overweight brides ... Ok... just looking for tips and thoughts on a delicate subject

[Breezy]

Very good advice
my problem is I am the critical one lol
People who know me know that I won't lie

Originally Posted by HotHolly

I know! You should have seen the last wedding we shot. She couldnt have picked an uglier/ less flattering dress. And their hair was insane! One of the girls was in tears b/c she thought she looked awful. She turned to my intern after everyone else said she looked great. The intern didn't know what to do, so she just blinked and didnt say anything!

After I asked her what they heck she was thinking. She told me she couldnt lie...ACU apparently got kids to stop lying. But you cannot tell someone they look blah on their wedding day!

2 rules, always go shopping with a critical girl, and never listen to the sales person.

[Elsaspet]

So many great examples. Big brides are people too, and I assure you they know they are big.

[LoungeLizard]

Big people are people too. They all know what they look like. They would like to look better in their photographs, but I am VERY hesitant to perform "plastic surgery" on my photos. If someone is big, they need to be aware of what works and doesn't work. Sleeveless strapless gowns should be a no-no - and if they wear them, they shouldn't expect miracles.

We had a very heavy bride earlier in the year for her engagement photos (they wound up cancelling the wedding as they broke up) and she was very pretty - but VERY heavy. She dressed for it well. Even though it was warm, she wore a nice blouse AND a long sleeve sweater. Using that to our advantage we gave her photos she loved and spent close to $350 on reprints - from her engagement session!

As a little story, how many of you are asked (whether seriously or joking) "now, you're going to make me look slim in the photos, aren't you?" Well, last night I was talking with John Michael Cooper (Alt-f) and he was telling me a story about this guy who was about 6'5" and nearly 300 pounds who was in the wedding party. They guy came up to him and jokingly said that to him. He looked up at him and said "sure, I'm going to cover up half my lens". He said everyone started to laugh (including the guy) and they had a great time after that. I don't advice saying that!

[LadyShutterBug]

Sleeveless strapless gowns should be a no-no - and if they wear them, they shouldn't expect miracles.

i assume you have never been a "bigger" bride who's tried to find sleeved dresses to fit your arms ;)

i am also not one to doctor photos so as to make people look thinner. i won't stretch photos or manipulate proportions once the image has been made. i'll remove zits, smooth cellulite, and all that jazz... but i firmly believe that your body is your body. you're you.

[LoungeLizard]

Originally Posted by LadyShutterBug

i assume you have never been a "bigger" bride who's tried to find sleeved dresses to fit your arms ;)

You are correct, I have never been a bride!

[HotHolly]

Thought I'd mention it since so many people said that big people know they are big. We had one big bride that didnt know she was big. She seemed to have no clue.

She was supposed to get married about 5 years earlier to the same guy and he got cold feet and they cancelled the wedding stored everything - dress too. She didnt try on her dress until the morning of the wedding. The same dress 5 years later and she thought she'd gained wieght! What if it didnt fit?!?! I was the only one that seemed concened about that. It barely zipped shut. I thought the zipper would burst during the ceramony. That would have been horrible.

She didnt have a full length mirror and didnt seem to look at herself below the waist. The chapel we were in only had 1 tiny oval mirror and then the rest were above the waist. We knocked quite a few pounds off with shadows and posing, but she was still shocked she was so big. She must have remembered what she looked like 5 years prior and didnt notice her hips had widened.

Again, this isnt the norm...but it has happened. Make sure you keep on your toes...you never know what people are gonna say.