How to Find the Perfect Modest Wedding Dress

So you’ve decided that on your big day you would like to wear a wedding dress that is modest, traditional or conservative… just finding a modest wedding dress can be a feat in and of itself, but also finding a modest wedding dress that will flatter your figure takes a little bit of work, but we can help you with that! With so many different styles of wedding dresses available, it can be overwhelming; it is important to try to narrow down the type of modest wedding dress that will look best on you and start there.

Step 1: Choose the style of modest wedding gown that will be most flattering to your figure.

What kind of figure do you have? Tall, petite, curvy, boyish, apple, or pear… This is a very important starting point because different styles of dresses flatter different silhouettes. The right modest wedding dress can play up your best assets and camouflage your flaws. 

 A woman with an apple shape generally carries her weight around her mid section and has more slender legs. A woman with this body type would look great in a gown that has detail around the waist such as a sash that will visually define the waist; the skirt should gently flow out creating a visual balance. If the skirt is too fitted, it will accentuate the apple shape, rather than reduce it.

 A woman with a pear shape generally carries her weight around her hips, thighs and butt with a more slender upper body. A wedding dress with an A-line shape that gently flows out at the hips would be most flattering. Look for an A-line skirt with a v-neckline and more detail on the bodice area to draw the eye away from the hips.

 A curvy shaped woman carries weight more equally between upper and lower body. Dresses made out of a more structured material will be best for a curvy woman. Loose flowing dresses are not flattering on a curvy woman as they tend to add pounds. A curvy woman can get away with almost any silhouette of dress as long as it is tailored to fit her perfectly.

 A woman with a boyish shaped figure can have very narrow hips, and a smaller bust. Mermaid style, trumpet style, or ball gown style dresses look great on a boyish figure. These styles tend to add the illusion of curves where they may be lacking.

 Petite women should look for column style wedding dresses or empire waist style wedding dresses. Petite women should avoid dropped waist style dresses or ball gown style dresses as they may cut them in half or overwhelm their petite figure.

 Tall women should look for wedding dresses with a dropped waist, or even a ball gown style of wedding gown to keep their proportions looking balanced.

Step 2: Choose the color of the wedding dress.

Today, modest wedding dresses are available in a wide range of shades of white and even colors. You should choose the shade that is most flattering to your skin tone; most brides will look best in a slightly off white color. Brides with very fair skin should lean toward a warmer shade of white; brides with darker complexions have an easier time pulling off stark white. Keep in mind if you are a LDS bride who plans to wear her wedding dress in the temple, you must choose stark white.

What attributes would your dream wedding dress have? Ruffles? Lace? Beading? Plain?

Step 3: Choose the sleeve length.

When selecting your dress, keep in mind the season that you will be getting married in as well as the type of reception you will be having. If you are getting married in the winter, you may want to choose a modest wedding dress with ¾ length sleeves or even long sleeves so you stay warm. If you are getting married in the summer months you may appreciate a modest wedding dress with cap sleeves so that you will stay cool. For all of the in-between months, during the fall or spring where the weather can be unpredictable, you will probably be safe with short sleeves.

Step 4: Choose the neckline.

Modest wedding dresses are now available with more options for necklines than ever before. If you are a LDS bride, consider whether the wedding dress has a neckline that will be temple ready or not. There are many different options of necklines which are temple ready: Queen Anne neckline, portrait neckline, scoop neck, v-neck, square neck and so on. Make sure you are comfortable with the neckline so that you will not feel self-conscious about whether or not you are showing too much skin.

Step 5: Put it all together.

When you have chosen the silhouette of the wedding dress, the color, the sleeve length and neckline see what options are available with all of your favorites to narrow the selection down even further. From those choices, which style of modest wedding dress seems most “you”? Does your wardrobe mostly consist of solid colors in basic black, navy and white? If so, a more simple elegant dress may be best suited for you. Does your wardrobe consist of lots of prints and colors and all of the latest trends? If so, a more trendy style of modest wedding gown with elaborate beading may be best suited for you. Are you a very low maintenance bride who doesn’t like to fuss with hair and make-up? If so maybe you would like a simple tea-length style wedding dress, or a dress without an elaborate train to fuss with.

Step 6: Personalize it.

Many wedding dress designers have the option of selecting a colored sash, colored beads or colored embroidery, some brides chose these things to tie everything together with the wedding party and flowers etc. Another popular trend is to wear colored shoes, sneakers, or funky jewelry, whatever your signature style is.

 Best of luck to you in finding the perfect modest wedding dress!