I'm scared of going wedding dress shopping

Thank you so much for the support, everyone! It really means a lot, and it helped to hear from others who have gone/are going through similar situations. And thank you for the weight loss encouragement! It’s sometimes hard to remember what I’ve accomplished so far with my weight loss goals because I’m so focused on where I want to be. I’ve just been feeling this weird mix of excitement and fear when it comes to trying on wedding dresses. I’m actually feeling a lot better about this, and I’ll definitely update you on how it goes!

Mna, I didn’t mean any offense by my post. I'm sorry I offended you. This wasn’t meant to be a blanket statement about other people’s bodies. It was just an opportunity for me to express my raw emotions about my insecurities. I don’t think that way about other people. Like most people, there’s a disconnect on how I view my body and how I view others. I also think that bigger dresses like ballgowns look fabulous on a lot of people, but it just wasn’t my style, especially since I’m having a daytime garden wedding. Also, I didn't really mean any particular style of dress in particular, just one that doesn't show any of your figure (which ballgowns typically do). But who knows? I might change my mind when I try ballgowns on!

I am a size 10, short waisted, with love handles. My measurements are 37-31-41, so I have hips! I totally feel you pain. I was NOT looking forward to dress shopping, because I had no idea what would actually look good on my body. But all that melted away when I started putting dresses on. I started to see that things did look great on my body. Sure, not everything looked perfect, but I found an AMAZING dress, and tried on several others I liked. Just be open about silhouettes, and don't be discouraged if the first dress isn't perfect. There IS a dress out there that will make you feel beautiful!

I am right there with you! I think if you find a shop with a great consultant you will be fine. I didn't want to go dress shopping until I lost weight either. But I finally bit the bullet and went. I'm so glad I did. When I finally found MY dress, I felt so fabulous and I told FH I don't even want to lose weight anymore because that's how amazing I felt in my dress exactly as I am right now. I will admit the first shop I went to left me frustrated because they only had sample sizes which were mostly 12s. I'm about a 14-16 in everyday clothes. The shop where I found my dress had a whole plus size room so I was able to actually get the gowns on!! I'd say go. Keep an open mind, you never know what you will find!

Girl, you are stacked! I totally get that you are nervous. But when you find the one your size won't matter. Just keep in mind that wedding dresses can run small so you may find that you are bumped up to a 10/12 depending on the designer. I have love handles, thighs and a little bit of a butt. I was super nervous the first time I went dress shopping but once 1 tried things on I felt a whole lot better. I am a size 8 and bought a size 10 dress. Take someone with you who will make you feel comfortable or even go alone and please share pics when you find the one. Good luck!

I have the same issue, sort of, I weigh a LOT more than I would like to by my wedding day. I am VERY insecure about it, I'm worried I won't even enjoy seeing myself in dresses because I'll be too focused on my flaws and some of my family members are good at pointing out my weight problems as well. I worry that if I try something on, choose it and then either loose a ton of weight and it be a dress they can't take in very much, it looks totally different on me when I lose or even worse if I gained weight that they wouldn't be able to change it dependant on the dress. I would LOVE to be where you're at right now. Like ladies have said above you could find some shape wear. If you hold your weight fairly well (mine is a freaking rollercoaster) and if you were to loose more to get to your goal I feel like you're small enough to be able to get alterations no problem. You CAN lose what you want, you've proved your already on your way! Get that perfect dress that shows you off and just stay on track so that by alterations you've met your goal and can wear it with pride!

I was so excited to go dress shopping until the day came and I had all these fears of every dress looking ugly on me or i'd look "too fat" (recently gained a lot of weight), and I had a dream dress that I really wanted, but the model online is very petite so I was even more nervous..

Do NOT focus on the size on the tag because 1) wedding dress sizes are different and 2) if it looks good the number is just a number, don't sacrifice a flattering fit and comfort just for a smaller number that only you will know about.

I used to wear a size 3 in pants and my wedding dress is size 14, at first that was very disappointing, but then I saw myself in them and I didn't even matter!

Then my BMs wore size 2 and 4 dresses and I was almost bothered until I reminded myself of how great everyone looks, myself included.

Go in with an open mind and keep in mind that not every silhouette will flatter you and that is OK. There is a huge dress selection (which can be overwhelming) to accommodate everyone, not to intimidate you or remind you that there are things that won't flatter your beautiful body.

I promise you WILL find a dress you love and you will be the one making the dress amazing.

You're gonna be amazed how much you're going to "wow" everybody. When you see the looks on everyone's faces, and when you hear them say how beautiful you are, it will be hard to doubt yourself. I'm pretty insecure and introverted but when I came out and my friends cried, I certainly felt beautiful for a change. You are you and you're beautiful the way you are!

@MNA - OP didn't attack you or any other brides. She spoke about her own body image and feelings. She even admits that her measurements seem ideal. She said SHE doesn't want to feel like SHE has to hide. She's scared and vulnerable and has every right to be. I'm not sure where you gathered that she was attacking other brides, but making her feel guilty is the least helpful thing you can do right now.

