Thomas Michael Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 From the BridalAssociationOfAmerica.com website... ----------------- Provocative wedding gowns draw the ire of the church Sylvester Asoya One Saturday morning last year, a crowd gathered at St. Agnes Catholic Church, Lagos, Maryland, for a wedding ceremony. Delighted by the day's event, the bride strutted to the altar in a daring wedding gown with a plunging neckline, offering an ample view of her cleavage. But her joy soon evaporated. The officiating priest, Reverend Father Raphael Uzokwu, ordered her to go back home and change into a less daring dress or risk the cancellation of the ceremony. The minister's threat turned her freshly made-up face into a teary mess. The bridal train and the guests were also thrown into confusion. They pleaded with the priest to rescind his decision, but he ignored them. He later did when a bride's maid offered a shawl to keep the heaving cleavage out of sight. Incidents like this are becoming common as the Church moves to curb indecent dressing at weddings. For many of today's brides, revealing wedding gowns, mirroring the general bare-it-all fashion craze, are the rage. Wedding dressmakers are innundated by requests from brides to show them as trendy or chic. According to The NEWS' investigations, prospective brides see the wedding day as their last opportunity to be girls before they are chained by the restrictions of matrimony. Wedding gowns are therefore seen as a medium to express this. However, the Church is becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the trend, speaking and acting against it. Last week, Reverend Father Gabriel Osu, Director of Social Communications of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, confirmed this to TheNEWS. "I have had cause to personally question people and to tell one or two brides to go back or please cover up. This is not proper," Osu said. He expressed concern that the 'offending' dresses are worn with the consent of the grooms. On a few occasions, Osu said, he saw grooms say: " We can't marry twice. It is only once. Please grant her request. I'm okay, anything goes." Osu explained that intending couples are taught to know what a proper wedding gown is as part of the Catholic Church's six-month marriage programme. "Your wedding gown which ordinarily should not even be an issue, always comes up," Osu said. But a young man who preferred anonymity asked: "Do you expect a modern woman to wear just any dress on the most important day of her life? The days of our mothers are gone." But the Catholic Church seems liberal when compared with other denominations. TheNEWS gathered that some other churches go beyond reprimand and the use of shawls for revealing dresses. At the Archbishop Vining Anglican Church in Lagos, TheNEWS learnt, prospective couples are advised to bring their gowns for screening weeks before the wedding day. Gowns which fall short of the church's standards are rejected. Brides who defy this are not allowed to wear such gowns, but are made to hire one from the church- at a cost. The situation is also the same in the Christ Apostolic Church, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Foursquare Gospel Church and many other Pentecostal churches. However, some new generation churches are indifferent to revealing dresses, some of which are worn to their Sunday services. But the church's position is not shared by wedding dressmakers who see such revealing gowns as a reflection of the prevailing fashion trend. Reverend Kelvin Tope-Tapere of the Anglican Diocese of Lagos West, disagrees. "The designers of these clothes, the brides and the manufacturers of nudity are taking advantage of the fact that men are visually aroused. So ladies feel that they stand to attract more attention when they expose sensitive parts of their bodies. It does not matter whether you're a pastor or not. We didn't just get into this situation by accident. Nudity is all over the place and it is a tool for the devil," he said. He also argued that brides who choose revealing dresses are victims of dressmakers' aggressive marketing drive. However, a married female journalist believes that the trend is temporary. "The development is basically fashion and it is a result of peer pressures. Those involved in it have no reason for exposing their bodies. Their only reason is: that person did it, why can't I look like her? If I don't look that way, they will think I'm old fashioned," she told TheNEWS. There is no hint yet that the church is winning the duel. Last July's wedding of Nwankwo Kanu, the Super Eagles striker, is a testimony that the duel is far from over. Amarachi, the footballer's bride, came to the church in a strapless gown which revealed a part of her cleavage. The footballer and his brother, who was the bestman, also came with their hair plaited. ----------------- It's great to hear that some priests are taking a stand against immodest bridal fashions... but I think that priest in Lagos should have clearly addressed the wedding-gown issue ahead of time instead of making a scene at the altar and screwing up the young lady's wedding day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeschoolmom Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 :cheer: Sorry... I think they (the priests) are right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreamweaver Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Go priests! I believe there is a rule at our church that you can't wear a strapless dress (though I'm not positive, I've never asked). I think it all is a matter of taste. What is so beautiful about walking down the aisle trying to keep your boobs in your dress? The traditional wedding dress is white to symbolize purity. There is nothing pure about dressing like a cheap street walker, even if that is what "fashion" dictates. I'll take a beautiful dress medieval/renaissance inspired dress anyday! No cleavage required! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeschoolmom Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 yea, it's ironic to have a low cut, high slit, backless-- whatever white dress... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelly_freak Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 I saw a bride at Navy Pier on saturday, she was sooooo pretty and elegant and she was still very modest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmotherofpirl Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 I think the priests should hand the bride a list of what is acceptable when she signs up for pre-Cana classes or picks the date for the Church. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelly_freak Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 My friend is making my wedding dress when I get married, she's a seamstress and does wedding dresses all the time, they're so pretty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toledo_jesus Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 yes! totally awesome. It should be common sense that you don't dress like a prostitute on your wedding day. You are not showing off the goods on that day...It's a sacrament, for Pete's sake! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traichuoi Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 [quote name='toledo_jesus' date='Dec 13 2004, 10:08 AM'] yes! totally awesome. It should be common sense that you don't dress like a prostitute on your wedding day. You are not showing off the goods on that day...It's a sacrament, for Pete's sake! [/quote] who is Pete and why is the Sacrament for his sake? okay..enough with the cheesy joke. i already know i want to wear a traditional Vietnamese Ao Dai which looks much like this: [img]http://members.cox.net/annguyen/AD2004-61.jpg[/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 that's beautiful, traichuoi! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.R.D Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 I agree i was so mad at my cousins wedding cause she was wearing something VERY immodest.... woot woot go priests Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luthien Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 [quote name='traichuoi' date='Dec 13 2004, 12:29 PM'] who is Pete and why is the Sacrament for his sake? okay..enough with the cheesy joke. i already know i want to wear a traditional Vietnamese Ao Dai which looks much like this: [img]http://members.cox.net/annguyen/AD2004-61.jpg[/img] [/quote] Ner.... I wish I was Vietnamese Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theculturewarrior Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 my niece wore one of those as a bride's maid once. (my brother's wife is half vietnamese.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azaelia Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 I've seen some wedding dresses that were just...ugh. My wedding dress is going to be pretty, and modest Maybe even elvish... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theoketos Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Irony or maybe providence that the Church is dedicated to saint Agnes, who is so pure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now