NY: A woman desperate to become the world's biggest bride has embarked upon a 30,000 calorie a day diet in order to achieve her dream. Susanne Eman, 33, weighs in at a staggering 520lbs - but says she needs to fatten up for her wedding day.
Unlike most figure-conscious brides-to-be, in preparation for her final wedding dress fitting, Susanne feasted on an enormous breakfast of pancakes, Belgian waffles, hash browns, sausage links, steak, and a giant 12-egg omelette.
On the day of her appointment with the seamstress, Susanne and her sister Cassie, who will be Susanne's maid-of-honour when she marries her chef boyfriend, Parker Clack, 35, later this year, made a pit stop for snacks, arriving at the dressmaker's with a spread of three guacamole bacon cheeseburgers, two orders of chili cheese fries, nine tacos, a chocolate shake and a large Coke.
The monumental challenge of making a dress to fit the bride's XXXXXXXXXL figure was given to dressmaker Judee Goff, who calculated after measuring Susanne that she would need 45ft of fabric to complete the dress.
Now Judee has designed the world's largest wedding gown for her larger than life client, using endless billowing lengths of chiffon and lace to cover Susanne's colossal curves.
The one-off gown is so large it takes three people to carry it, and half an hour to lace up at the back. Seamstress Judee, from Paradise Fabrics in Phoenix, Arizona, said: 'Right now, it just fits snugly, and if she gains weight it will lace up looser in the back.
'We've never made a dress like this before. There are no dress patterns this large.'Susanne said: 'When I tried the dress on, it was amazing, I felt like a bride.
Susanne's sister Cassie said: 'I think she looks really beautiful in it. The dress turned out amazing.'She said: 'I've never been married before and this is the first time I've tried on a wedding dress.
'Parker hasn't seen me in it, but he's seen photos and says I look beautiful. 'He hasn't formally proposed with a ring yet, as he wants to surprise me. But we've agreed we're getting married, and he's just waiting for the right moment.'
Susanne, who has given herself ten years to eat her way into the Guinness Book of Records, had believed until recently that she weighed nearly 800lbs after spending a year gorging on fast food, cakes, pasta, pizza, crisps and fatty snacks.
But after recently being weighed on special obesity scales, Susanne discovered to her disappointment that her weight was actually 520lbs - almost 1,000lbs short of her goal weight of 1,600lbs.
Now Susanne has her own goal for the big day: to put on weight. In order to ekep gaining the pounds, Susanne must eat 30,000 calories a day, which she gets from meals cooked for her by her husband-to-be.
Susanne's doctor is opposed to his patient's morbid mission - but Susanne believes she can reach her target weight without endangering her life. Susanne says she wants to try to 'break the stigma that being fat is bad'.
'It's helped me to find love, so what's wrong with that?' she said. Now that she has her wedding gown in her sights, Susanne is hoping her chef boyfriend Parker will formally propose so they can start planning their big day.
'It's amazing to have something designed especially for me. Normally I just buy my clothes from plus-size stores online.
'I talked over designs with the dressmaker and she came up with a dress I've always dreamed of.
After having the girth of her 9ft waist measured, Susanne tried on veils and head pieces, talking excitedly about her expectations for the wedding.
'I'm feeling like a bride. I can't wait,' she gushed. 'I like an off-whitish, not completely white. Because if I wear completely white, I guarantee I'm going to spill something on it.'
'I can't wait for Parker to buy me a ring so we can start planning a wedding date, and things like the flowers, venue, and the cake.'
Susanne, who earns a living by posting photographs for male fans online, met Parker over the internet last year. After sharing emails and phone calls, the couple began dating, and Parker moved in to Susanne's apartment a few months later.
Now the couple are inseparable, and Parker, who is currently looking for work, spends his days making delicious dishes, including his signature spaghetti bolognese, for Susanne.
He said: 'Susanne looked beautiful in her dress. I love big women, but I do worry about her health and I try to make sure she eats some salad and does her exercises.
While details of the catering menu for the big event is not known, the couple insist that despite the gargantuan quantity of food consumed by Susanne, she likes to eat healthily.
Mr Clack has said of her ambition: 'I support her because it makes her happy, and I love big women. 'I do worry about her health of course, but I try to make sure she eats some healthy food like salad, and I make sure she does exercises. She's taken up swimming since we met and we love to swim together.'
'I want her to be around for a long time after our wedding.'
Susanne, who has two sons, Gabriel, 16, and Brendin, 12, added: 'I'd love to have a nice wedding somewhere local, not too big and not too small, but with all my family and friends around me.'
