Friday, October 16, 2009

From the Vatican: What the Catholic Bride Looks Like


She is veiled, and wears a modest gown.

As Catholics we have standards of modesty in dress.  Tough if you don't like it. 

This is especially true for the Catholic bride who stands before the community in an official capacity during the Marriage Service and the Nuptial Mass.

The bridal pair are themselves the ministers of Holy Matrimony. 

As many girls of today sometimes complain, it is just about impossible to shop for a new wedding dress which meets Catholic standards of modesty.

Both my grandmothers were married during the Great Depression, were dirt poor and just wore their Sunday best, with no fancy white gown.  Mom was raised by nuns and made her own modest wedding and bridal party gowns.

If a pastor I would refuse in marriage prep to marry a bride dressed with exposed shoulders and/or a strapless gown. 

 

10 comments:

  1. My cousin was just married a couple weeks ago, but if I were her pastor, considering what she was wearing, I would not have married her.

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  2. My fiance has had a horrible time finding a bridal gown that is modest, so she got a strappless one and is going to wear a white jacket of the same material. Also she told me that if she lived in Utah it wouldn't have been and issue (she even considered ordering a dress from a Mormon site, but didn't cause there was not way to try it on before buying). The Mormons still know how to do modesty.

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  3. My wife bought a shouldered gown and just took it to the seamstress to bring up the neckline to an acceptable level.

    People don't have to go that much above and beyond to conserve themselves for their beloved spouses. There's nothing more embarrassing than a bride who is exposing herself to all the men in the congregation.

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  4. Thank you for stating what was taught, as to the wedding dress and modesty, forty + years ago. Also how embarrassing not only to the groom, her parents, but please, what about Father.

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  5. I have some pictures of modest wedding gowns on my blog here: http://www.colleenhammond.com/blog/2009/08/modest-wedding-gowns/ And a list of companies that sell modest wedding gowns on my resource page on my main website here: http://www.colleenhammond.com/modesty-resources.php

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  6. I actually bought my dress at a vintage shop (for 25 dollars!) and had my mother in law update it a bit while still maintaining modesty. I know not everyone has a seamstress for a mother in law, but buying a vintage dress and having it modified is still probably cheaper than buying a dress of the rack, and allows for a greater degree of modesty than is found in most modern dresses.

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  7. OUTSIDE
    EDEN’S
    GARDEN

    The banquet table
    Was all set,
    Nourishment
    All free from debt.

    They only had to
    Wear some clothes,
    That covered them
    Since Adam’s woes.

    Not the best,
    Nor what’s called shoddy.
    A sheath for soul
    Which follows body.

    But necks all stiff,
    Backs, ram-rod straight,
    They shrugged and said,
    “Can’t make that date.”

    And this from mothers,
    Daughters, hapless,
    Demanding Eves,
    Who wear skins strapless.

    No mea culpas,
    Pleas for pardon…
    But bob for apples
    Outside her garden!

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  8. What a good reflection for today's marrying Catholics. There are modesty standards and if you typically dress according to them then there shouldn't be any reason you'd have or want to have more showing on your wedding day than at any other Holy Mass. Yes, fair weather weddings, this means you too!

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  9. THANK YOU. So happy to see and read. I showed my 16-year old and she thought it was pretty and happy that it was modest. I love it where you say "tough." We need to rise up and fight this stuff. Thanks again! Liz

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