So I have been dreading shopping for wedding dresses for months for fear I wouldn't fit into any of the sample sizes they had. I have lost over 50 pounds over the last few years, and I guess I still see myself as that girl. While that did happen on two of the dresses I tried (they were trunk show gowns- size 2s and 4s), I FIT INTO MOST OF THE SAMPLE DRESSES!!!! They wouldn't even let me try on the plus sizes, said they were just too big to even get an idea of what they would look like.

And to top it all off, I found my dress!

First of all, congrats on finding your dress and we need pictures!!!!!! Isn't that a wonderful feeling?

Wedding dress shopping was very much a you're-not-overweight-anymore experience for me also. I was afraid to step into ANY dress because I was afraid of the humiliation that it would be too small for me. Now, I was at goal weight at this point, so those thoughts were all from my brain playing games with me. I tried on size 6-8 samples, and they were roomy. I fell in love with a dress that seemed like it was a size or two too big (it was an 8), so I ordered it as a 6. Went in for my first fitting, and even the 6 was a tent on me. I tried on a 4, and it was too big. Tried on a 2 and it fit well, but they STILL had to take it in! Fortunately, they let me exchange the 6 that I had ordered for the 2 they they had in the store. But yes, it was definitely an eye opening experience. Even though I logically knew that i was physically smaller, I still felt like a "big girl." Heck, I still do sometimes.

That's so awesome! Congrats!

Oh YAY! That is AWESOME! I wanna see pics, what a tease you are!

OK by popular demand, pictures. Blocked my face for privacy...

Front - minus the underskirt, which make it a little fuller at the bottom, more mermaid



Back - again minus underskirt... I will wear the tulle underskirt to make it fuller for the wedding, then take it off for the reception and bustle the back for a very different look!



A little background: wedding will be on the beach, reception in a garden courtyard of an inn under sprawling Live Oak trees with lights strung from them....

gorgeous dress! It reminds me of mine! Congrats!

Its beautiful! Thanks for sharing I love to watch those wedding dress shows, gotta get ideas!

OMG the dress is beautiful!

Simply stunning!

Beautiful !

OMG You look so beautiful! Your dress is GORGEOUS!!!!! Congratulations!

Thank you ladies! I'm still workin on it but am pretty proud of my shape and the way my arms and back look! Trying to lose about 15 - 20 more pounds before ordering the dress in May!

you look so great! I love that dress, you look amazing in it!

You look gorgeous in it! The dress is lovely!

Congratulations!!

The experience of dress shopping is really a huge motivation for me right now - I am not engaged yet but think I will be by the end of this year, and I would LOVE to be able to not worry about fitting into the dresses.

Of course, the best part about that is being proud of what you look like on your wedding day!! Such a huge accomplishment.