Summer is here, and we are in the swing of engagement and wedding season! If you are a new bride or bride-to-be, you know that planning a wedding takes time and thought. After all, this is YOUR big day, and many of us have dreamt of what our wedding day will look like since we were little girls, especially the wedding dress.

Personally, my favorite part of the entire wedding planning process was the wedding dress shopping. Although I had an idea of the style and silhouette, I tried on just about every dress in the three boutiques I went to. And to my surprise, the wedding dress I ended up choosing was totally different than what I had initially envisioned. As a hijabi bride there were a lot of decisions to be made and things I had to consider when it came to my wedding dress and wedding celebration.

I am going to walk you through some of the things I considered to make my wedding outfit modest, using examples from my own 2013 wedding and my sister’s 2020 wedding. They were very different in many aspects, especially in the styles and choices available in regards to the wedding gown. Insha’Allah that this will help you prepare for your big day.

What will be the venue of your wedding? This will help inform your dress choice. Some things to think about are the location, the guest list, and whether or not you want to take off your hijab during the celebration. My wedding was held in a hotel ballroom. I knew that I wanted to have my hair done and take my hijab off at some point during the wedding, so we decided that the celebration would be mixed with men and women in the beginning through dinner. After dinner the men went to a separate hall and the women stayed in the main ballroom.

My sister chose not to take her hijab off for the entirety of the celebration. Her wedding was mixed for the majority of the time. She held her wedding at an outdoor/indoor venue located on the harbor front of the city in which she lives.

A third option is to have a completely separate wedding with men and women in different halls. Depending on how you’d like to host the women and men will help you narrow down your wedding dress options. And, deciding on this early on will help make your wedding dress shopping experience easier and more enjoyable.

After you’ve decided on your venue and how you will host your guests, it’s time for the fun part, wedding dress shopping! It is important to note that not all cultures wear a white wedding gown. Take into consideration your cultural traditions and how you would like to incorporate them in your wedding planning. Many of the suggestions listed below can be applied to most types of ethnic wedding dress attire.

If I could give one piece of advice to new brides, it would be to try as many wedding dress styles as possible. I went in thinking I knew the type of silhouette and design I wanted, and came out with something completely different. Go in with an open mind and don’t be scared to try on various styles; you might surprise yourself.

I got married in 2013, but bought my dress several months in advance in 2012. Back then, there were not many long sleeve options in the market. As a hijabi bride, I had wanted my dress to be modest, yet elegant. Because I had planned to take my hijab off for the second half of the wedding after the dinner reception, I opted for a sleeveless A-Line gown.

My dear mother-in-law, may Allah (S) have mercy on her, was a talented seamstress who sewed a jacket for me that I wore over the dress. It was the perfect match to my gown and allowed me to wear my wedding dress in two unique and beautiful ways, with and without hijab.

Another option to a sleeveless, or short sleeve gown is to add removable sleeves that will allow you to also wear your gown with and without hijab. Whether you choose to go with a jacket or removable sleeves really depends on the neckline style of your dress, how easy it would be to make sleeves that would seamlessly flow with your gown and your personal preference.

There is also the option of wearing a long sleeve bodysuit underneath your wedding outfit to add sleeves to your gown, or line the dress if the sleeves are see through.

These days, with modest fashion being much more mainstream, long sleeve wedding gowns have become very popular and readily accessible with lots of options to choose from, if you want to maintain full coverage throughout your wedding. My sister was able to find a beautiful full sleeve A-Line gown.

The only caveat is that most of the sleeved gowns are made up of tulle or lace and are not lined. This is a simple fix however, you can sometimes request extra fabric of your gown from the designer or design house to be sent with your wedding dress, or you can purchase matching fabric and have an experienced tailor line the sleeves and bodice of your wedding dress. You can also choose to wear a long sleeve bodysuit like I mentioned above, which is what my sister did.

Another option that is popular among Muslim brides, is an oversized bridal hood-style jacket. This option is most common when the wedding ceremony will be completely separate. The bridal hood-jacket is worn just until the bride enters the ballroom. The oversized and flowy fit as well as the hood allow the bride to comfortably have her hair done and wear a short sleeve, sleeveless, or fitted style wedding gown underneath.

No matter the decision you make, the most important thing is to feel comfortable and beautiful in your wedding day outfit. Wearing the right hijab fabric to top off your wedding ensemble can make all the difference. Wedding hijab style has evolved drastically over the years with endless options to choose from. When it comes to fabric, my favorite Haute Hijab options that are fit for a bride are our buttery soft satins, and effortless chiffons.

Click here to read more about all HH has to offer by way of wedding-type hijabs, and also stay tuned for two upcoming pieces focusing on white wedding hijab style and Desi (South Asian) wedding hijab style!

I wish you all the best for your wedding planning journey. Remember to take it easy and enjoy every step of the way. For all of our new brides, and brides-to-be, may Allah (S) bless your union, fill it with barakah and grant you a lifetime of happiness and love, Ameen. Congratulations from the Haute Hijab team!