Abby Connolly
Many brides these days aren’t picking out a specific dress for their bridesmaids, but instead, choose a color or fabric and tell their bridesmaids to pick out whatever style of dress they like best.
One bride recently did this with her bridal party, but she added a rule to dress modestly. When one of her bridesmaids showed up in a dress that was too revealing, she had to leave.
She’s 27 and married her 29-year-old husband last week. She has an extended family that is quite traditional and strict and always dresses modestly. She doesn’t always agree with their beliefs and ideals, yet she always complies with them whenever she’s with her extended family.
“My parents don’t share the same ideas and are less religious and have always supported me,” she explained.
“But [they] do ask me to respect our extended family’s policies on dressing and culture.”
One of her bridesmaids was a friend of hers from college named Ava. Ava is a very passionate feminist, and she knew from the start that Ava would not be a fan of her extended family’s religious beliefs.
Leading up to the wedding, she had to pull Ava aside and ask her not to make a scene with her family on her wedding day. She told Ava that if her extended family does or says something to upset her, she should go to her or their friends.
When it was time for her bridal party to choose their bridesmaid dresses, she had two requirements. The dresses had to be a peach color, and they had to be modest to please her family. Other than that, her bridesmaids had creative liberty with their dresses. She gave them these instructions three months in advance.
Unfortunately, Ava had her dress custom-made, so she never got to see a preview before the wedding.
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