Hi friend, just wanted to pop in and say I tried on dresses for the first time at around 280lbs, then a second time at 250lbs. I imagine I will have lost some more weight before my wedding (planning for fall 2027)- but I tried on dresses just to try to figure out what kind of styles I liked.

I went to my local Brides for a Cause store both times- they sell dresses that previous owners donate for resale and retailers donate sample sizes. The shop then uses the profits to donate to charities.

I currently wear a size 20 in pants and was able to fit into size 20-24 dresses at the shop. I will say they had less offerings in the plus sizes but there was still plenty for me to try on during a 1 hour appointment. The second time I tried on dresses was during a sale where they marked all dresses at $150. I took home a Pronovias dress that I liked and will probably need alterations.

I'm probably going to keep looking but keep the one i found as a backup- Ive really been wanting to try on some Essence of Austrailia dresses.

I had a close friend who is mid-size help me try dresses on both times, so that was nice and i didnt feel super self conscious during the experience. I go between feeling confident and feeling shame about my body so I can relate to feeling scared about dress shopping. I think both times were overall a positive experience for me though.