Shedding For The Wedding - Couples Weight Loss Challenge

Shedding for the Wedding is a reality competition series that will follow nine overweight couples as they attempt to lose their unwanted weight and win a dream wedding. The show premiered on Wednesday February 23, 2011 at 9:00 pm Eastern/8:00 pm Central on The CW following the season premiere of America's Next Top Model. The theme song is sung by Tinashe.

Production

On March 11, 2010, The CW announced that it was working on four new reality projects which included Shedding for the Wedding. The project is produced by Raquel Productions with executive producers Dave Broome of The Biggest Loser and Rick Hurvitz and Ari Shofet of Pimp My Ride. On May 20, 2010 at The CW Upfront Presentation in New York, the network announced that Shedding for the Wedding would be part of the network's programming and it will debut in 2011. On August 3, 2010 it was announced that actress and Jenny Craig's spokesperson Sara Rue will be the show's host. The series premiered on February 23, 2011. During the CW's 2011-2012 upfront, it was noted that the show was not picked up for a second season. Shedding for the Wedding was the lowest rated network television program of the 2010-2011 season, averaging 1.03 million viewers.

Cast

• Sara Rue is the host
• Brian Worley is the wedding planner.
• Nicky Holender is a professional fitness trainer and former soccer player in England and the United States.
• Jennifer Cohan is a Fitness and Health expert.
• Ashley Koff is a registered dietitian.

Format

They say two of the most stressful things in life are losing weight and getting married. Imagine having to go through both at the same time. In The CW's new reality competition Shedding for the Wedding, that is the challenge that nine overweight couples must face as they compete to see who can lose the most weight and win the wedding of their dreams.

In the series, the engaged couples from all walks of life come to Los Angeles, where they will live together and compete over a three-month period. The couples will undergo dramatic physical and emotional transformations as they change their lifestyles and eating habits under the supervision of a celebrity nutritionist. They will also endure hours of grueling workouts with world-class trainers.

During this time, the couples will also be planning their fantasy weddings with the help of an A-list wedding planner. The unique character and background of each couple will be reflected in the wedding themes they select.

In each episode of Shedding for the Wedding, the couples face off in a big physical challenge, competing to win one element of their wedding--from the invitations, to the cake, to the rings. Whatever they win will be theirs to keep. At the end of each episode, the couples will step on the scale and be weighed together--the two couples who have lost the least amount of combined weight that week will face off in an elimination challenge. The couple that loses that challenge will be eliminated.

In the finale, the first seven eliminated couples will return for one more weigh-in. The couple that has continued to lose the most weight at home on their own will win their fantasy honeymoon. Then our final two couples will face off for one last weigh-in. In the end, one couple will win their fantasy wedding--a once-in-a-lifetime event--that America will attend.

Contestants

Weight loss graph

Episode Recap

Episode 1: "Dearly Beloved, We Are Gathered Here..."
The first episode introduces the trainers, Jennifer and Nicky, who have had past celebrity clients, famous wedding planner Brian Worley, and the overweight couples with unique wedding themes. Jennifer and Nicky mean business when it comes to getting these couples into shape. They start by putting the couples through an intense workout that draws tears from more than one contestant. While the couples are exercising, we are introduced to each team:

• Team Fairy Tale is composed of Allison and David. The couple has been engaged since December 2009 and met online. Allison currently weighs 170 lbs. and David weighs 265 lbs.
• Team Fun & Games is composed of Dawn and Adam, a pair of board game lovers who met via a mutual friend on MySpace. They have been engaged since early 2010. Dawn currently weighs 180 lbs. and Adam weighs 235 lbs.
• Team Hollywood is composed of Laeresa and Stephen, both of whom are very competitive. They met four years ago when Laeresa was visiting Los Angeles on vacation. She currently weighs 212 lbs. and he currently weighs 263 lbs.
• Team Football is composed of Laura and Austin. Austin used to be the high school quarterback, but has now replaced his six-pack stomach with a "six-pack of beer," according to his fiance. They met while she was bartending at his favorite bar. She currently weighs 190 lbs. and he weighs 260 lbs.
• Team Greek Week is composed of Lindsey and Chase. They met at a fraternity party in college and hope to have a Greek Week themed wedding. She currently weighs 203 lbs. and he weighs 317 lbs.
• Team Eco-Lovers is composed of Sam and Brooks, middle school sweethearts who got engaged after eight years of dating. She currently weighs 221 lbs. and he weighs 315 lbs.
• Team Gamers is composed on Taylor and Peter, who met online while playing Final Fantasy XI together. She weighs 235 lbs. and he weighs 210 lbs.
• Team Big Band is composed of Valerie and Dave. They met in college and have had to withstand insults and judgments from others due to their interracial relationship. She currently weighs 230 lbs. and he weighs 367 lbs.
• Team Beach Romance is composed of Ginny and Marc. In addition to losing weight, this couple is also giving up smoking together. They met outside one of the comedy clubs that Marc owns when both were taking a smoke break. She weighs 179 lbs. and he weighs 241 lbs.

