Plus Size Diva Weddings: Andi & Danny

This is a post from my old blog Plus Size Diva. The lovely couple were married a yr ago but it’s one of my favorites so I thought I would share it here.

All you Plus Size Brides to Be, take note!

Welcome to the first edition of Plus Size Diva Weddings.

Our first lovely couple is Andi & Danny and they just got married this month!

Andi sent me some really great emails detailing her experience and I am excited to share it with you!

ENJOY!

What is/was your wedding date? August 9, 2008

Can you describe the proposal?

We had been dating nearly a year. It was New Year’s Day. We decided to go to a local park. It was freezing outside so we first stopped by starbucks so I could get a cup of coffee. This local park is situated around a river with a waterfall in the heart of downtown.

(I’m attaching a picture of the park so you can get an idea of what it is like).

All around the park there are benches and swings. We sat down and cuddled up on one of the swings closest to the falls. I made a comment about how beautiful and perfect that moment was.

Then he stood up, reached in his pocked and dropped to one knee. He had to remind me what he said because I was so focused on the ring. But he said something like he would be so happy if I would be his wife.

The ring is an engagement ring that belonged to his mother, who passed away about 10 years ago (his dad passed away about 6 years ago). By wearing this ring, it feels as though we have his parents’ blessing.

What was/is the most difficult part of planning your wedding?

Working with so many people. It is so hard to get so many people’s schedules coordinated at the same time.

What was/is the most fun part of planning your wedding?

Honestly…either picking out my dress or the cake tasting

If there was/is one thing you would do differently what would it be?

Elope or do a small destination wedding at Disney World…or not get married the year I graduate college and start Graduate School…seriously I start grad school a few days after I get back from my honeymoon!

What advice would you offer to other brides?

Give yourself time. Don’t get overwhelmed. It is a lot to do, but everything will come together.

What were/are your honey moon plans? Going to Disney World for a week!

What else could you share about your experience?

As a plus sized bride, I have had mixed experiences.

One of the first things I did, was go to look for a dress. I’ll be honest, I was scared to go looking for a dress. When my fiance proposed I was at the largest size I have been at my life. I weighed 240 lbs, and wore a size 22.

I didn’t want to go to one of the snooty bridal salons that specialize in couture wedding gowns, afraid that they’d take one look at me and say, “Ha we don’t have anything in your size!”

I decided to take the safer route and shop at David’s Bridal, where I know dresses go up to a size 28. I will admit, pickings were slim in my size. I saw racks and racks of size 8 dresses, but only a small corner dedicated to a size 22. I tried on my first dress.

I was scared that in this white dress, I was going to look larger than I was. White isn’t a slimming color. How could I look good in white! I have a very peaches and cream complexion, wouldn’t white wash me out? I glanced in the mirror and loved what I saw.

Its just something about a wedding dress.

Any woman of any size can put one on and instantly look beautiful. I tried on 5 dresses that day. I was torn between the first and the third dresses I tried on. In the end, the third dress I tried on triumphed.

It was beautiful. It made me feel like a princess.

The dress had intricate beading around the bosom and down the train. Underneath my bust, the dress gathered with delicate chiffon and floated down. Despite me being a size 22 I felt like the most beautiful woman in the world.

There was an old woman there to watch her granddaughter try on dresses. However she kept paying me more attention than her granddaughter (and even admitted to it). She kept telling me how gorgeous I was.

One of the bridal consultants (also a plus sized woman) came over to tell me just how beautiful I looked. She remarked to my mom that often plus sized girls are scared to come in and try on gowns, but I looked beautiful. She remarked on my delicate features and the fact that the dress was just as delicate and soft as I was.

Then I was moved to another area to see the back of my gown. What do I know, I am trying on the same dress with a girl half my size. But, several people remarked that the dress looked better on me!

Most brides try desperately to lose weight before their wedding day.

Not me. No crash diets for me.

When I tried on that dress, I loved the way it fit and looked on me. I didn’t want to risk losing too much weight where it wouldn’t fit me right. I’ve lost about 15 lbs since the beginning of the year. The dress is a little loose, but still fits.

I’ve had to listen to my bridesmaids talk about wanting to lose weight.

My maid of honor is my best friend and a size 8. She said she doesn’t want to look fat. But in comparison…I’m a 20 (yeah I did drop a size). One of my other bridesmaids is a 14 and the other (my sister-in-law) is a size 16 and will be 6 months pregnant.

It irritates me that my sister-in-law and my other bridesmaid comment about how great they look in their dresses (I really did an awesome job picking out dresses), yet my maid of honor who could look good in a paper bag is complaining about her non-existent arm fat.

I’ve had people ask me if I’m going to try to lose weight for my wedding. No, I’m trying to lose weight for me. Any weight that I have lost this year is more of a result of the stress from planning a wedding on my own!

When I get stressed I tend to clench my jaw a lot, and it makes my TMJ problems worse, to the point eating is painful. So yay for me! (YES YAY FOR YOU!!)

All in all, any negativity incurred has been from outside sources, expecting me to fill a particular role.

Brides are supposed to want to be their skinniest on their wedding day.

However, I just want to be my happiest.

My fiance is the most wonderful man I have ever met. I am excited to spend the rest of my life with him…and feel like a princess in the process.

—

As you can see Andi is a Plus Size Diva in every sense of the word. She is fierce, confident, open and honest!

And more importantly, she “gets it”: That a wedding and all that goes with it, (and a life really) is about doing the things that make YOU happy!!

I love that!