If you’re preparing for your temple sealing, you likely have many questions. Can you wear your wedding dress in the temple, and do you need a temple dress? You may have heard conflicting information. So today, we’ll break it down for you.
Let’s go over the rules of what you can and can’t wear in the temple on your wedding day.
What Do You Wear in the Temple?
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been counseled to wear their Sunday best when going to the temple.
The General Handbook says, “They should avoid wearing clothing that is casual or that does not cover the temple garment. They should also avoid wearing overly formal clothing, like tuxedos.”
But does this apply to your sealing day as well? The handbook has a section on what brides and grooms can wear to the temple. For the bride, it states that the dress you wear should “be white, modest in design and fabric, and free of elaborate ornamentation.”
It also needs to cover your garments. So any sheer parts will need to be lined. It must also have long or three-quarter sleeves. And if your dress has a train, it needs to be bustled or pinned up in the sealing ceremony.
During the sealing, you will wear your ceremonial temple clothing which is also worn during the endowment. You can learn more about this here.
So can you wear your actual wedding dress for your temple sealing?
Can You Wear Your Wedding Dress in the Temple?
If your wedding dress meets the specifications outlined in the Church’s general handbook, you can wear it in the temple. But if it is overly embellished, adorned, colorful, or otherwise, you may want to reconsider. If you don’t know whether your dress will work, you can call the temple and ask.
If your dress meets the requirements but simply doesn’t have long sleeves, then you can put on a white cardigan or sweater over it. However, many brides prefer to bring their dress to the temple and change into it after the sealing ceremony. They’ll wear a temple gown instead of their wedding dress.
So, yes, you can wear your wedding dress in the temple as long as it meets the requirements of temple gowns.
What If My Dress Isn’t White?
If your dress is not white or has colorful embellishments you’ll likely need to wear a temple dress instead. The clothing that you wear in the temple is sacred and part of the ordinance.
The clothes that we wear were revealed by God and thus we need to respect His guidelines. However, you can wear your non-white wedding dress when leaving the temple, just not in the sealing room.
Do I Need to Buy My Own Temple Dress for My Sealing?
If your wedding dress won’t work for the temple sealing, you have a couple of options. Many temples rent clothes and dresses that you can use. Or you can use your own temple dress.
If you plan to visit the temple often, you might consider purchasing your own temple clothes. Or you may also ask a family member or friend if you can borrow theirs.
Where Do I Change in the Temple?
Every temple has a bride’s room. This is specifically for brides to change into their ceremonial clothing before the sealing and into their wedding dress after.
They’ll have mirrors and places to sit so you can freshen up your hair and change your dress. Most temples will allow one or two guests to join you in the bride’s room to help you get ready.
The size of these rooms greatly differs. Some can only accommodate a few people. Whereas bigger temples can have several brides in the room at a time. The bride’s room in the Lima, Peru, temple was so small my ball gown wedding dress barely fit in it.
However, that shouldn’t be an issue in most temples. You can always search for pictures of the bride’s room of the temple you’ll get married in.
Can You Bring Flowers in the Temple for Your Sealing?
The Church handbook is clear on whether you can bring flowers into the temple for your sealing. “The couple and their guests should not wear flowers during the marriage or sealing ceremony. Flowers may be worn outside the temple for photographs after the ceremony.”
This means that the groom shouldn’t have a boutonniere on, nor other guests with corsages or bouquets in the temple.
But wait! I have seen many brides leave the temple with their bouquets! Yes, it’s true. You can bring your bouquet and boutonniere into the temple to leave with your things during the ceremony.
Then before exiting the temple, you can bring out your flower bouquet. It’s best to have someone help you with this task and make sure your flowers are in order.
Can I Have Things in My Hair During My Temple Sealing?
We can also take the guidelines on flowers in the temple to include flowers in the bride’s hair. If it will be difficult to put in and take out flowers from your hair, we suggest asking the temple. You may need to leave the temple and put the flowers in your hair after the sealing.
In the temple, you will put on ceremonial clothing worn in the endowment. This includes a veil. So you won’t use your own veil in the ceremony. However, you can usually wear small accessories like clips or jewels without issue.
Some brides prefer to take them out and put them on in the bride’s room after. But if in doubt, call the temple and ask. As long as it’s not too large or would interfere with wearing the veil, you should be fine.
Have a Plan and Come Prepared for Your Temple Sealing
The logistics of what to wear in the temple can be a little confusing. But if we follow the standards we shouldn’t have too many issues. The best advice I can provide is to make sure you have someone to help, whether your mom, sister, friend, or temple worker.
They can help you carry in your wedding dress and flowers and change into your gown afterward. And don’t worry. You’ll often have a specific temple worker assigned to help guide you through the process.
I had worn a normal Sunday dress to the temple so I didn’t have to wear my wedding dress change out of it, and then back into it multiple times. My dress was large and hard to get into. However, some couples take pictures before the sealing so this varies. But this worked for me.
I walked into the bride’s room and changed into my own temple dress and ceremonial clothes. Then afterward, I had my mom help me into my wedding gown, hand me my flowers, and put on my veil. Then I waited for my new husband in the foyer to walk out together.
Having someone to help and a plan of how it would work helped it all go smoothly. And wearing a temple dress instead of my wedding dress was also more comfortable. It would have been hard to kneel at the altar in my hoop skirt.
But just know that it doesn’t matter if you wear your actual dress in the sealing or not. You can’t take pictures inside anyway. And you can always leave the temple in your wedding gown. The most important part is that you get to be united with your husband for time and all eternity. Everything that comes after is superfluous.
Will you wear your wedding dress during your temple sealing?
