Ohio bride goes viral for pre-wedding pump session, receives body shame, consequential 'cyberbullying'

An Ohio bride who is a fitness enthusiast went viral on social media platforms for her pre-wedding pump session ahead of taking her walk down the aisle.

While honeymooning on the Amalfi Coast with her new husband, the newlyweds received word from their wedding content creator that one of the videos posted to TikTok had already received over 100,000 views in less than half of a day of being live.

"I thought it was hilarious, and it was very me," Alexa Udelson, a salesperson from Cleveland, told Fox News Digital over the phone.

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The video, originally posted on @TheBrunetteChick social media accounts and amassing over 5 million views, shows Udelson in her wedding gown in a private area lifting five pound dumbbells, which she did to release nervous energy ahead of her nuptials. (See the video at the top of this article.)

"In the course of my day, the weights were such a minimal part of it that I kind of had forgotten that she [the content creator] filmed that," Udelson said of her June 22, 2024, wedding.

Alexa Udelson went viral on social media for lifting light weights ahead of walking down the aisle on her big day. (Karoline Maria Photography)

"If you know me personally, you know working out is one of the most important things to me, so it felt very natural."

Udelson said the content creator was one of the final vendors she hired ahead of her intimate ceremony, which included immediate family members and later, close friends for a reception.

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"She shot everything in clips and before the night was over, I just got back to the hotel," Udelson said. "She sent me 640-something clips of the day and night."

While the bride was uninterested in creating trendy or posed videos with transitions, she gave the professional photographer and videographer creative freedom to explore content ideas with little guidance or direction.

In turn, she received internet fame from the video — and then was met with body-shaming and trolling comments.

Udelson received backlash in the comments section of social media posts for wanting to release nervous energy through weight lifting ahead of her wedding.  (Karoline Maria Photography)

"I noticed the comments, and I wasn't really super phased by them," Udelson said. 

"When [the topics] became medical, it changed in terms of emotion. I went from not really caring to being more angry."

Some social media users wrote body-shameful comments and even "diagnosed" Udelson from a distance with a slew of disorders, including body dysmorphia, bulimia and anorexia. 

At one point, there were over 100 comments in a thread of people debating whether her dress even fit her. 

"The consequences of cyberbullying are so severe because we don't know what someone else is going through. We don’t know their story," Alexis Abate, licensed professional counselor and holistic mindset coach based in New Jersey, told Fox News Digital in a phone interview. 

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Abate added that she treats patients, often adolescents, in many cases due to cyberbullying.

"Even if it aggravates us, what benefit do we get from putting someone else down?" she said. "Someone should consider to themselves, ‘Maybe social media isn't good for me and I need to remove myself if I'm getting triggered over someone being healthy and happy.'"

Udelson said that at one point, there were over 100 comments in a thread of people debating whether her dress even fit her. 

The bride told Fox News Digital her new husband, Connor Udelson, helped her ignore many of the negative comments she received. (Karoline Maria Photography)

"I felt like I had to respond to some of the initial ones," Udelson said. "At some point, you have to remove yourself because I do have a full-time job."

Udelson laughed that she was enjoying cake and ice cream the night before her wedding.

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She also said she adored the uplifting comments from other gym-going young women who expressed their support and compliments.

"I definitely responded to the supportive ones," she said.

Some social media users were concerned that, after working out with weights, Udelson would smell bad for her walk down the aisle. She told Fox News Digital she smelled great with her Marc Jacobs perfume. (Karoline Maria Photography)

As for the morale boosting from her new husband, Connor Udelson, the new bride said he played a critical role in her letting go of the negativity.

"He’s someone who’s very, very sure of himself and very authentic to himself, and so for anyone to say something about what he's doing or what I'm doing, it totally doesn't phase him at all," she said. 

"We’ll be going out to dinner, and I’ll say, ‘Are you sure you want to wear Crocs and socks?’ and he’s like, ‘I don’t care. We’re going to eat.’"

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All in all, Udelson said she's beaming with pride over both her wedding day and her dedication to a healthy lifestyle, which includes regular gym activity led by a personal trainer.

"I had the best day ever, and I felt the best ever," Udelson said. "I haven't put the weights down."

For other brides, Udelson’s message is to prepare for the walk down the aisle whichever way is most desired and comfortable.

"If that means working out, swimming laps or running a triathlon, more power to you," she said.

Gabriele Regalbuto is a Senior Editor of SEO at Fox News Digital. Gabriele has a Journalism and Communications degree from West Virginia University. She has worked to produce content for newspapers, magazines, and digital platforms. At Fox, she has assisted in coverage of breaking news events including the 2024 presidential cycle, 2022 midterm elections, Queen Elizabeth II's death, the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.