Weddings are just SO personal that I didn't want to step on any toes! I'm planning mine right now (less than 3 mo. away...eek!) - but I started planning at a size 22, not knowing where I'd be.

The hormones will make anyone think "how can I get married looking like THIS?!?!?!". Trust me on this one...you may see me as having made tremendous progress, but there are days when I'm like "ugh, I'm gonna look like a sausage shoved in a white casing"...I just know from personal experience that it sucks when someone implies to you that a day about -love- is about being thin (even though I know NO ONE really thinks of it that way, just as I'm sure you don't...its just how it comes across in the heat of the moment).

I also wanted to reply to the comment about the wedding dress sizing. My SIL was married over the summer...and she had two BIG HUGE pregnant bridesmaids-me, and SIL #2. There are just as many photos laying around of us, as there are of the bride. LOL We even had to pose for cutesy pictures with the photographer, like a photo of the groom with a hand on each of our bellies. :dizzy: So, any of you who feel to fat to be married...I have THOSE pictures floating around forever. :lol:

Also, Cheryl made a very good point about the sizing. Wedding dresses use more European sizing, so they run 2-3 sizes smaller than street clothes. My SIL for instance, wears a 7-8 in normal clothing, but her wedding dresses she tried in the store were all about a 12. In America, to wear a size 10 wedding dress...you really have to be about a size 6. Also, most dresses are tighter fitting on top...and my other SIL (on my side of the family-brother's wife) is very, very petite, but she is rather large chested. She wears about a 4 in pants, but she is a D cup. So, to get the strapless gown to fit her chest, she had to get like a size 10 (whil an averaged chested girl would have only had to go up to about an 8), and have the waist/hips altered down to fit her.

I did a scary thing with my wedding dress actually. I bought a wedding dress in which it hurt to breathe and I had 4 months between the buying to the wedding. I ended up losing 20 lbs in that time and the dress was very comfortable and I looked a lot better in it than when I bought it. As I said, it was a size 22 and I was amazed. Looking at the photos and everything from the wedding, I think I look very good and everyone said how beautiful I looked. So no matter if you are a size 10 or size 20 or size 30, you will be beautiful especially to those that love you.

I can't imagine setting my wedding date by a size. Doesn't that seem rather shallow? Some health conditions can cause a weight gain...if that should happen after he marries you, would he leave?

Aphil- That is pretty cute about your "belly" pictures.

Nelie- That was a really brave move on your part! I am so glad that it worked out so well for you. Your avatar pic is quite pretty.

Not too long ago there was a thread on treating ourselves well. I really need to remind myself of one of the things said- that we should talk to ourselves at least as nicely as we talk to other people. If I was anyone else, I would always be full of compliments to myself about my weight loss. I wouldn't be so hard on myself all the time. I'm going to need to remember to treat myself special, too.

I don't think the size of the dress matters (it's not like it's printed down the back for everyone to see!!) but that it flatters you -- there are so many choices out there and I don't think I've ever been to a wedding where I particularly noticed the size of the bride -- I think it matters how happy the couple/family are. I had already gained 40 lbs by the time I got married, but the look on my husband's face and the speed in which he tried to take me away from my dad as I walked down the isle are the most memorable parts of my day. I did feel "large" when I picked out my dress, since I had gone from a 12 to a 16 - but the next day it really didn't matter what size my dress was -- what mattered was I married the man I loved and I was able to share it with all the people I loved as well.