Amazing Wedding Planning: Modest Wedding Dresses - A Primer on Their Shapes and Styles

Flip through any bridal magazine or browse through any bridal wear store, and you'll see that there is an amazing amount of variation on the classic white bridal dress. In general, wedding dresses come in five basic cuts:

• A-line or princess

• Ball gown

• Empire waist

• Mermaid shape

• Sheath or column

Before even going to browse wedding dresses, it's probably a good idea to familiarize yourself with the five basic dress shapes and which ones are the most flattering for your body type. Doing so will save you a lot of time and frustration in finding your perfect modest wedding gown.

For example, if you have a large bustline that you don't want to draw attention to, don't waste time trying on empire waist dresses that will do nothing but emphasize your bust. If your problem is that you are very short-waisted, don't bother trying on ball gown-style wedding dresses that will make your figure appear short and choppy.

Wedding Dresses - Necklines, Sleeves, and Skirts

Apart from the basic cut of your wedding dress, there is a lot more to consider. Lots of factors influence the appearance and fit of the dress, including color, neckline, sleeve type, and skirt length.

Color

Of course, the most traditional color for brides is one of the hundreds of shades of white. In recent years, however, many brides have been experimenting with color in their weddings.

Some may choose a two-toned ivory and white dress, or even ivory and beige. Others might go with a classic white wedding gown with a splash of bold color to tie into the rest of their wedding, like a brightly-colored band tied around the waist.

Feel free to experiment with color, but remember that temple dresses must be white, so if you plan to wear your wedding dress for the temple sealing let that guide your decision.

Neckline

If you thought you saw lots of variation in the basic cut and shape of a wedding dress, then think again: there is even more variety in the style of neckline.

The shape and configuration of the dress's neckline will be very prominent, as every eye will of course be trained on the face of the lovely bride - and consequently, the neckline. There are seven basic necklines for LDS weddings:

• V-neck

• Sweetheart

• Square neck

• Boat neck or slot neck

• Scoop neck

• Surplice

• Jewel

The neckline of your wedding dress should flatter your facial features, just as the cut of your dress should complement your body type. Round faces can be balanced with angular necklines, and more angular faces with rounded necklines, for instance. There are flattering necklines for every face shape as far as wedding dresses are concerned.

Sleeve Type

Even though LDS standards of modesty precludes some very popular types of wedding gowns - like tube top, halter, and spaghetti strap dresses - it doesn't mean you need to sacrifice style on your wedding day.

There are so many stylish sleeve options for Mormon brides, including:

• Cap sleeve

• Short sleeve

• 3/4 Length sleeve

• Long sleeve

• Juliette

• Puff

• Butterfly

• Bell

• Bishop

• Poet

• Raglan

As is the case with necklines, some styles of sleeves flatter certain builds and bone structures better than others. So make sure you know what sleeve type and length to choose for your body type before deciding on your wedding dress.

Skirt Length

Though the traditional Mormon wedding dress is full-length - that is, touching the tops of your shoes - there is a great deal of choice in skirt length for modern wedding dresses.

Depending on the cut and style of the dress, wedding dress skirts can be almost any length. Some of the most popular choices are:

• Knee length - comes just to the knees

• Intermission - falls just below the knees

• Tea length - falls a few inches below the knee

• Ballerina - comes to just above the ankle

• Ankle length - hem is right at the ankles

• Hi-Lo - dress is hemmed higher in the front than in the back

• Full-length - traditional look that drapes almost to the floor

Other considerations for wedding dress skirts is whether you want to add extras like tails or a bustle on the back for a little something special. It really depends on the style of dress you prefer and of course, your budget - extra adornments on your dress will obviously cost more.

LDS Wedding Dresses and Veil Length

Most Mormon brides, or modest brides, focus on the dress in their bridal planning, and then shop for a matching veil almost as an afterthought, but there is actually a lot more to wedding veil selection than meets the eye.

Though a veil can technically be any length, retailers usually divide wedding veils into three general categories:

• Elbow length

• Fingertip length

• Cathedral length

Veils also come in one-tier or two-tier varieties, and can be attached with a comb inserted in the hair or to a tiara or headband. Certain types and lengths of veils look better with some gowns (and hairstyles) than others, so make sure to know which veil fits your wedding dress best before ordering anything.

We hope you found this information and all the details about modest wedding dresses and how to select the right wedding gown for you!

Jenny Evans, Contributing Writer,

Exclusively for WeddingLDS.

Copyright © 2010 WeddingLDS (A Division of Celestial Publishing,

Rose Haller, Chief Creative Officer & Editor-in-Chief).

All rights reserved.

Rose Haller, Editor-in-Chief & CCO of Celestial Publishing (WeddingLDS). Rose is a Professional Wedding Planner, with 30 years experience planning and doing both LDS Weddings & Modest Weddings. She & her husband, Dr. Howard Haller, is the CEO & Publisher, Celestial Publishing. They are active members LDS Church members.

http://www.WeddingLDS.com is The Complete Online LDS Wedding Planner, it has helpful information, videos, and articles for both Modest Brides & LDS Brides & provides an interactive forum to ask their most important questions from the WeddingLDS Bridal Experts about modest wedding dresses.