There’s a certain elegance associated with a modest wedding dress. Despite their more demure appearance, these covered gowns have a timeless quality that has always been in fashion. With vintage flairs and a focus on the shape and design, today’s modest bridal gowns strike a stunning balance between modern and classic style. Discover the allure of modest wedding dresses, learn the best silhouettes, fabrics, and accessories to pair with your gown, and get answers to some of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to brides who want to wear modest wedding dress styles. 

Introduction

Modest wedding dresses have a long standing history in bridal fashion, with gowns becoming shorter, tighter, and more risqué only within the last few generations. Popularized by English royalty, the quintessential white gown with conservative sleeves, high necklines, and full silhouettes served not only as a sign of purity, but also propriety. And while styles have evolved to fit the more modern aesthetic, we know we’re not alone in our love for modest, yet timeless gowns. As every decade goes by, we’re still seeing brides opt for more demure looks. But don’t assume that these modest wedding dresses are stuffy or dated. Modern, modest gowns serve as timeless elegance bridal fashion, beautifully fusing contemporary fabrics, silhouettes, and details with a more traditional design–striking the perfect balance that today’s brides are looking for. Classic modest wedding gowns are taking on a new life and we’re here to share all styles to serve as your modest wedding dress inspiration. 

Styles and Silhouettes

Modest wedding dresses come in all styles and silhouettes. More than just old-fashioned ball gowns or boring fabrics, current gowns embrace the elegance and tradition of modest dress styles with chic details that make each dress feel unique. If you’re looking for a modest wedding dress with a one-of-a-kind feel check out the Nicolina Wedding Dress. This whimsical and artistic gown is designed in unique laser-cut floral tulle with a traditional bodice featuring a conservative scoop neckline and short sleeves. The A-line silhouette is ultra-flattering, nipping in at the natural waistline and flaring out in an “A” shape, making it the ideal silhouette for all body types and one of our favorite modest bridal gown silhouettes. The crystal and pearl beaded belt helps to accentuate the waist of the A-line silhouette and adds the perfect pop of bridal sparkle. If you want a more classic look, our Nigella Wedding Dress is an absolute favorite! This vintage-inspired gown features luminous soft stretch satin that has a fluid quality to it, dripping down the body like water. The high neckline and cuffed bishop sleeves feel both modest and high fashion with a draped waist detail to cinch you in and define your figure on the chic column silhouette. Not all modest gowns have to have loose or flowing silhouettes. You can find elegant modest wedding dresses in fitted silhouettes. Our Noelle Wedding Dress is the perfect example. This modern mermaid shows off your figure in a tasteful way. The Larissa satin highlights the clean lines of the dress, with a demure square neckline and defined seaming for a streamlined look. The sheer satin organza bubble sleeves add a soft and feminine element to this cool and structured dress. 

Fabric Choices

There are so many wedding dress fabric options that it’s hard to know which works best for modest wedding dresses. While nearly any textile used in wedding dress design can work, we do have some favorite modest bridal fabrics. Our first is crepe. This fabric is available in a variety of weights, from lightweight crepe, that’s perfect for draping, to a heavier version that’s great for sleek and streamlined looks. If you’re looking for elegant wedding dress materials, nothing is more classic than lace. Loved for its timeless and romantic look, it’s no surprise to us that lace is one the most popular wedding dress fabrics. Lace is incredibly versatile as there are many different weaves, from Chantilly lace with its delicate floral pattern to Alençon lace featuring a bolder motif, and even more boho styles with crocheted designs. For our brides who want comfortable modest wedding gowns, no fabric is more comfortable than chiffon. Known for being incredibly lightweight and effortless, this relaxed fabric has a floaty and ethereal vibe. While typically styled for more beachy looks, the simplicity of chiffon absolutely works for elegant, modest gowns. 

Accessories and Complementing Pieces

If you’ve fallen in love with a dress, but it’s not as modest as you were hoping for, don’t worry! Through modest bridal accessories and complementing pieces you can achieve your perfect look. We offer jackets that can be worn both over or under your gown to offer more coverage on the shoulders and arms, effectively creating the look of sleeves, that are great stylish cover-ups for wedding dresses. Our Chantilly Lace Button Back Jacket can take any strapless dress from exposed to covered. The Chanitlly lace has a romantic floral pattern with a mock neckline and long sleeves. Our favorite part is the traditional touch of buttons down the back of the jacket. Another stunning option is our Petal Satin Jacket. The satin jacket covers up your decolletage and shoulders with a bateau neckline and short sleeves. Delicate buttons and a gathered back detail add a bit of drama. This jacket pairs perfectly with any simple or minimalist gown and is a great choice for brides who want a modest look at their ceremony and to spice things up at the reception. The elegant bridal accessories not only add modesty to your dress, but can enhance the overall look. 

