What your gown cleavage spells to the priest

Low cut wedding gowns are not acceptable in most faiths.

What you need to know:

WEDDING DRESS. A year ago an argument arose when Anglican priests came up to oppose brides who come to church in gowns that they deem indecent. Pauline Bangirana sought opinions from religious leaders on what is indecent and why.

Every bride loves looking good, but when your dream dress does not play that role, it leaves room for worry.
Last year, the Anglican Church opposed brides who come to church in low cut gowns or those that reveal too much skin. Their argument was, most women were indecent and revealing more skin than they should.
Dorah Nakalembe, a bride-to- be, says she intends to inquire from her church about dress code so that she is not disappointed at the last minute.
“I want to hear from the priest on what is recommended by the church so as to avoid unnecessary inconveniences like being chased away or having to look for something to cover my gown at the last moment,” Nakalembe shares.
A number of people were chased from church because they were deemed indecent and that is something one does not get over easily.
There were mixed feelings from both the religious and non-religious after the incident.

One wonders
One may wonder how a gown can affect their presence in the house of God. However, there are those who agree with the priests because some women tend to be inconsiderate to fellow worshippers.
“The church has all sorts of people; children, youth, adults and the elderly and some of whom are offended by indecent dressing. So, the best is to cover the skin, after all, one is in the house of God,” Nakalembe argues.
The Catholic church may not dictate what one wears to their big day but they can encourage an individual to come to terms with reality. In this case, reality is, if you feel uncomfortable or would not do something in your own home, then don’t do it in church.
“What you cannot do publicly in your home, do not do in the church,” Gerald Kalumba, the parish priest at Christ the King church, argues.

Perception differs
In a bid to promote and encourage decency, he highlights that there is a limitation because decency is looked at and defined differently by various individuals and as such, it becomes a challenge because someone might see themselves as decent which they are not in front of the church.
“I was wedded in 2012 and for some reason, the church was really strict and sort of discriminative to the “plus size women” because they were revealing so much skin. I recall before my wedding, I was told by the church to wear a gown that covers my whole body lest I would be embarrassed before the whole church,” Prudence Ainembabazi shares her dilemma.
“It’s been a year and some months, but I still recall vividly. Luckily, I wore a light jacket for the church ceremony.”

Distracting others
“When people come to church exposing certain body parts, they are distracting those that have come solely to worship God. Thus can cause some people to feel insecure especially those who are weak in spirit since your body should be seen by you and your husband in private,” says Rev Dr Hannington Mutebi, the assistant bishop of Kampala diocese.
It is appropriate for the church to instill such measures because ever since the opposition by the church leaders, there has been an improvement in the way people come dressed to church.
“We have premarital counselling sessions a month prior to the wedding although couples to be wedded always book six months in advance and as a church (All Saints’ Cathedral), we counsel and advise couples to prepare them on what the church expects of them,” Bishop Mutebi shares.
You can wear a decent dress and the priest will not chase you because your dress is modest.
Bishop Mutebi says there has been an improvement in the dress code since brides know what is expected of them although a challenge arises because not all churches offer as much time as possible to plan.

In the Islamic faith
According to Sheikh Hamidu Mbazira, Nakasero Mosque, any kind of dress code is an act of worship to Allah regardless of whether it is a woman or man. It is significant for anyone to first read the Quran before their wedding day.
“The gown must not be tight to reveal the body shape of the bride. It should not have many decorations because that is prohibited. One should consider the size of the gown because it has to cover the entire body and as such, it is recommended to wear a long sleeved gown. One should follow the holy book.”
Who says a wedding cannot go on because you are wearing a coat? Brides should aim at being smart without having to worry about revealing anything while bending, kneeling or even having to pull the dress all the time.
It is discomforting not only to you but to the church (congregation, priests and even your husband) as well.