Modest wedding dresses

My apologies for not having posted anything for the past few days. That's because I went with my parents to their home province in Bohol, Philippines. While there, I got to visit, aside from Chocolate Hills and the tarsiers, the old baroque-style churches. And you know what, aside from their centuries-old artifacts and intricate ceiling paintings, one thing that caught my attention is how strict these churches are when it comes to the dress code.

Those hearing Mass must not wear sleeveless tops and shorts. Those who want to get wed in those churches had to follow a strict dress code of not wearing sleeveless, backless, strapless, and even off-the-shoulder dresses. Yep, all the dresses -- from the bride down to her entourage -- should cover the shoulders. And this is where I get my inspiration for today: modest wedding dresses.

A lot of the gowns you can see in the market feature those strapless or one-shoulder neckline. But for brides who want a bit of coverage, they don't have to fret. They can still be sexy without showing off too much, just like the models here wearing these modest wedding dresses:

Top row, from left: Ian Stuart, Justin Alexander, Vera Wang, Anna Schimmel.
Bottom row, from left: Le Spose di Gio, Tsai Meiyue, Allure Bridals, Juanjo Oliva via iVillage.com.

The sleeves can be part of the dress or a component of a jacket or cover-up. In any case, they somewhat hide the shoulders and the upper arm.

Opting for modest wedding dresses doesn't necessarily mean that the bride's too shy to show some skin. Rather it just means that you're just confident enough that your dress doesn't need to scream how sexy you are. :)