Bride-to-be splashes out 2.3k on cosmetic surgery – and 200 on the dress – Stoke-on-Trent Live

Bride-to-be Ruth Parsons splashed out on cosmetic surgery ready for her wedding - spending ten times as much on the procedure than on her wedding dress.

But the 45-year-old says she has no regrets at being able to feel her best in the photographs.

And the 'eyelifts' cost 2,350 - while the dress cost 200.

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The Mirror reports how Ruth, who also plans to spend "a few hundred pounds" more on Botox just before she weds in August, was over the moon when she got engaged to her partner of four years, Leroy Alexander, 48.

But all she could think about was her "droopy eyes" in the wedding pictures, so the mum-of-five decided to undergo Bilateral Upper Lid Blepharoplasty, a cosmetic procedure where a doctor removes excess skin from the upper eyelids.

She said: My wedding dress only cost 200 as I found it in an online sale, so the big cost is really my surgery for the big day. It was the best choice Ive ever made - now Im going to look perfect."

She explained: "The droop on my lids has always bothered me. I always wanted perky bright eyes, but my lids drooped over the crease, making me look tired.

"I always hated pictures of me because of my eyes, but after Leroy proposed I couldnt face everyone snapping pictures making me look old and tired.

She added: Leroy would take pictures of us and Id make him delete them all. I just thought I looked so bad."

And after the romantic proposal, Ruth was overcome with fear about the number of photos that would be taken on the day.

It was daunting, you cant control what people are going to post on social media. I realised there would be photos of me everywhere and I had no control over how I would look," she said.

"I told Leroy how much I wanted the surgery. He's never thought my eyes were a problem, but he wants me to be happy.

"He said, 'if you're happy I'm happy'."

A cosmetic procedure performed under general anaesthetic or local anaesthetic with sedation, surgeons remove excess skin or fat from the eyelids with the aim of improving drooping or hooded eyelids or eyebags, according to the NHS, which also says blepharoplasty can cost anywhere between 2,000 and 6,000 in the UK.

"The swelling settled after the first four weeks. Every few weeks, my face looked a little better. I felt like a new person. I had so much more confidence and felt like I walked taller," said Ruth.

"All my friends are jealous, they keep saying they want the surgery too.

"Leroy and the kids were all really happy for me.

"I was less miserable and wanted them to take photos of me all the time. It was such a huge difference."

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Having spent much more on her surgery than her wedding dress, which only cost the savvy shopper 200, Ruth insists the work was worth the expense.

I love my wedding dress, but I was savvy and managed to find the originally priced 1,200 Cosmobella dress for 200 in a sale online, she said.

It really helped saving that much money as it brought the cost of everything down. But I dont regret spending more on my surgery.

From the moment I woke up, despite the swelling, I looked a million times better.

Ruth, of Oldbury, has made some savvy savings along the way, as they are honeymooning in the UK and Ruth is doing the decorations and flowers herself.

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And she still wants to do some touch ups before tying the knot - and plans to spend around 200 more on Botox on her brows.

I know some people will think its silly, but it made such a difference to the way I feel. I dont regret spending 2,350 of my wedding budget on my cosmetic surgery.

It makes me feel happy in myself and thats whats important," Ruth concluded.

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Bride-to-be splashes out 2.3k on cosmetic surgery - and 200 on the dress - Stoke-on-Trent Live