After the first grueling workout, the women are taken away for a more fun activity: dress shopping! However, the activity is "bitter-sweet" for Lindsey and some of the other girls due to their current weights. The men also spend some time looking at outfits for the big day at a tuxedo shop. This shopping trip serves as motivation for many of the contestants.

After everyone tries on their dream wedding gowns and tuxedos, they meet up with Sara Rue, the hostess of the show. Sara tells everyone that their first challenge will be a dancing competition and the winners will get their dream outfits. The couples must maintain a combined heart-rate of 225 beats per minute to start in order to stay in the competition, and each song results in a higher heart-rate requirement. Ginny and Marc are the first couple to be eliminated. After a few more minutes of intense dancing, running, and jumping jacks, all the couples were eliminated, leaving Laeresa and Stephen as the winners.

The weigh-in ceremony was very similar to the weigh-ins on The Biggest Loser, however, the two couples who had the lowest percentage of weight loss immediately faced off in an elimination challenge called "Til Death Do Us Part," and that their weights were reported as a combined total, not individually. Sara also revealed that at the end of the season, all of the eliminated contestants would come back and compete for a dream honeymoon vacation.

When all was said and done, Dawn and Adam lost the most percentage of weight with a grand total of 7.28% lost. The two couples that ended up in the "Til Death Do Us Part" elimination challenge were Ginny and Marc and Lindsey and Chase. The challenge required the couples to not only keep a 200 pound weight off the ground, but bid to see how long they could do it for. Lindsey and Chase won the bid with a time of three minutes and were allowed to stay in the competition. Ginny and Marc were eliminated.

Episode 2: "It's A Piece of Cake"
The second episode began with a group trip to Beverly Hills where they met with their wedding planner, Brian, to discuss their wedding cakes. When the couples found out that they were going to have to taste the various cakes, some of the contestants were worried about the extra calories while others were excited about the opportunity to indulge in preparation for their weddings. Brooks and Samantha did eat some of the cake, because as Brooks said, "We can work out an extra half hour in the gym to work that little bit of cake off." Taylor and Peter also chowed down on cake.

Keeping to the original cake theme of the episode, this week's challenge was a cake walk. Each team had to carry their four-tiered cake through the mile and a half obstacle course. If they lose a tier, they get a time penalty, and the team with the longest time would lose privileges to work out with personal trainers Jennifer and Nicky. All of the teams lost at least one tier of their cake, except Laura and Austin, but their carefulness caused them to finish last. Allison and David finished first, and although they had a six-minute penalty, they were the winners of the competition and their dream cake. The team that came in last with the time penalties and, therefore, lost privileges to work out with the trainers, was Team Gamers, Peter and Taylor.

The weigh-in elimination revealed that Lindsey and Chase was the team with the highest weight loss percent with 3.45%. The "Til Death Do Us Part" competition came down to Laeresa and Stephen and Taylor and Peter. The challenge was the pull a continuous length of rope to keep yourself above a line on a slanted platform. Laresa and Stephan let Taylor and Peter compete as Stephan did not believe that Taylor could keep herself up long enough. However, Taylor and Peter had what it took to stay in the competition and Laresa and Stephan were eliminated.

Episode 3: "Flower Power"
The third episode featured the couples choosing their wedding flowers. Karen Tran has created flower arrangements for over 500 weddings, and each couple meets with her to discuss the flowers for their themed wedding.

