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A very nice place to get modest formal gowns and dresses is at http://www.modestbydesign.com/Home
they have a fairly large selection of dresses and gowns for any occasion.

Those are very pretty. Unfortunately they're still too uncovered for my religious community -- short sleeves and such low necklines. But they're really gorgeous.

they might let you go if you go to the prom with a lad from your church who doesnt drink and stuff.i did that and it worked a treat.

We're not allowed to have boyfriends (or girlfriends), actually. I'm Muslim... XD

We were actually having a discussion on that in this Islamic guild I'm in! Someone else and I think that the only thing that isn't allowed is touching the opposite sex before marriage, really. Dating is just going out and getting to know the person and seeing if they could be your potential spouse in the future. You don't have to kiss or have sex to date!

So I guess sooner or later, all Muslims "date". Just that these days when dating is mentioned, people think that you have to make out or something but you don't. I was talking to a friend of mine one day too about how love marriages would happen if Muslims aren't allowed to date and I think that sometime we'll have to.

And sometimes there are arranged marriages where their parents will set each other up and they'll get to know them (which is a date, really) but if one person doesn't like the other, they won't get married. (Unless it's forced but that's not allowed in Islam. The marriage would be invalid.)

Poppy, I think that's pretty much how it is!

I would have a problem with the no-touching rule. I'm such a touchy-feely person. I grope/cuddle with/kiss just about everyone I know. I just love physical contact, and I've never understood why physical contact always seems to carry sexual connotations. But then, I'm discovering that my views on physical intimacy in general are somewhat abnormal, so maybe I'm just weird. I'm just lucky that my partner trusts me and isn't a jealous person, or else we probably wouldn't have made it through the first gathering with my friends.

My main issue with the idea of courting is that I don't like the notion of going out and specifically looking for someone to marry, or dating with the mindset that if it doesn't end in marriage, it's a waste of time. In my experience, that's just not how people really fall in love. Just...get to know the person, have some fun, and don't put the pressure of "forever" on either of you. If things are going to work out long-term, that'll become evident eventually. If not, well, then you've had some fun and gotten to know a (hopefully) somewhat interesting person.

Not that I'm some expert on relationships. Different things work for different people. I just know that I'd be bothered if I was dating someone who thought I was a waste of time if they couldn't see themselves marrying me, or who was talking about names for our children on the second date.

I definitely understand your viewpoint, SinfulGuillotine, though I have a different one, myself. I've watched people date -- and way back when, I also dated -- and I came to the realization that getting together for fun is absolutely that: loads of fun. But if you're having fun and thinking it's temporary, and the other person gets a bit emotionally involved with you, having to break up with them later because you don't feel the same way is just awful to have to do. It's also awful to be the one who's attached and have the other person need to break up with you. And it stinks to have to say, or hear, "I've had a lot of fun with you, but I'm ready to look for a real relationship now, someone I could marry. It isn't you. We have to break up." It hurts to have to do that. I prefer to go into things with the clear objective of determining whether I'm compatible with the person for more than just a couple of movies or dinners. I can sit and watch a movie with someone I don't like at all. I can eat dinner with someone I sort of enjoy. But for a long term commitment, I need to know more about them.