My self esteem is lower than ever

You are a beautiful, radiant bride. If you like your curly hair then own it! It's your day and I promise no one is thinking anything other than how amazing you look. Anyways, you won't even care about what others think as soon as you see the look on FH's face when he sees how beautiful you look. Trust me, he will love it. Don't worry about others it's YOUR big day, they are there to celebrate with you, not judge you. You look gorgeous and I hope that you are able to own it and truly enjoy your special day. Also that dress is incredible on you and I'm not just saying that to make you feel better, I love it on you!

You totally look like a bride. And I like your curly hair! Psssssh.

Mrs. CK no ma'am unfortunately not. She took my engagement photos also. She was going to do our wedding but we moved our wedding up from November to July (impatient) and lost her through the transition. She already had another wedding planned on our day. We found another one relatively fast and I think she's very good also. She's very young (only 21) but I've seen her work and she's great. She was also about $500 cheaper since she's just starting her business out.

I think you look beautiful and I think your curly hair is gorgeous!!! #5 is also my favorite of the pics although they are all very, very pretty!

Your pictures are beautiful! Don't straighten that hair either! People pay money for curls like that. You will make an absolutely stunning bride!!

I havent read all of the comments on here but those pictures are beautiful. You do look like a bride. You look absolutely ethereal! And DO NOT straighten those curls! You are beautiful. You FH is going to be so happy to see you walk down the aisle.

Thank you all very, very much. And to everyone that's complimented my hair, you all are so very sweet. I've just now started to embrace my hair. I wanted it to be straight when I was growing up and about 4 years ago (coincidentally the same time I started dating my fiance) i said screw it and began embracing it. It didn't hurt that my fiance said my hair was the first thing that caught his attention. So when people told me (about 3 or 4 of them) that I should do something different for my wedding and straighten it, I was taken aback. I believe her exact words were, "Everyone sees you with curly hair, do something different." I don't think she meant to be hurtful, but words have that powerful affect on a person.

@HappyPaulsons thank you so much for sharing that with me. My mother influences me when it comes to my weight also. She's been on weight watchers since I was about 10, so about 13 years, and all throughout my teenage years she lectured me about my weight. She always tells me I looked the best when I was about 13. Keep in mind that was when I started my ADD medication and I was practically starving myself because the medication took my appetite away. I was the skinniest I've ever been and most malnourished I've ever been.

You look absolutely amazing. I kinda understand where you are coming from and can honestly say we are our own worst critic. I hope you can get past this because your hubby loves you for you not who you could be or what you could look like. He is going to be blown away when you walk down the isle since you stated you don't normally wear dresses. Would it make you feel better by doing a first look with your hubby before the ceremony so that way he sees you before everyone else? (just a thought) Your guests are people you know they are there to celebrate your union with your hubby they will not be judging you on how you look. Remember you are gorgeous

Your photos are gorgeous! But I can understand your disappointment too. I wished I would have lost more weight before my wedding and could pick out little things about my photos that I hate but in the grand scheme of it I was glowing! And family and friends complimented on how gorgeous I looked all night.

I did mention to my photographer beforehand some areas where I was self conscious and she did her best to try to avoid bringing attention to those in my photos. That may be something you want to discuss with your photographer as well. Bottom line, the image we all have in our minds of brides come from magazines and they are not real! Real brides are all shapes and sizes and look amazing on their wedding day because they are marrying the love of their lives!! Big hugs!!!!

You look like a beautiful bride to me! Remember...just because you think it, doesn't mean it's the truth. What you are thinking about yourself is NOT the truth. You look lovely and very bridal.

My take on the whole wedding industry is that there are so many things "we need" and "need to be." Lets face it. Most of us are not models. We are everyday women with everyday bodies and faces. We are ourselves and that is what makes each and every one of us special. I'd love to have the perfect body. The perfect face. No wrinkles, double chin, or that funky front tooth that crosses over a bit and I notice in every picture but others don't. But that is not where I am in life. I accept who I am and do my best.