In the gym, trainers Nicky and Jennifer confront Taylor and Valerie about the importance of writing down what they eat in their food journals. Nutritionist Ashley Koff R.D. meets with the two and shows them some new and fun ways to mix calories while documenting them.

Back on the beach, the couples must power through a tough wedding challenge. With cords strapped on them, the couples have to run and cross the finish line. Each round, the tension is increased. Valerie and David win the challenge, not only do they receive their flowers, but also get a one-pound penalty they have to assign to another couple at the weekly weigh-in.

During the weigh-in Valerie and David decide to give the one pound penalty to Allison and David, causing Allison and David to be in the bottom two with Peter and Taylor. In the "Til Death Do Us Part" elimination challenge, the first couple to reach 3.1 miles on a rowing machine will win and stay in the competition. Allison and David cross the finish line first and are still in the competition, therefore sending Peter and Taylor home.

Episode 4: "The Ring's The Thing"
The fourth episode was extremely intense. The couples played for wedding bands, which many teams desperately needed help with financially. The couples picked out their weddings bands from the same collection in the order of the percentage of weight they lost the previous week, with the coupld who lost the most choosing first. For the challenge, couples were suspended in the air forced to hold onto large rings. Dawn and Adam, aka team Fun and Games, outlasted their competitors, winning their dream wedding bands, but also a one-pound penalty to assign to another team--they chose Allison and David.

Workouts this week were also a challenge, as the trainers motivated the couples with goal inspired themes. Chase has ambitions to be a police officer, so trainer Nicky got a six foot wall for him to climb mocking police academy training. He did so with success. However, afterwards Dave attempted to climb the wall leaving him with an injured knee and having a panic attack. Although 911 was called, Dave's condition improved and he was able to continue on in the competition.

Allison and David and Lindsey and Chase were the two teams losing the least weight this week. In the "Til Death Do Us Part" challenge, they faced off seeing which team could stay on a StairMaster the longest. It came down to Allison from team Fairy Tale, versus Chase from team Greek Week. Allison's determination paid off, as Chase and Lindsey were sent packing.

Episode 5: "The Devil's in The Details"
The fifth episode starts off with the couples stepping outside their comfort zones in a poll dancing workout. Val really stepped up strutting her stuff, possibly a preview for the honeymoon?

The couples were playing for their dream decorations and invitation designs in a log sawing challenge. The winners also were granted immunity as long as they did not gain weight for weigh ins, and a one-pound penalty to assign to another couple. Sam and Brooks surprisingly won immunity, and assigned the one-pound penalty to Team Football, Laura and Austin. Despite having immunity, team Eco-Lovers lost a combined 13 pounds this week, not slacking off.

The extra one pound made Laura and Austin's eight pound loss seven, therefore putting them in the elimination challenge. Dawn and Adam have lost a total of 60 pounds thus far, keeping them safe. Valerie and Dave needed to lose 13 to stay off the chopping block, but they only lost 11 pounds putting them on the bottom. Lastly, Allison and David need to lose seven pounds this week after a rough weigh in last time, and they pulled through, losing 10 pounds.

The "Til Death Do Us Part" challenge this week between Laura and Austin and Val and Dave was to ride eleven miles on a stationary bike swapping out at the five mile mark. Laura starts off strong against Dave, giving them the lead at the five mile mark, then Austin and Val take over. Laura switches in again at the ten mile mark giving them the win. Team Big Band is sent packing, but not without determination to come back and win the honeymoon.

Episode 6: "Makeover Week"
The fifth episode begins with the four remaining couples getting wardrobe and hair makeovers, to match their new bodies. Austin's beard came off and his partner Laura became a bright blonde. Allison appeared in a size 6 dress while David sported a plaid shirt and hat. Brooks took on an edgy look while Sam felt comfortable wearing a dress for the first time.

When it came to the challenge this week, the teams were competing for five star catering. They were handcuffed together and had to walk backwards on inclined treadmills. Brooks from team "Eco-Lovers" suffered from a stress fracture in his foot, therefore he and Sam could not compete. Dawn and Adam outlasted Austin and Laura, winning festive catering for their wedding.