Real Life Modest Weddings

Whether it was for a traditional church wedding or just because they loved the style, we’re seeing our Morilee real brides embracing modesty. From high necklines to delicate sleeves, these demure gowns look so stunning! Our real brides modest wedding dresses brought out an unexpected side to them, like Addie wearing our Eleanor Wedding Dress who said “It’s the prettiest dress I’ve ever seen and had the pleasure of wearing! I loved the high neckline. I liked the length of the train and how it was the perfect amount of elegant and fun. I got endless compliments about my dress. The waistline was so flattering and I felt like a princess.” Or Sarah, who fell in love with our Guadalupe Wedding Dress and ordered it sight unseen because she just knew it was the one! And of course, so many of our brides love the beauty and glamor of our high neck Grazia Wedding Dress, like Sandra who had a traditional Mexican wedding in the same church her parents were married in. She told us “I saw the dress online and it looked so royal and timeless, as soon as I tried it on, I knew it was a dress my future daughter would love too.” 

Budget-Friendly Modest Options

Beautiful modest wedding dresses don’t have to break the bank. If you’re looking for budget-friendly bridal gowns we’ve got you covered! There are several affordable modest wedding dresses in our The Other White Dress Collection–which ranges from $700-$1,200. Our Chastity Wedding Dress is a stunning option with a crepe bodice featuring a conservative bateau neckline and long sleeves on a full organza skirt. And for our more carefree boho brides check out our Noah Wedding Dress, an effortless A-line with a bateau neckline on a crepe crepe with flowing organza sleeves and skirt. There’s also our Grace Collection, with a price range of $800-$3,2000. This collection of gowns focuses solely on modest styles. All gowns have raised necklines and covered shoulders, making them ideal for our brides looking for inexpensive modest wedding attire.

Customization Options

If you love a dress, but would want to tweak a few things about it, don’t worry! We offer various customization options for many of our gowns so our brides can say yes to their dream dress! These custom modest wedding dresses can be altered with the addition of sleeves or remove a skirt slit to give your dress a more traditional look. Personalized modest bridal dresses can also be achieved with the help of an experienced seamstress. When you order the dress please ask the associates at the store to order extra fabric to help make customizations like raising the neckline or adding sleeves. Tailored wedding gown options are available to help our modest brides achieve their perfect look! 

FAQs About Modest Wedding Dresses

For brides who are exploring modest fashion for the first time or if you just want to know more about modest bridal gowns, we’ve got you covered. We’re answering some of the most frequently asked questions about modest bridal wear. 

What is a modest wedding dress?

First, many brides want to know “what is a modest wedding dress?” Well, the definition of modest may have different meanings to different people. Typically modest gowns will cover the majority of skin, with higher necklines, covered shoulders, and long skirts. Some cultures take the definition further to have all visible skin other than the neck and face covered, opting for long sleeves and loose silhouettes so no definition of the body can be seen. How modest you choose to dress is a personal decision, but know that Morilee offers wedding dresses that meet the needs of various levels of modesty. 

Are modest wedding dresses only available in specific styles or designs?

Morilee works to blend modern style with modest design to create dresses that are both trendy and timeless! In our Grace Collection you can find gowns of all different styles, from princess ball gowns, to minimalist looks, and even effortlessly boho dresses. We make sure that brides who are seeking a more modest look have plenty of options to choose from, so they can find their dream dress.

Do modest wedding dresses come in various sizes?

Our modest Grace Collection is available in sizes 0-28, making it an inclusive range that can suit the needs for brides of all shapes and sizes! We pride ourselves on creating wedding dresses that have the perfect fit, regardless of a bride’s size. For our curvy brides who may be concerned about sizing availability, we also have our Julietta Collection–an exclusive plus size range designed with them in mind. The dresses in this collection are not created exclusively for modest brides, like the Grace Collection is, but can be customized to fit the more conservative look you desire.

Do modest wedding dresses come in a variety of colors?

While some may think that modest wedding dresses are only available in pure white, that’s not the case. In fact, most wedding gowns don’t come in true white shades as they can be very harsh on the eye and wash out the  bride’s skin. Instead, most wedding dresses come in shades of ivory or cream, which have a softer look to them, tend to be more flattering, and are almost indistinguishable from what people think of as “white”. And that’s certainly not the only colors modest wedding dresses are available in. Modest bridal gowns can have warmer undertones of champagne and prosecco, and even colorful options, like our Nia Wedding Dress, which has pops of colorful floral embroidery. 

Conclusion

Modest wedding dresses are a timeless option for brides. These styles keep you covered while still remaining stylish by blending a more traditional design with trendy and modern elements. You can find a variety of elegant modest wedding dresses or customize one to perfectly fit your wedding day vision. Every bride has a chance to embrace their own unique style with a modest gown. If you’re ready to find your dream modest wedding dress, visit one of our incredible retailers!