A Northern Ireland bride has opened up about refusing to let her illness get in the way of life as she prepared for the biggest day of her life.
Bex Dane from Antrim has worn a tracheotomy tube since childhood and various health conditions have caused her weight to fluctuate over the years.
But with the support of her then fiancé and now husband Gavyn Anderson, she refused to let this get in the way on their big day late last year.
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Bex, 36, and Gavyn, 34, are among the contributors in a new True North documentary, Wedding Day Curves, produced for BBC One Northern Ireland.
The programme, which airs next week, goes behind the scenes at Northern Ireland’s first exclusively plus size bridal shop, Curvy Chic Bridal on the Holywood Road in East Belfast.
Its owner Rebecca Bryson is on a mission to promote body positivity and help brides of all shapes and sizes embrace their curves.
Rebecca struggled to find the perfect dress for her own special day and was left feeling embarrassed after visiting several bridal shops that did not stock dresses in her size.
Bex and Gavyn tied the knot on November 27 at a beautiful event at La Mon Hotel and Country Club.
The couple met online in early 2019 and the rest as they say is history.
"We laugh about it now but at the time it was a bit of a weird scenario, " Bex told Belfast Live.
"I was just out of hospital and maybe feeling a bit sorry for myself and also a bit bored in recovery. I decided to download the Bumble app one night and see who was there for a chat.
"At the same time Gavyn was at his granny's house and having a wee flick through when we matched. We started chatting away and it felt like we had known each other forever so after a few weeks we met up for our first date in May."
The couple got engaged in July 2020 and when it came to choosing her dream wedding dress, Bex turned to her friend Rebecca’s bridal boutique for a look that would show off both her curves - and tracheotomy tube.
Bex has been wearing a tube since the age of eight after being diagnosed with Human papillomavirus (HPV).
"Somehow I got it into my system as a child and it ended up in my vocal chords. I literally had the airway of a pin hole so I was very lucky that I made it. There are a lot of up and down days. It's tough and it's constant," she said.
"I have known Rebecca for a few years as our paths have crossed several times before and also one of my best friends had gone to her shop for her dress when I was her maid of honour," Bex added.
"She was always going to be my first stop as she caters exclusively for plus sizes and having had friends before who found it difficult to get a dress in their size, it was the obvious place to go.
"The very last dress I tried on in the appointment turned out to be the one so we were lucky even though I had been looking online and had an idea of what I wanted."
Plus size women are often forgotten by the bridal wear industry and wedding dress shopping can be a negative experience for them.
This led Rebecca and her mum Lynn to spot a gap in the market for a bridal boutique specialising in stylish modern bridal wear for women of all sizes.
Lynn says: “I don’t think size should determine what you wear. Why would a girl who is a size 24 want to wear something old fashioned if she is 23 years of age and getting married?
“She wants something young and fresh or sexy and fitted. We hope to have something for everybody here no matter what size or shape you have.”
The programme also hears from Nicola, a nurse from Portadown who has been kept busy during the pandemic but still found time to plan her dream wedding to Paddy, who she describes as the love of her life.
After years of dieting and struggling to control her weight, Nicola feels it is impossible to live up to the idealised standard of how women are supposed to look. These days, being happy and healthy are more important to her.
Nicola says she never felt comfortable or confident in any of the bridal shops she has visited as the dresses did not fit properly.
True North: Wedding Day Curves, produced by Tyrone Productions and narrated by Derry Girls star Tara Lynne O’Neill, airs this Monday, 20th June at 10.40pm on BBC One Northern Ireland and it will also be available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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