OP - Regardless of what anyone else says, you have every right to feel the way you do. You can have body image issues no matter what size you are. There is always going to be someone bigger than you who thinks you should be happy where you are and someone smaller making you feel like you're massive. Keep working on yourself and getting to a positive place about your body. That, combined with your weight loss goals should leave you healthier AND happier at the end of your journey.

I am in a very similar boat. I've got 50 pounds to lose and every time I even think of wedding dress shopping, I get terrible anxiety. I hope you can work around yours because you will look gorgeous no matter what!

Also do not forget that your significant other is marrying you for you! not for the size of your wedding dress or even your dress at all, it's just a pretty bonus! Your fiance(e) doesn't have any conditions for marrying them. I am very sure they didnt say "marry me.... if you weigh x amount of pounds less!" You should never have to change yourself for when you get married. I understand wanting to lose a few pounds, but your FI loves you for you as you are

You are Beautiful!! Hold onto that and look for the dress you love. He loves you no matter what!

I didn't want to get in that big mirror and have some ladies trying to sell me crap so I ordered online. My dress is non-tradish so it worked out. I know my body type and what to wear for it - that's the most important thing. A long dress would swallow me so I opted for a short one that will make me look more porportioned.

Thank you so much, everyone! Those of you who posted pictures of your dress look absolutely gorgeous! Your support means so much to me. I am feeling a little better about shopping, so I can't wait to let you know how it goes!

I also agree with PP about not letting the sizing discourage you if you have to size up. Wedding dress sizes run notoriously small. I have a range of a few sizes that I normally wear in dresses, and my wedding dress is still 2 sizes larger than the largest size I normally wear.

For me, the dress silhouette that I thought would be the least flattering on me ended up being the most flattering: mermaid/fit-and-flare. I thought that an a-line that would be loose from the waist down would be the most flattering on me because it would hide how big my hips really are. I was wrong, and felt like it was just making me feel big all over. The definition of my waist and hips that I got from a more fitted dress was actually slimming.

Definitely go with an open mind and tell your consultant you want to try on all the shapes, necklines, and materials so you can determine what is most flattering. Good luck!

You lost 15 pounds like a champ! Your journey may not be over, but girl hold that head high and remember you can definitely find "The Perfect Dress." Sending good vibes your way!

15lbs is awesome. You don't wanna wait too long to go dress shopping. You don't want to limit your options.

I think a corset dress would minimize some of the things you are afraid of and you would still have time to work out and til one before the wedding.

I struggle with my body image too and I got a mermaid dress that made me feel absolutely beautiful!

I have such anxiety about this. I'm at a loss about it. I HATE how I look in everything I wear. I NEVER want my picture taken and just generally always embarrassed of my weight at every moment of every day. It's hard to imagine that there's any way I will feel any different in a wedding dress/on my wedding day. It honestly makes me want to scratch the whole thing.

UPDATE: I'm going to be writing a completely different post today because my shopping experience was so much better than I thought it would be! I'm probably going to give you way more details than you want, but here we go!

I went wedding dress shopping for the first time on Saturday. The first place was a small boutique that was having a sample sale, so I was able to look at the samples without an appointment. It was a very small selection, but I was just trying to get a feel for big picture things like silhouette, so it didn't matter. I pulled dresses in every silhouette that I could find. They didn't have any really fitted styles, so I pulled really poofy ball gowns, an empire waist dress, and A-line dresses. Putting the dresses on was a little awkward because the woman helping me had me changing in front of my mom and my sister. The first wedding dress I ever put on my body was a ball gown that seemed like it weighed as much as I do. It was actually pretty, but I couldn't walk in it without feeling like I was going to fall over. I'm also having an outdoor wedding, so a big dress with a long train doesn't make a lot of sense. Two things I didn't fully expect was how long the gowns are (it makes it difficult to walk) and how big the boob area is. None of them fit me there! I discovered that the dropped waist was the most flattering. The empire waist made me look huge! I also tried on this one really weird looking dress because I was too curious about what it would look like on someone. As soon as I saw myself in the mirror, I couldn't stop laughing. I definitely didn't find any dresses I loved there, but I learned a lot about what was going to work for me and what wasn't.

We went to a bigger store afterwards that doesn't do appointments. Instead, they let you look around on your own, and you can ask for help if you want it. They let you get yourself mostly into the dresses behind a privacy wall in the dressing room, which made me feel much more comfortable. Then a consultant would come in and lace/zip me up and clip the dresses for me. The first dress I tried on there was the Maggie Sottero Blakely, which I've stalked on Pinterest for a long time. It was the first trumpet dress I put on, and I was thrilled to see that it looked even better than the A-lines. I just wish I could have tried on a sample with the gold embroidery because that's my favorite part of the dress. After that, we stuck with the trumpet/mermaid silhouettes and found a few that we really liked. We also found out that sweetheart necklines look best on me. Our favorite was the Mori Lee #2772. The delicate lace on the skirt was gorgeous! The lace also had a floral aspect to it, which would go great with a garden wedding. I even tried on a veil with it. While it was beautiful, it didn't make me want to say "this is my wedding dress." It was great to see that the types of dresses I like when looking at them online are actually the ones I like on my body, I didn't try on any with really clingy fabric or anything, so those might not look good, but the ones with structure are fantastic. We're going shopping again this coming weekend, and I'm thrilled to say that I can't wait!