You look beautiful in your gown and you should be proud of how you look. For my first wedding I got a perm to have hair like yours! I still love those pictures of that young girl with that curly hair. Rock it! You already are.

Don't listen to anyone about your appearance. YOU are YOU and there's nothing you can change about it, embrace your beauty like you are a model! Your FH thinks your beautiful and honestly that's all that matters I have braces right now and I am so ready to get them off and I always mention something to my FH about how much I hate them and he always tells me he likes them (which he probably doesnt) but it makes me feel better! I know you are going to be beautiful on your wedding day!!!

As someone who has anxiety and body dysmorphia, I can tell you that my body dysmorphia gets worse the more stressed I am. It doesn't mean I'm stressed about my body, but basically EVERYTHING that might cause me stress ends up with me thinking my usual body-hating thoughts. It's entirely possible that you're so stressed you're feeling extra low self-esteem. My suggestion is to really speak to a professional ASAP and see if there are things you can work out before your wedding day.

As for your wedding. Remember that you can always redo pictures in the future if and WHEN you do feel better about yourself. Another thing you can do is look up wedding pictures of women with your body type and school yourself on what a bride is supposed to look like. "A bride is happy. A bride smiles. A bride is having a beautiful day." Ask yourself if those women in the pictures are ugly, if you would ever tell them they were ugly on their wedding day, and then, if you wouldn't, ask yourself why you're saying that to yourself.

And lastly - DO NOT STRAIGHTEN YOUR HAIR. Unless straight hair makes you feel more beautiful, then do it. But above all, do what makes you FEEL beautiful. My fiance prefers my hair long and straight. I prefer it short and curly. Guess which I'm going to do on my wedding day? Because he will love me and think I'm beautiful anyway, and I will feel better about how I look in my curly hair.

I just looked at the comments where you shared your photos and guess what, I think you look like a beautiful bride. On your wedding day, you will BE a bride, and your happiness will be oozing out of you. Nobody ever looks at a bride and says "Oh wow, she's pretty but she doesn't look very bridal." Not one.

I have a photo from my wedding day, that my good friend and my mom both say is their favorite. I like that my husband and I are laughing together in the photo, but I hate the way my chin/neck looks. So it's not my favorite! I know it's ridiculous. So trust me you aren't alone. We, as women, are our own worst critics.

I can't wait to see your BAM.

Shasta we are doing a first look the wedding is going to be fairly big because of family and we need us time. We need ways to make the wedding more intimate for us and we decided that having a first look would do that, and keep away some of the nerves.

Jacqui76 I know exactly what you mean. My fiance's favorite engagement picture of us is when we're both doubled over laughing and I have like three chins :/ but he loves it. lol.

Girl!!!! You look beautiful!!! I go to a lot of weddings, and you know what makes someone "look like a bride" to me? It's the big smile and or/happy tears when she walks down the aisle to see her FH for the first time or during their first look. They always look radiant whether they are large, small, wearing a designer gown, or a gown that cost them very little. You are going to be an absolutely gorgeous bride. Let yourself believe it.

As others have already said, I certainly see a bride in those pictures, and a beautiful one at that! I understand where you're coming from though. I'm the heaviest I've ever been, and it kind of sucks to know that my pictures capture that particular moment. If I analyze my photos, I see back boobs, saggy arms, etc. But when I just look at them, I see love and joy and a happy beautiful bride despite the imperfections. Just live in the moment and your happiness is what will shine brightest in your pictures.

^^We all could use a Richard in our lives ^^

Sorry you're feeling this way, but you are not alone I myself struggle with how my body looks (my arms mostly) I work out to try and slim them down. When I went to get my dress I ended up with a V neck no sleeves dress because I fell in love with it and yes my arms do bother me still, but idc because I was looking at the bigger picture imagining myself walking down that aisle to my FH. You should embrace your curly hair, my hair is more straight than wavy and I can never get cute curls even with a curling iron! I am sure you will look stunning in your dress! All of us brides come in different shapes and sizes but we are all beautiful!

LOL Richard I will gladly take you up on that offer kind sir. Thank you so much.

Laura thank you so much for sharing that with me.