Tuesday Tips: 4 Ways To Stay Modest & Modern On Your Wedding Day

Whether you’re getting married in front of a few select friends and family or having a large-scale celebration, it’s the bride’s prerogative to want to look and feel her best in a dress she absolutely loves. However, finding the perfect, shop-stopping gown isn’t always about opulent materials with huge trains and embellishments, which is why we’ve called upon the modest clothing experts at AbayaButh to provide some style inspiration for brides-to-be in search of a more understated look on their wedding day!

From long-sleeved gowns and classic cuts to choosing those all-important accessories, we’ll be looking at different styles from around the world, giving you plenty of inspiration for choosing the dress that’s perfect for you.

Style it with sleeves!

The Grovers

While strapless or thin-strapped gowns are a popular choice for western wedding wear, there may be instances where these aren’t appropriate - whether that’s due to cultural traditions or you simply don’t feel confident with a lot of skin on show. However, a fabulously fresh alternative is to opt for a long-sleeved wedding dress to ensure you feel suitably covered up. Taking inspiration from traditional Muslim wedding wear, these types of dresses are far from being just modest by design - they deliver an enviable elegance that can work on so many different levels.

From fitted styles cut from delicate lace to boho bell-bottom sleeves made from floaty chiffon, long-sleeved gowns offer a surprising versatility. Working well in both traditional and modern designs, they can provide the perfect wedding wear solution for brides who want to project their own individual style while still retaining a certain sense of modesty. You can even opt for three- quarter length sleeves or capped sleeves, which can be a welcome feature for summer weddings, helping you keep cool on a hot day.

Cover up with a shawl

Jessica Kettle

If long sleeves aren’t a practical or desired option, then why not consider adding a shawl, cape or bolero to your wedding ensemble? From intricately embellished shawls like those worn at Indian weddings to vintage-style capes and chic boleros, using accessories to offer some additional coverage for shoulders and arms can be a great way to add a unique style to your outfit while also achieving a more conservative finish.

In addition, these accessories can also add a comforting layer of warmth on a cold day or in the case of shawls, they can double up as a veil or headdress.

Choose simple dress designs

Mirelle Carmichael

If you’re not comfortable wearing a big, ball-gown style dress or this doesn’t fit in with your cultural beliefs, then choosing something more understated could be key to pulling off a modest matrimonial outfit. Although, when we say a simple, we don’t necessarily mean it has to be painfully plain, but rather that the dress favors classic cuts and fabrics over showy decorative features.

Whether you want to accentuate your natural curves or cover them up, there are cuts to suit every shape and style. From floor-length A-line dresses in light fabrics that evoke a Grecian feel to silhouette sheath dresses, choosing a classic design that uses one or two different materials, such as lace, organza and satin will lend a luxurious yet understated finish.

Embellish with jewelry

Acqua Photo

Jewelry and accessories are used across the world in bridal attire and can be a great way to add some sparkle for those brides with humble tastes. From vintage hair clips and dainty earrings to delicate bracelets or floral braids, pairing your wedding gown with jewelry and accessories is a great way to add subtle accents without it feeling too over-the-top.

Whatever your personal tastes, the key to modest wedding wear is to choose styles that you’re comfortable with; and we hope this article gives you plenty of ideas to bring you one step closer to finding the perfect wedding dress that makes you feel a million dollars on the day.

Tuesday Tips: How To Catch That Much-Needed Beauty Rest the Night Before Your Wedding

Photo by Feather & Stone Photography

Tomorrow is the big day! You’ve been dreaming about it for years, and planning it for months. Now that your wedding day is on your doorstep, you’re probably feeling a mix of exhaustion, anxiety, and excitement. But if you find that you just can’t get to sleep, there are a few things you can try to get your body to go to sleep.

Some relaxing options include journaling, creating a calming environment for yourself, and meditating.

You should try to create a comfortable environment for yourself as much as you can, even if you're in an unfamiliar hotel room. Find yourself an essential oil, pillow spray, candle or lotion that has a calming scent. Some scents that are found to be soothing include lavender, chamomile, bergamot, jasmine, rose, and sandalwood. Adding just a hint to the room will help your brain chill out.

Also, you should try and turn the heat down in the room you’re staying in. Scientists recommend keeping the temperature between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit when you’re trying to sleep. The rapid decrease in temperature can help to trigger your body’s natural impulses to sleep when it’s cooler.

It may also help to put a physical barrier between you and all of the wedding stuff that has yet to be done. Just putting it in the closet instead of having it on the nightstand could help you get that much needed beauty sleep!

If that isn’t enough to help you get catch some Z's, try grabbing a piece of paper. Journaling is an incredibly useful exercise when you can’t get your thoughts to stop racing long enough to fall asleep. Pull out a piece of paper - which can be anything from a leftover invitation to an actual notebook to the hotel stationary - and write down everything that’s going through your head. Put it all down, even the ridiculous stuff that you know isn’t true, and get it off of your mind until you can do something about it tomorrow.

You should end this exercise by writing down all of the good things that have happened today, and the things you’re excited about for tomorrow. After all, it’s supposed to be the first day of the rest of your life. You should start off at a high!

If you’re still struggling to calm down, meditation might be something that will help you. Meditation is useful for easing anxiety throughout your whole body and has been found to be incredibly effective. You can even do it from bed! A memory foam mattress that conforms to your body may feel particularly cozy for meditating.

For those who haven’t tried meditation before, The New York Times has a guide. Meditating can help you to focus on your breathing or the movements of particular parts of your body to bring your mind to the present.

Deep breathing exercises are a major component of meditation and help calm all of the physical effects of our anxiety, from tight muscles to a racing heartbeat. It can also help you get better sleep once you can fall asleep.

If you still can’t get to sleep, try talking to your partner about what’s causing you anxiety. That’s part of the reason you’re marrying them!