Celebrities and fashion-forward brides love backless dresses. They've been a much loved statement at summer weddings and continue to be just as popular as the latest styles offer even more grace and flexibility.

Like any wedding dress style, the only way to know for sure is to try a few backless designs on. Make sure you take a friend and a camera if your bridal wear store permit you to do so, and ask them to shoot the back straight, as well as from a few angles. Mirrors can distort the way your dress looks from behind, and you won’t be able to get a clear and true impression of the design by craning your neck.

A backless dress will look gorgeous on a toned, slender or tall person. If you want to prepare your back perfectly for a backless dress, then you have to follow some specific toning and strengthening exercise, but it pays to be careful and to visit your local gym for advice, or hire a personal trainer. Remember that toning up usually means taking part in a full body workout and if you are happy to show your back, but not your arms, search for a backless wedding dress design with sleeves.

There are so many styles! You could go for a simple, body-hugging design with spaghetti straps, cut right down to the small of your back or a much more subtle design with a halter neck, scooped back or cowl detailing at the drop. A crisscross design in lace or beading, adds interest and low buttons that curve across your derriere are very sexy.

Lace looks particularly wonderful on a backless design, but heavy beading also makes a backless dress super-stylish. Sleeves, or draped fabric from the shoulders, looks utterly elegant, and a fishtail or flared skirt really heaps on the drama.

You might feel worried about the support you get from people as you wear a backless dress but there are actually dresses with cutouts and clever strings of beads that give the effect of a backless dress without you getting worried about other opinions.

Backless designs don’t work with traditional bras, so you’ll need to invest in a special design when picking your bridal lingerie but as it’s advisable to buy a new bra to go with any wedding dress, it should be in your budget.

You could choose a convertible bra with a low, crisscross back, depending on how low your dress goes, and stick-on bras work particularly well with halter necks if they tie around the neck. A strapless stick-on bra won’t do much in the way of support, but it will give you some shape and is a good choice for a bride with a modest bust.

Whatever lingerie you choose, try it with the dress and move around to make sure it doesn’t expose your underwear when you walk, sit or stand.

Because a backless dress shows off so much flesh, adding a little colour to warm your skin is a great idea. If you already have a darker skin tone, you have a head start to make sure that your back is well moisturised in the run-up to the wedding.

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