At weigh-ins, despite his injury, Brooks and Sam lost 14 lbs. David and Allison managed to stay off the chopping block, losing 8 lbs. For the second week in a row, Laura and Austin land in the bottom two, losing only 5 lbs. And despite winning the previous challenge, Dawn and Adam only lost 7 lbs. and ended up in the bottom two as well.

In the "Til Death Do Us Part" elimination challenge, the couples faced off triathlon style: tackling 100 flights on the stairmaster, 2500 meters on the row machine, and finally a 5 mile ride on the stationary bike. Dawn and Adam broke out to an early lead and, despite a close race, finished just a tenth of a mile ahead of Austin and Laura, sending team "Football" packing. Sam and Brooks, Allison and David, and Dawn and Adam are the final three teams competing for their dream wedding.

Episode 7: "For Better, For Worse, For Richer, For Poorer, In Sickness and in Health..."
The sixth episode of Shedding for the Wedding finally brought us down to the toughest three couples: David and Allison, Sam and Brooks, and Dawn and Adam. Now the competition is really fierce and, as one contestant said, they are all transforming into athletes. The episode started out with an emotional surprise for the couples, who were told that they would be seeing models showing them their bridal party attire for their weddings. Instead of strangers, the couples were greeted by their maids of honors and best men. It was an emotional and exciting moment for everyone as the couples were reunited with their friends and family for the first time in seven weeks. The couples then picked out their favorite designer dresses and tuxes for their wedding parties. They were then told that there was no challenge this week and that they were all receiving this prize.

Next, the couples met with their personal trainers on the beach. Expecting a seriously challenging workout, all of the couples were excited when the couples were told that they would be repeating the first workout they had ever done with Jennifer and Nicky. The couples were all surprised to realize how far they had come, and Sam even remarked that she could do the workout again after it was completed. This is when Nicky revealed that he and Jennifer had a surprise for the couples: they had brought in another trainer to help whip the contestants into shape.

After the much more difficult workout, Sarah Rue informed the couples that they would be partying with their family and friends at a club in LA. What seemed like a fun bachelor and bachelorette party turned into a diet-disaster when their food temptations were brought out on silver platters: everything from stuffed mushrooms to deep-fried Twinkies. In order to burn off a few of those extra calories, Dawn jumped on a stripper pole while the others pursued less seductive dances. However, the next day, the couples all got serious about burning calories in their last workout of the week.

At the elimination ceremony, Allison and David were highly disappointed to learn they had only lost 3 pounds. Sam and Brooks were the next couple to step on the scale and were elated to see that they had lost 11 pounds. Last to see how they had progressed this week were Dawn and Adam, who ended up losing a combined total of 10 pounds. This meant that the Til Death Do Us Part Competition pitted Sam and Brooks against Allison and David. Dawn and Adam were sent home without knowing which couple they would be up against in the finale.

The competition took the couples outside to a tandem bike race to see who could go the farthest before the sunset in two hours. Brooks had somewhat of an advantage due to his injured foot, which had left him with the only exercise option as riding a bike for the past few weeks. In addition to that, it was obvious again that Sam and Brooks work much better as a team then Allison and David, evening coming up with a tapping system to signify when to slow and speed up on the bike. These advantages obviously made a difference as Team Eco-Lovers peddled over 40 miles to beat Team Fairy Tale by more than 5 miles.

Episode 8: "Ladies and Gentleman, Introducing Mr. & Mrs...?"
After 3 months of continuing to shed weight at home, the couples return to face the scale one last time. Previously eliminated couples weigh-in to win the ultimate honeymoon, while the final two couples square off in one last weigh-in to win the wedding of their dreams. Wedding planner Brian Worley has just 24 hours to pull together the wedding of a lifetime for the winning couple, Samantha and Brooks.

Ratings

The show began on February 23, 2011, on the CW. With the initial ratings hourly - 0.7/1, adults 18-49, - 0.5/1, adults 18-34, - 0.6/2 and woman 18-43 earning a - 1.0/3 share. It was ranked as the least watched show among all five broadcast networks for the 2010-2011 season, with an average of 1.04 million viewers and a 0.5 rating in adults 18-49.

Array

Syndication

Oxygen Network ran a marathon of the first seven episodes on April 9, 2011. Despite being cancelled The CW announced that it will air repeats during summer 2011 on Tuesday 8:00pm.

References

External links

• Official website

Interesting Informations

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