After years of being traumatized by poufy sleeves which were bigger 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 astatine a church wedding would cover her shoulders to show respect in a house of worship. That custom has pretty much been derelict in most, though not all, houses of worship. Over time, however, the spiritual 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.
1. Ivanka Trump
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 telling bracelet as her bridal jewellery.
2. Grace Kelly
The Wedding of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956 will go down in history as the Wedding of the Century. The wedding gown was made from antique Valenciennes rose point lace, twenty-five yards of silk taffeta and ninety eight yards of tulle. Her veil was covered with appliquéd lace lovebirds and thousands of seed pearls.
Prince Rainier designed the Napoleonic influenced dress uniform himself.
I have loved Grace Kelly's dress ever since I first saw it,
3. Kate Middleton
Clutching champagne colored flowers as she stepped out of the Rolls Royce with her father, the soon to be Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, stunned and drew cheers. The Sarah Burton wedding gown is befitting for the young and modern bride has always been humble and respectful of tradition. The gown had a demure v-neck with the decolletage and arms delicately covered with French lace. The train of Kate Middleton’s wedding gown was modest but still dramatic. The bride’s sister and maid of honor, Pippa, also wore a white body-conscious sleeveless gown by Alexander McQueen
4. Lauren Bush
Jenna’s cousin, Lauren Bush. Incidentally, Lauren married David Lauren, son of designer Ralph Lauren. Her legal name is now Lauren Bush Lauren, which I find delightfully amusing. David and Lauren’s September 2011 wedding took place at the Lauren family’s ranch in Colorado and had a vintage western theme. The photo below looks as if it could have been taken a century ago!
Lauren’s long-sleeved wedding dress, designed by Ralph Lauren, was made of tulle, lace and crystals. The gown reportedly took 3,000 hours to make, with 100 craftspeople hand-embroidering pearls, small flower motifs, and scroll designs in ivory silk thread.
5. Lilly Allen
The wedding dress drew its inspiration from the vintage-style, with intricate lace complemented by a lace cap to create a turn of the 19th Century look. Shoes were by Rupert Sanderson.
Bridesmaids wore peachy coloured slips (for the grown ups) with the children wearing miniature lace outfits to match the bride’s wedding dress. Lily is the daughter of actor, Keith Allen, who gave the bride away, however there was a surprise announcement for the assembled guests and public – Lily announced she is pregnant and the couple are expecting their first child.
Manivet Delphine Vintage Lace Wedding Dress for Lily Allen
At least the English weather was kind for the very happy couple:
Lily Allen in Lace Wedding Dress with her proud father, Keith Allen
6. Princess Margaret
HRH Princess Margaret and Anthony Armstrong-Jones
May 6, 1960
Margaret may have shared a wedding dress designer with her sister (Norman Hartnell), but she walked down the aisle in the polar opposite of her sister's traditional dress, sweeping in a whole new decade of royal style in her wake. This was also the first royal wedding ever televised, and was watched by over 300 million viewers worldwide, so her effect on ushering in the sleek styles of the 1960s could very well have stretched far beyond the royal family.
White silk organza with a satin-bound silk tulle veil and not a stitch of embroidery in sight. The whole design was made to accommodate the princess's short stature, including the tiara:
7. Zeina Shaban - Jordan
Prince Rashid bin El Hassan of Jordan and Zeina Shaban
July 22, 2011
Amman, Jordan
Prince Rashid is the son of Jordan's Prince Hassan bin Talal and Princess Sarvath El Hassan. His bride, Zeina, is a table tennis champion who represented Jordan in both the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games.
