When you are shopping for a regular dress, you may not give too much thought to the view of the back. For your bridal gown, however, you should look fabulous from every conceivable angle. To make sure that the view from the back is just as pretty as from the front, check out some of the latest wedding gowns with elaborate embellished backs.

During the marriage ceremony, most brides and grooms will spend a lot of time with their backs to their guests. Also, imagine the pictures of you and your husband dancing and cutting the wedding cake; these photos are also going to be a time when the back of your wedding gown is front and center. This is why it is so important to find a gown that has a special back detail.

Happily, wedding gown designers are well aware of a bride's desire to look gorgeous from every point of view. There are many gowns out there with unique and eye-catching designs on the back. All you need to find the perfect one for you is a three-way mirror, and a brutally honest friend.

Some of the most spectacular styles feature an illusion (a sheer mesh or organza) top on the bodice of the gown. This sheer fabric usually comes up high on the back, and serves as a background for some truly stunning embroidery and beadwork. It is like wearing a little piece of art on your back. You can be sure that the photographs will be breathtaking.

A variation on the embellished illusion back is one made of lace. This can either be a part of the neckline of the gown itself, or a little lace shrug that is worn over a strapless bridal gown. A very pretty look is to have a sheer illusion lace on the back that flows into a lace with a solid backing for the bodice and skirt of the gown. To balance out the covered up back, these types of gowns will frequently have straps over the shoulder that flow into a very open and sophisticated neckline in the front.

On the other extreme are the gowns that have wide open backs. This is a very dramatic and sexy style which is most often seen in slinky sheath dresses. It can be a fabulous choice for an evening wedding or one on a beach. The most elegant version of this style is a sheath made from a silk charmeuse or double faced satin with jeweled straps that cross in the back. Play up the special back of this gown by wearing your hair up. Accent the jeweled straps with a piece of custom made bridal jewelry that will drip down into the open back of the wedding dress.

Wide open backs can also be done in sweeter styles that are ideal for the beach. These are usually done in a breezy fabric such as silk organza or chiffon. The gown will have sheer straps that cross in the back; the straps often tie in the middle or at the bottom of the back, and flow into lovely long tails. This style of wedding gown shows almost as much skin as the other type with the very open back, but it is a more youthful and demure dress nonetheless.

One of the biggest trends in couture gowns this year is the one shoulder dress. Popular both on the red carpet and the church aisle, this fashion forward trend has been embraced by chic brides from coast to coast. Some of the most fabulous versions have big ruffly silk flowers that flow over the shoulder and down the back of the gown. With this type of neckline, you will want to wear a stand-out pair of earrings, since you can't pair a necklace with a one shoulder gown. You can have your bridal jewelry custom made to complement the style of your gown.

A final style of dress to consider is one that has the back interest a little lower. Many of these gowns have classic strapless necklines, but have beautiful details on the train. Some of the more popular embellishments include rows of ruffles, organza pleats, or even bows. With so many choices, you are sure to find the perfect bridal gown for your wedding.

Let us know if you need assistance in any area of planning your wedding.Take advantage of Bridget's experience helping clients select jewelry and accessories. Custom bridal jewelry can be handcrafted to be the perfect complement to your wedding gown.

Trend Alert - Wedding Gowns With Sleeves

After years of being traumatized by poufy sleeves which were larger then their faces, brides have made a sharp turn away from wedding gowns with sleeves. Sleeves have gotten a bad rap as being dated, fussy, and just plain over-the-top (remember the leg o'mutton sleeve?). However, after years of bridal banishment, sleeves are finally starting to make a comeback. Don't worry: you will look nothing like Princess Diana in the newest wedding gowns with sleeves. This is how the trend towards bridal gowns with sleeves showing up in some of the prettiest weddings around.

Traditionally, brides always wore wedding dresses with sleeves, at least for the ceremony portion of the event. There was the expectation that the bride at a church wedding would cover her shoulders to show respect in a house of worship. That custom has pretty much been abandoned in most, though not all, houses of worship. Over time, however, the religious reasons for wearing wedding gowns with sleeves have faded, and the strapless gown is by far the most popular option for brides. In fact, if a bride wanted to wear a wedding gown with sleeves, whether it was for religious reasons, to cover tattoos, or just a matter of personal preference, she often had to resort to having a gown custom made or wearing a jacket over a sleeveless gown.

Everything comes around eventually in fashion, however, and the sleeve has finally started to show up again in bridal collections. Although strapless gowns are likely to retain their immensely popular status, they are no longer the only option. One of the prettiest wedding gowns with sleeves which has been seen recently was the one worn by Ivanka Trump in her October 2009 wedding. It was a custom Vera Wang gown inspired by the lace creation worn by none other than Grace Kelly when she became Princess of Monaco.

Ivanka Trump's regal gown was the essence of feminine beauty, and even Vera Wang commented on what a pleasure it was to see a bride wear a classic gown with sleeves after seeing so many strapless gowns. Ivanka accessorized her gown with a classic all white nosegay bouquet and fabulous bridal jewelry. As the neckline of her gown was too high to wear a necklace, she opted for spectacular earrings and an impressive bracelet as her bridal jewelry. Brides without access to the Trump bank account can achieve a similar effect by selecting gorgeous Swarovski crystal jewelry instead of diamonds set in platinum.

Ivanka is not the only one with the 1950s on her mind right now. Many of the top designers showed '50s inspired gowns in their most recent bridal collections. Granted, many of those gowns were strapless, but the portrait neckline is also fabulous with the classic 1950s silhouette. Sitting just on the tip of the shoulder, the portrait neckline is incredibly flattering to almost any bride's figure, including those with larger busts.

Lace sleeves are one of the up-and-coming trends, as they offer the classic beauty and modesty of sleeves, but retain a light and airy feeling thanks to the openwork of the lace. For brides who like the idea of sleeves paired with a more seductive cut gown, try one with sleeves which open into a keyhole back on the bodice. Monique Lhullier specializes in that design, and others offer it as well. This type of wedding gown with sleeves can be the perfect blend of modesty and drama for a modern bride.