Let's talk about your ideal amount of skin showing?

I decided to have a high neck dress because I didn’t want to worry about wearing a special bra or wondering what my cleavage looked like (I’ve seen some brides where their boobs look lopsided because of how they were standing or sitting in a particular photo and I just didn’t want to be worrying) I also am a conservative dresser to begin with and I didn’t want to feel uncomfortable in front of my husbands grandparents l

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I know exactly what you mean! I didn't want to have to wear a strapless bra or have to worry about hoiking up the dress. Like you, I've seen tons of photos with the bride sitting and because of the angle and maybe some last minute weight loss after final alterations, there's a lot more on show than maybe the bride anticipated!

Plus on the day I expect to either be sitting a lot of the time and being congratulated by standing relatives... OR standing and leaning over a guest table. I'm quite well endowed, so either way, it would mean a fair face full of boob, which isn't really the vibe I'm going for, haha!

It’s not within my personal comfort zone, but I love the sheer and “naked” wedding gowns! They are so beautiful and edgy, and the brides that rock them are amazing 🤘🏻 I tend to be very nontraditional/non-conformist in the way I dress, so I think everyone expects me to wear something shocking like this LOL I think everyone will be surprised to see how modest my dress is (for me anyway).

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I actually love them too - some of them are really beautiful! I would LOVE to go to a wedding where someone was wearing one - I love it when a bride chooses something that she's clearly passionate about!

The downside is, what doesn't really show in all those stunning photo shoots of the dresses is that in real life when you're moving around, it's a lot harder to obscure a body suit underneath, or make sure it isn't obscene, compared to taking beautiful posed images.

But I still commend anyone who is brave enough to do it - the photos you'd get would be worth it! And...

I went in planning on a neckline with little to no v, a high back, and a lined bodice. I left with a relatively deep v, deep back, and unlined bodice 😅 I personally don't love enough of my body to put any more on display but those pictures you included of the sheer and naked dresses look so good 😭

I personally don't mind showing my shoulders, cleavage, or even a cut-out if that was the style I liked. But I wouldn't want it to be sheer around the legs like those photos. I did end up getting something over-the-shoulder. My mom secretly thinks a lot of low-cut dresses are "trashy" but she doesn't have a problem with this one, so I guess that's good 😅

I'm still learning to love my body but I do enjoy flaunting my curves and to me I wanted to look at least a little bit sexy in my wedding dress so I knew from the get go my dress would have cleavage, though I have a large bust so I generally have cleavage without even trying to.

I love the sheer finish over the bodice (i.e. with lots of lace) or a low back but I myself couldn't sport either of those!

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Right?! They're so pretty! But argh, I think in real life they wouldn't be all that practical.

And nooo...! you should love your body! Your fiance surely loves you just how you are - we need to be kinder to ourselves!

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LOL! I know what you mean, Some mums have a bee in their bonnet about any dress that isn't a ballgown not being 'bridal' enough, but your mum's no low dress rule seems fair, and yay, she loves yours!

I wouldn't mind cut outs, shoulders, or SOME cleavage (as long as it could be well supported) but I agree, the sheer skirts is bridge too far for me, even though the pictures are pretty. Imagine having to find the perfect knickers because they'll show through your dress? Or having to schedule a bikini wax just in case you do close-up photos of your lower half

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Ooh you raise such a good point! And I think this is part of why I asked.

I think almost everyone I know had a 'sexy' style of wedding dress - and that's probably because sexiness and confidence go together! And every woman should look and feel confident and beautiful on her wedding day!

I think for me, yes I wanted to look snatched and fantastic and whatnot, but more than that, I wanted to look bridal. (which in and of itself means different things to different people, of course!) Essentialyl, I have so many other occasions to look sexy or wear a figure hugging, see through, low fronted, backless dress, but only one day when looking like a bride in a big old ballgown isn't going to look a bit strange, so I intended to take my chance, haha!

But it's so fun to hear how other people wanted to feel, and then see the dress that made them feel that way - the dress that they think not only made them look and feel beautiful, but also that they thought represented who they wanted to be on the day they got married.

I love low back dresses, but I have to be honest - I feel like they never really fit well.

My favorite part about my body is my waist. I have a 23" waist. So I always want gowns to accentuate that. I've always felt like without the structure that the back of a dress provides, backless gowns always gap on the sides. Backless dresses are highly dependent on angles, in my opinion.

I love sheer gowns, but I also just love classics. I wouldn't do sleeves, because I live in Florida. My wedding gown, my décolleté and arms were uncovered. My vow renewal gown will probably be the same. I am personally more about shape than skin - a dress that shows off every rocking curve is sexier than one that shows a lot of skin.

What's funny is i ended up showing way more skin than i anticipated. my ideal dress was more modest but when i tried it on i wasn't liking it one bit

I'm not a fan at all of sheer/ backless/plunging neckline dresses. I don't care what others do but I personally don't find them comfortable or dignified laying religious beliefs aside. I went for a pretty conservative look with bare shoulders, a little back, and no cleavage when shopping for my dress. We got married in our church in front of our mentors and stuff so it just wouldn't have been appropriate for anything sexy to be walking down the aisle. I've always gone for the more sweet princess dress type of vibe.

I wanted one with a deep V and thats what I got!
However I did think I wanted a form fitting mermaid and ended up with a ballgown. I have fairly little cleavage and thought the deep v would accentuate well without being too over the top.

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I hear you on that - my waist is my favourite too! I'm about 26 inches and I also wanted it to be the focus. I am thinking back to the dresses I tried on and I think you're right - the backless ones can't easily mould to the area directly above the waist, and also tend to have less support at the front, so unless you're flat-chested, they aren't the dress for someone looking to make their waist look miniature.

You're also not wrong about not needing to show skin to be sexy. I personally think a slim-fitting but conservative dress can be very sexy - it makes you wonder what's underneath!

Equally, heaps of skin isn't always raunchy! It's funny how two people can show the same amount of skin, and yet it can have a different effect.

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Haha! I love that. Sometimes that is just the way it works - you go in expecting to like something, and... nope! Not for you. I'm sure your dress is/was gorgeous!

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Yes I do think that needs to be taken into account. In many religious ceremonies you will be seated or kneeling in front of the person presiding over the ceremony, so a super low dress would be giving that person an eyeful which isn't always appropriate.

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Yes! I'm so jealous of people who can carry off those j-lo style, low-fronted dresses! As a more endowed lady they are not remotely flattering on me, but I love them on other people.

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Yeah, I'm not of the camp that thinks skin is raunchy, I just prefer shape over skin myself.

That said, there is one gown that I would make an exception for - it isn't a wedding gown, it was a couture gown by a designer for a runway show, but man, I have been madly in love with it since I saw it years ago and would absolutely wear it for a vow renewal dress.

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Ooh that's pretty. And just opaque enough I think!

(In a surprise to no one, I love the ballgown one in the back, haha!)