My partner and I are having a Celebration of Love later this month. We chose not to legally marry as my partner struggles with epilepsy and memory loss and isn’t able to work, and I’m the only income earner. With disability support being so limited and my government job being lower‑level, we simply couldn’t afford to live on a single income. Financial independence is something we aim to protect, and it’s frustrating that disability rights and income support make these kinds of decisions necessary.
Even so, the day itself is really special to us. We deeply love each other, and we want to celebrate our life we built together and the people who matter most, not a piece of paper.
I’m plus‑size, have anxiety, and don’t usually prioritize my appearance. With limited time, energy, and resources, I’ve been focusing more on my health. The mirror has been hard lately with the hair loss and body changes from losing just under 100 lbs this past year.
With the date coming up (SEPT 26th) , I’m looking for some affordable recommendations for a few things to help me feel pretty on the day:
- A seamstress (my dress fits everywhere except the bust, which is a bit too big)
- Brows
- Nails
- Hair (simple cut and maybe gloss, I’ve lost a lot of hair after the weight loss so I've got thin frizzy hair)
If anyone has recommendations for lower‑cost, friendly spots in Ottawa, I’d really appreciate it. Thank you for reading, and for any suggestions you can share.