10 Classic Wedding Dress Necklines You Need To Know

Congratulations! You’re getting married, and now you need a wedding dress! Don’t panic, we are here to help you. Your wedding dress isn’t the most important part of your wedding (that’s you of course), but your wedding dress will help put that exclamation point on the vibe of your wedding, so the details need to be on point.

Today, we are going to go over the most classic and most popular wedding dress necklines to help you make the most informed and best choice to make that wedding day glow work for you!

Staples gowns never go out of style and are one of the most popular necklines for a wedding. These styles will show off the collarbone and shoulders while also emphasizing the bust area.

A straight neckline is the more traditional strapless neckline style and offers a more covered choice. It is exactly as it sounds; a neckline that goes straight across the bust, covering more of your cleavage and putting the focal point on your collarbone. It’s a great choice for the bride who has been killing it at bridal boot camps and wants a traditional style that shows off her hard work.

A sweetheart neckline is a great variation on the traditional strapless design for the lady that wants the illusion of a fuller bust than naturally there. The heart-shaped top will add volume to the bust, so if you are flatter chested it will seem less so. It’s a great option for an athletic body type: it will draw the eye to your slim shoulders and elongate your neck while also adding fullness to your bust.

If you like a little more coverage or support than a strapless neckline offers, then we have a collection of styles that could be just for you. These styles will add a little more fabric in areas that help to elongate your body and create a silhouette that is classic and perfectly feminine for your big day. We promise these styles won’t disappoint.

An off-the-shoulder look is a great option for a bride that wants to soften their shoulders and elongate their neck. It will make your top half appear slim and feminine, so it’s a great look for the bride that might want to camouflage their strong shoulders but still show off their amazing collarbone.

Halter necklines were a dormant neckline for a while, but they are coming back in and we are jumping on the train. This is a style that is equal parts beautiful and sassy; a style for a bride that wants to have a formal wedding but knows how to have fun while doing it. It’s a great option to be appropriate for a casual wedding as well, as the style easily transitions from a ceremony to a reception with a party rocker as the theme.

The Queen Anne Neckline is the most traditional bridal look on the market. It is a very formal and traditional neckline, so if this sounds like you, then you’re the right bride to rock this cut. Queen Anne gowns feature two parts: a sweetheart neckline with a small shoulder strap that comes together in the back at the base of the neck. So your back is covered, whether it is a full fabric or lace is dependent on the design, and the cleavage and collarbone is the focal point.

An illusion neckline is a cut that has a sheer or plunge bodice, but instead of being open or exposed, there is a layer of tulle or organza fabric that offers support and barely-there coverage. It’s a great style for brides wanting a little bit of sexy but without sacrificing the support needed. Due to this detail, it can be a style worn by almost any bride, but those with fuller busts want to be careful of how much skin will be exposed.

Plunge options usually feature a thin strap that goes into a very low-cut V neckline. It is a style that can be a little more casual than others but still gives off sophistication and style. Think of an art gallery wedding. A style for the cool bride that wants a trendier vibe for her big day.

Jeweled necklines feature sheer lace on the neck, so you will be covered but your skin will peek through the lace designs. This is a more traditional, old-school-style of dress but is coming back in style because a lot of brides want to be sexy yet sophisticated. This is a great option for a traditional bride that still wants to show off some personality.

Coverage with class and style might be more of your thing. Well, we love that journey for you! Designers have brought back the long sleeve and thicker strap necklines recently and we can’t help but say I do!

Square or empire necklines are traditional necklines but aren’t seen as regularly today as they were a few years ago. It’s a neckline that is cut with sharp angles to resemble the bottom half of a square, usually with thick straps. It’s a great style for someone looking for something traditional but isn’t used as often, meaning that if you have a friend with a wedding date close to yours the chances of your wedding dresses matching is slim to none.

It offers a broadening effect to your shoulders; when the focal point is drawn to the shoulders, you will appear slimmer and those with a flatter bust will appear fuller.

A scoop neck is similar to an empire neck, but it rounds out the edges. The effect will slim the top half of your body immensely, so expect to look long and lean in this cut. Scoop neck dresses create a very feminine illusion so the dress will give off sweet, romantic vibes. It can be a bit more casual of a neckline, so be careful how you dress it up if you want something more formal but have your heart set on this style.

Thanks to Duchess Meghan Markle, bateau necklines have made a comeback. Bateau, or boatneck, styles originally gained popularity when they were the neckline of choice for Audrey Hepburn. It’s a style that features a higher cut across the collarbone, in a straight-across cut, that comes together at the very tip of the shoulder. Bateau necklines are traditional but so beautiful; they show off little in terms of skin, but they are a form-fitted option that hugs the curves so gently and gives any woman great shape.

Dresses that feature a bateau neckline usually have a longer sleeve for support and come in more simple designs. The focal point of this dress is meant to be the sophisticated, feminine neckline so designers do less with the rest of this style to keep from deterring the eye away from your peek-a-boo shoulders. So expect a sexy but understated silhouette.

We know this is very specific but stay with us. Designers have brought back the long sleeve and structured shoulder with plunging or v-neck silhouettes and we want them all. They are super trendy but so stylish and fashion-forward that any wedding photos with these styles will stand the test of time.

The neckline offers so much variety, that there is literally a dress for every bride. The sleeve details can vary to achieve different themes and wedding vibes, but the sophisticated style and long sleeves are complimentary for women of every body type. Slimming and show-stopping. What a miraculous combination.

Ok, this isn’t a neckline, but hear us out! A backless dress is a category all its own and while the focal point is on your back instead of your front, it is a neckline in wedding dresses that can’t be ignored. This style can be high cut or simple in the front but will feature a very low back, so if this is an area that you aren’t comfortable showing off then tread lightly with this silhouette.

We have loved gathering all the details on wedding dress necklines and we hope you have too! Whatever style you choose, always remember to stick to your true self and your bridal beauty will glow brighter than the sun.