) and Pearl became widely popular on social media. Ghanaian media reports introduced David as a young man with a normal physique and Pearl as a plus-size bride. The moment David attempted to lift Pearl at the wedding ceremony was also widely shared among many on social media.

In March 2022, another wedding video from Ghana brought the topic of a slim groom and a plus-size bride back into the spotlight. Media outlets like ‘YEN.com.gh’ and ‘News365’ directly described this couple as a "plus-size bride and her slim groom," and their dance performance to KiDi's "Touch It" song was the main reason for the video's popularity.

Hollywood actress Gabourey Sidibe, famous for the film ‘Precious,’ also publicly identifies herself as a plus-size woman. She married Brandon Frankel in 2021 during a simple ceremony held at her home's dining table amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kalana Gunasekara's bride, Ruchini, once mentioned her obesity in a press interview, stating only that she has a passion for acting and would be willing to take on a role that suits her larger physique.