This past weekend I was helping my sister shop for her wedding dress, and we were amazed at just how few non-strapless dresses there were out there.  It seemed like the only dresses with straps were either extremely simple, or just plain old-looking.  I know that many women aren’t that comfortable showing all that skin on their wedding day, and for girls who have body image issues with their arms, a strapless dress will only make things 100 times worse.  As a wedding photographer, I have to admit that I am not a fan of strapless dresses, because they tend to be very difficult to work with and, more often than not, don’t fit the bride properly. Although I have to admit that the majority of the most beautiful wedding dresses out there are strapless, I also know that for many women, a strapless dress is less than ideal.

So what’s a gal to do?  Well, as I learned this weekend, many bridal ateliers can add cap sleeves to most dresses.  In the newest issue of Elegant Bride (just got mine in the mail this weekend!), I saw a bride (fellow wedding photographer Carrie Patterson, as a matter of fact) who added just two small gathered sections of tulle to create her straps, and it looked incredibly delicate and beautiful, and probably only cost her about $5 to do.

Image Courtesy of Nashan Photography

Another bride added a bit of scalloped allencon lace to make a halter, a look  just ADORE!

However, my favorite solution has to be the bolero.  Boleros are so trendy and hot right now, and they instantly couture-ify any wedding gown.  The best part is that they can be removed at any time, so you can go formal for the ceremony and photos, and then remove it when you bustle the gown for the reception.  It’s like having two dresses in one!  Bonzie on Etsy definitely has the cutest boleros, wraps, and bridal scarves I have ever seen, and her prices are very reasonable (most are below $100). Here are a few of my favorites:

If you want something with a little more drama, Modern Romance on Etsy offers an amazing organza capelet that can also be dyed to match your wedding colors, and Countessa on Etsy has some really hot boleros and wraps, including an uber cute black and white damask wrap that I just ordered for myself!  If you want something more traditional, try this lace shrug from Rohm on Etsy or this ruffled neckpiece from indulgencecouture on Etsy.  Many brides think “There’s no way I can pull that off!” (like my sister when I tried to talk her into a birdcage veil), and if you’re a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl, then maybe a bolero or wrap isn’t for you.  However, if you’re looking at these photos and thinking “Oh my god that’s so cute I want to do that!” then chances are you are stylish enough that you can totally work it.  Remember, fashion is all about confidence – if you think you look hot in something, everyone else will too.  Just own it, girl!