41 Brides Wearing Off-the-Shoulder Wedding Dresses

By Emily Platt
Michael Radford

These photos are proof that the trending neckline looks incredible in a whole range of bridal styles.

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Michael Radford
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Off-the-shoulder wedding dresses may be trending, but that doesn't mean they aren't here to stay. Celebrities (including the always-elegant Michelle Obama) and commoners alike have been donning the style on their big days for years. Consider Meghan Markle who chose a boatneck bridal gown that fell slightly off her shoulders—what could be more timeless than an iconic royal look? It's easy to be enamored by the statement neckline, which is why we've rounded up some of our favorite examples (worn by brides just like you) to help you pull off this type of design yourself.

Sleeves that sit off the shoulder aren't all the same, as the following wedding dresses go to show. First, they differ in terms of placement. Some are draped romantically quite far down the arm, while others are simple and just barely graze the shoulders. They differ in terms of material, too—we've seen versions that range from lace to tulle. Off-the-shoulder necklines are also paired with a wide variety of gown shapes. Mermaid, A-line, and even sheath silhouettes are all fair game. Finally, some dresses don't actually fall off the shoulder at all—instead, they have illusion necklines where something sheer (like mesh) keeps everything in place.

To see all your off-the-shoulder options, browse the slides ahead. We've including everything from a boho short wedding dress to this fairtytale-worthy princess ball gown from JLM Couture. These beautiful styles are bound to give you ideas for your own outfit, no matter your celebration's theme.

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Fit-and-Flare Wedding Dress

Austin Gros

Anne Barge designed this bride's wedding dress, which had a fitted bodice and flaring skirt.

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High-Low Wedding Dress

Michael Radford

This bride fell in love with a silk high-low Sachin & Babi wedding dress. With tied sleeves like those, can you blame her? "I loved the off-the-shoulder look, which felt modern yet classic," the bride told us. "And I loved the length, which allowed me to show off my shoes."

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Pretty Wedding Dress

Anouschka Rokebrand Photography

It's hard not to want an off-the-shoulder wedding dress after seeing how a Tarik Ediz one made this bride glow.

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Sleek Wedding Dress

Edward Winter / READYLUCK

This wife-to-be kept things simple with a sleek Theia wedding dress.

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Modern Wedding Dress

Carina Skrobecki

Imagine swinging these LOHO Bride sleeves on the dance floor!

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A-Line Wedding Dress

Cassidy Carson Photography

This bride's off-the-shoulder Modern Trousseau gown had an A-line silhouette and half sleeves.

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Illusion Wedding Dress

Michael & Carina Photography

Translucent fabric prevented these Morilee straps from slipping.

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Cold-Shoulder Wedding Dress

Perry Vaile

Meet the cold shoulder—an equally-cool alternative to the standard off-the-shoulder neckline. Rue de Seine designed this bride's boho example.

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Airy Wedding Dress

Dmitri & Sandra

We're big fans of the way this YolanCris bridal gown softly billowed.

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Lace Wedding Dress

Finch Photo

If you're crazy about delicate lace, consider a wedding dress similar to this one, which the bride bought at White Dresses.

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Flouncy Wedding Dress

Katch Silva

A flouncy off-the-shoulder top is perfect for a casual celebration. This Dreamers & Lovers dress featured one, along with a skirt with fringed edges.

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Scalloped Wedding Dress

Kreativ Wedding

This bride's I Am Yours wedding gown—which boasted a scalloped lace neckline—hugged her shoulders beautifully.

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Princess Wedding Dress

Mike Cassimatis

Off-the-shoulder sleeves balance out a big princess skirt, as this Heidi Elnora wedding dress with a drop waist went to show.

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Champagne Wedding Dress

Maria Lamb Photography
See Celebrity Brides Who Wore Unconventional Colors

This bride looked like royalty in her Champagne-hued lace wedding dress, which was sewn by Velonia Boutique & Tailoring. Touches of metallic thread (along with the fanciful neckline) made it so regal. Of course, the Mignonne Handmade crown helped.

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Tiered Wedding Dress

Olivia Griffin

Every aspect of this Paloma Blanca bridal look went beautifully together, from the off-the-shoulder sleeves, to the tiered skirt, to the complementary veil.

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V-Neck Wedding Dress

Purewhite Photography

The placement of these lacy off-the-shoulder sleeves gave this Lis Simon gown a V-shaped neckline.

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Ruffled Wedding Dress

Koby Brown

This Tony Ward wedding dress came with a ruffled mermaid skirt and a plunging illusion neckline, but the bride decided to make it her own by adding draped off-the-shoulder sleeves.

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Minimalist Wedding Dress

Vienna Glenn Photography

This Tara Keely gown was relatively understated, but the cold-shoulder neckline made it unique.

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Sheath Wedding Dress

Jaka Vinsek

"I tried on so many dresses but kept going back to this. I felt fabulous in it," this bride shared of her Pronovias wedding dress. "When I finally saw her, it was a euphoric feeling. I was like, 'Wow,'" her groom added. We agree!

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Contrast Wedding Dress

Rachel Red Photography

The sheer lace of this Pronovias piece's top stood out against the rest of the gown's opaque design.

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Romantic Wedding Dress

Rudy & Marta Photography

Up the romance with poufy off-the-shoulder sleeves like the ones on this Alfred Angelo wedding dress did.

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Vintage-Inspired Wedding Dress

Elizabeth Austin Photography

This bride customized her Maggie Sottero trumpet gown by adding detachable off-the-shoulder sleeves. According to her, they gave the garment a vintage vibe.

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Floral Wedding Dress

Kristin Sweeting
See More Floral Wedding Dresses

Floral appliqués adorned this Rue de Seine dress, which was as easy to wear as it was on the eyes. "It was so important to me to be comfortable in my wedding dress," the bride explained.

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Short Wedding Dress

The Light + Color
See More Short Wedding Dresses

This bride scored her off-the-shoulder short wedding dress at Missguided. The calf-grazing style was both contemporary and refined.

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Fitted Wedding Dress

Carmen Santorelli Photography
See More Sexy Wedding Dresses

This Monique Lhuillier dress was, dare we say, sexy, but in a totally wedding-worthy way. 

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Pink Wedding Dress

Kristen Kilpatrick
See More Colorful Wedding Dresses

Leanne Marshall custom-dyed this dress in a gorgeous and whimsy pink. The draped sleeves were just as dreamy as the gown's unique color.

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Wrap Wedding Dress

Kate Headley

"I loved the simplicity of it—it felt very 'me,'" said this bride of her J. Mendel gown. The dress was made from silk crepe and had a pleated chiffon top.

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Textured Wedding Dress

Love & Light Photographs

We're all for the texture on this Mark Zunino wedding dress, which was carried through to the off-the-shoulder sleeves.

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Dreamy Wedding Dress