It’s honestly heartbreaking to see how many people in America, especially women, who have a negative self-body image. Though it’s really no wonder how this came to be.
Women in the media are forced to don unnaturally slim shapes and if they don’t, they are airbrushed that way.
As a result, women are forced to live up to unrealistic standards they project onto their bodies, preventing them from accepting themselves as they are.
Thanks to the body positive movement, more and more women are beginning to love themselves and their bodies.
That’s probably why some boudoir photos of Stephanie, a plus-sized woman, and her fiance Arryn went viral.
The photos were taken by their friend Bria Terry of Wolf & Rose Photography.
“I honestly have never felt more attractive,” Stephanie told HuffPost. “I was so nervous to see the final result. I didn’t know what to expect. But when I saw the album, I was shocked. I look so in love and confident. Every person should be able to see themselves in that light. It is really eye-opening.”
Stephanie admits that she hasn’t always felt confident in her curvy body.
“I remember being in junior high and looking at myself in the mirror, wondering why my stomach wasn’t the way it was ‘supposed’ to be,” she said. “Over the years, I’ve come to accept that I am always going to be considered plus-size. I push myself out of my comfort zone by wearing clothes that I love but aren’t in society’s mold of what is acceptable for bigger women, like crop tops, tight shirts, shorter dresses, and shorts. I walk around with my head high, smiling, and show no shame in myself.”
Stephanie said their she and Arryn were beaming after their shoot and that it made them feel closer than ever before and increased intimacy between the two of them.
“Throughout our relationship, there has never been a time when he made me feel self-conscious about any part of myself,” she said. “To him, it doesn’t matter if I have not washed my hair for a week or shaved my legs in over a month. He loves me for who I am, and for who I make him want to become. He has always told me that he doesn’t care how I look, that I’m beautiful regardless.”
The photos were shared more thatn 83,053 times on Facebook. Terry said she was shocked by the response her photos received.
“We originally shot these for a story HuffPost wanted to do about boudoir photography from the couples POV,” she said on Facebook. “I assumed I would be one of many, like before, and I had no clue the story would be focused on my photos until about 2 minutes ago when I saw this. I honestly can’t say thank you enough to everyone who has been supportive of this, and most of all to the beautiful couple who has been nothing short of amazing in the way that they have handled everything.”
Many have applauded her work. You can see more of her stunning photos and the rest of Stephanie and Arryn’s shoot on her Facebook page here.
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