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Finding the
Perfect Dress for a Temple Wedding
Every
bride dreams of finding the most perfect and wonderful dress
to wear for her wedding day, and Mormon brides are no exception. While
at first it may seem difficult to imagine finding a dress which is attractive
and flattering and which still adheres to temple guidelines, with the advent
of the internet there are many, many resources to help brides find the
wedding dress of their dreams without worrying about whether the dress
is appropriate for wear in the temple.
The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has some guidelines about what types
of wedding gowns are permissible in the temple. The dress should of course
be white, and not off white, ivory, champagne, or any other derivative
color. Simple decorations such as beads or sequins on the dress are allowable
as long as they are also white or clear, and not applied with colored thread.
Modesty is also important to the Church, and therefore gowns worn within
the temple should be long sleeved and have a neckline which comes up to
the collarbone and does not expose any of the woman’s bust. Similarly,
if there are any parts of the gown which are sheer or which expose undue
amounts of flesh, these need to be covered or lined to be worn within the
temple.
The first
time that a bride reads these guidelines, she may feel somewhat worried
about being able to find a dress which follows the guidelines and yet is
still flattering and stylish. However, there is no need to worry, as there
are many hundreds of styles of gowns which are beautiful and also appropriate
for use in the temple. The requirements for the gown are not as onerous
as they may at first seem, and there are many resources for LDS wedding
which have great tips for finding the perfect gown. Also, every temple
in the country, and indeed throughout most of the world, has inserts which
are available to cover skin which is left exposed by short sleeved dresses
or dresses whose necklines are too low to be appropriate for the temple.
These inserts are an excellent solution for the bride who wants to have
a gown will shorter sleeves, but still needs something to wear in the temple.
There
are several options for brides who want to have a beautiful gown that follows
the guidelines of the LDS Church. One option is for the bride to have the
dress made to her exact specifications, allowing her to create a dress
which follows her dream design perfectly. If the bride knows someone who
is a seamstress or who sews very well, such as a mother or sister, then
this is almost always the least expensive option. Even if the bride does
not personally know someone who can create the dress for her, it can still
be fairly inexpensive to have the dress created by a professional seamstress.
An added
benefit of having the dress custom made for her wedding is that the bride
can select precisely the materials she desires, and in this way be assured
that the dress will be pure white and will not have any sheer areas which
need to be covered. Seamstresses can also design gowns which have detachable
sleeves so that the gown can be worn without inserts in the temple, and
still be comfortable for the reception. This is a particularly useful feature
when the wedding is held in warmer months when a long sleeved gown might
become oppressively hot.
Another
option for a bride searching for the perfect dress is to find a pre-made
gown that the bride loves, and then have it altered to follow the LDS guidelines.
Depending on the seamstress who does these alterations, this can be the
most expensive option for LDS brides, but if it allows the bride to wear
the dress of her dreams on one of the most important days of her life,
it may well be worth it. A good piece of advice to remember, though, is
that it is rarely a good idea to use the seamstress who works at or is
recommended by the bridal shop, as this seamstress is more likely to be
more expensive and less experienced with the type of alterations that the
LDS bride will require.
A better
option is to ask friends and family members for recommendations for a good
seamstress, or call various seamstresses in the area to inquire whether
they have experience in altering wedding dresses to follow LDS guidelines.
The final option for brides seeking a wedding dress which is appropriate
for wear in the temple is to buy a dress which already fits these standards,
whether from a traditional retailer or one who caters specifically to LDS
brides. More and more bridal retailers are selling modest gowns, many of
which are already acceptable under LDS guidelines, and which come in long
sleeved or short sleeved versions. Retailers who cater specifically to
LDS brides and their wedding needs can be an excellent resource not only
for wedding dresses, but also for bridesmaid’s dresses, bridal accessories,
and most importantly, all the information a bride needs to plan the perfect
wedding day.
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