Weddingbee Blog

If you look at any 1950s wedding pictures, you’ll notice immediately a difference between the bridal attire then and bridal attire now. That difference was the inclusion of sleeves. Any sleeves really - capped, short, 3/4 length, wrist length - as long as they provided the bride with that look of modesty.

Although sleeves and interesting neckline treatments are slowly re-entering the scene, for a very long time strapless wedding gowns have exclusively dominated the marital market.

Which is sad really, considering how beautiful a well-placed piece of lace can look. Witness Grace Kelly at her 1952 wedding to Prince Ranier of Monaco:

…simply breathtaking.

When I first started wedding planning, there was a definite dearth of bridal cover-up options. Now that sleeves, cover-ups, and boleros are hitting the cyber streets of etsy, my thoughts have returned to finding something to jazz up my ensemble.

If you recall, this is my dress (but not my veil, I’m sarcastically boogie-ing in the puffy tulle attached to me in this picture).

Which, with the addition of my “MEGA HUGE” petticoat and hoop skirt, will look like this in shape:

(Reem Acra dress, source lost, but I will credit if you know where it’s from! Hey! That’s my hair too!)

Having a bolero to wear to the ceremony and during pictures would be absolutely incredible, and would remove the need to wear a cardigan if I got chilly during the evening reception.

The following pictures and links are examples of wedding boleros and cover-ups available on etsy right now. All of the sellers noted below do custom work as well, so if I decide to wear a bolero, they can create something to suit me and my gown.

Sweet Little bridal Shrug by Rohm: $149

Custom Bridal Jacket from Rohm $159.00

Lace bolero available in any material, colour from Jocemclane: $75

Organza and lace bolero available in any colour, from Jocemclane: $75.00

Going to the Chapel Shrug by Sweet Charlotte: $45

Ethereal baroque wrap by Bonzie (Reserved, but she does custom work); $55

Stand-up collar Satin Bridal Jacket by Rohm :$129

The million-dollar question is, should I custom order a bolero?

It would transform my dress into something more vintage-y, it would keep me warm, and it would (hopefully) look smashing.

What do you think? Should I take the jump, and if I do leap, should I go for something in satin (to match my dress), in lace (for a real vintage look), or an unusual fabric (like the ones Bonzie makes) and what length of sleeve would look best?