"Did You See the Back of That Dress?"

Guest blogger: Rosanna Casper, co-founder of Idojour.com, a new wedding website where brides, grooms, family and friends can purchase a stylish and affordable mix of beautifully curated pieces. Designed to make wedding planning all the more inspiring and enjoyable, Idojour offers accessories and apparel for your wedding weekend, complemented by both inspirational and practical content. Rosanna oversees content, among many other things, and makes sure that everything comes together beautifully on the site.

Here, Rosanna shows her favorite dramatic dress backs.

Your moment has arrived  — the doors swing open, and your guests and your groom get their first glimpse of you as a bride. They "ooh" and "ahh" over your dress, the bouquet and the beaming smile on your face. But the real surprise comes when you walk down the aisle and reveal the gorgeous, dramatic back of your gown — and oh, what a sight it is!

priscilla chan wedding dress bella twilight breaking dawn wedding dress
Photo Credit (left to right): Claire Pettibone; Summit Entertainment

We were inspired to search for beautiful backs by the newly married Priscilla Chan-Zuckerberg, who donned an exquisite Claire Pettitbone design. We fell in love with the Carolina Herrera that Kristen Stewart wore in Twilight: Breaking Dawn. And who can forget Hilary Swank’s Guy Laroche number at the 2005 Oscars that started this trend in the first place?

In recent years, designers have only become more creative in the many flattering ways that a woman can gracefully show off her back on her wedding day. Here, we have six stunning ideas for brides looking for something unique when it comes to the back of her wedding dress.

1. Backless

”I had no idea brides were so ready to bare it.” Amsale

backless wedding dresses
Photo Credit (left to right): Cosmo BridesInbal DrorAmsale

2. Lace

”Lace is as much about the space between the threads as it is about the threads themselves.” —Lori Howe

lace back wedding dresses
Photo Credits (left to right): Claire Pettibone; Mi Belle Photography (dress by Claire Pettibone); Belle the Magazine

3. Embellished

"I work with couture laces and delicate embroideries, and I am often inspired by antique textiles and fashion history, yet I always feel a gown should look timeless." —Claire Pettibone

embellished wedding dress backs
Photo Credits (left to right) Claire Pettibone Provence; Axioo Phototgraphy; Corey Ann Photography 

4. Keyhole

Imagine all the complexity of human emotion and expectation at the crossroads of fantasy and reality. Then add considerations of tradition, propriety, sensuality and fashion, and capture all of that in one dress. It isn’t easy.” -- Vera Wang

keyhole wedding dress backs
Photo Credits (left to right): Paper Dollybird Blog (dress by Lazaro); CymbelineReem Acra

5. Sheer/Illusion 

“I love designers that really go for it and create something over-the-top…I mean, where it takes weeks to make a dress. It’s the pure fantasy of it that’s really inspiring to me.”  Claire Pettibone 

illusion wedding dress backs
Photo Credits (left to right): Reem AcraClaire Pettibone; Tom Rauner (dress by Angel Sanchez) 

6. Dramatic Trains 

“I work with structure, but I go outside the box and give it my own spin. I adore the challenge of creating truly modern clothes  where a woman’s personality and sense of style are realized.” Vera Wang wedding dresses with dramatic trainsPhoto Credits (left to right): Elsa by PronoviasVera Wang’s Spring 2012 collectionEden Bridal

—Rosanna Casper