Today BHLDN launched their new Plus Collection featuring the most glam and beautiful wedding dresses. If you’re in need of a boho, feminine, luxury inspired gown this is definitely a wonderful option.
The collection is available to shop today in sizes 0-26W.
The BHLDN team was kind enough to let me style a couple gowns and I wanted to take advantage of wearing such beautiful pieces and organized a styled shoot in under a weeks time.
I teamed up with some of the most talented, amazing and inspirational female creatives in Jacksonville to create something I never had growing up; a beautiful, plus sized image of a woman in a wedding dress.
Jenn and Becky are longtime friends and a photography and floral duo that recently created a new business to help create, design and curate elopements and weddings.
In a time were engaged couples are making huge adjustments for their big day, Jenn and Becky offer you a way to maintain the beauty and intimacy of a ceremony but just reimagined.
Make sure you follow them on instagram and see the beautiful designs they create.
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Sarajane is an national award winning hairstylist and just overall cool girl and fortunate to call her a friend. I love her determination and desire to learn and try anything. She’s definitely a force and talent beyond words.
Sarajane is the Boho Braid Queen and I was so lucky to have her a part of this styled shoot. My wigs never looked better.
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My friend Lia is incredibly kind and humble but also an amazing makeup artist. She made last minute changes in her schedule so she could help me out with this styled shoot.
Her kindness and talent also have been recognized in our city as Jacksonville Magazines Best Artist.
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As a little girl, remembering that I didn’t see myself or people that looked like me in a positive or beautiful way on TV or in magazines, was burned into my psyche.
Etched into my mind were the white, thin models and actresses on my favorite TV shows that got the guy, landed the job and all the good things in life .
That kind of limited narrative of beauty and success can do some major damage to a fat Black little girl.
You start thinking I must have to change the things about myself that I cannot change to be considered beautiful.
It may very well start a vicious struggle with body and image dysmorphia that can take years to undo the damage.
Visibility and inclusion matters…
That’s why I love using my platforms to create visuals and images of Fat Black Beauty in all it’s glory so that a young Black fat girl that stumbles upon my images cannot only see herself and her beauty but all the potential she has.
This is more than a styled bridal shoot. I hope it makes room for you to believe in your heart that you are worthy of all the good things in life despite what the world wants you to think.
Your skin color, race, weight or body shape should not hold you back from these God-given gifts.
Now, let’s get into these gowns. I’m wearing a size 26W in both dresses.
Just a note: Wedding dresses tend to be much bigger than your actual size. For example if you’re a size 12/14 in most of the clothing you wear, you may be a size 16 or 18 in bridal.
The Carmel
The Katara
