
When it comes to helping you find the perfect wedding dress, we’ve always got your back. And right now we’re taking that in a more literal direction. With open-back and illusion-back styles majorly trending, this gorgeous look is inspiring modern brides everywhere to go non-traditional on the big day. Of course, there are countless ways to personalize your look (hello, DIY wedding ideas for days). Whether you want to channel your inner princess or glam it up like a sexy siren, there’s so much to love about these 11 bold and beautiful backs.
1. Jill’s Corsage Dress ($750): A keyhole cutout is subtly sexy. Get the look by slipping into this crochet-lace boho beauty from Free People’s brand new bridal collection.
2. Megan Dress (Price available upon request): Studded trim details and an open back lend understated edge to this dreamy English net gown. The A-line cut is universally flattering, while a halter illusion neckline helps show off your shoulders.
3. The Kitty Dress ($10,795): While definitely a big splurge, this flower-dotted dress is just right for a garden wedding. Make it your own when planning a low-key summer soiree, and achieve a laid-back look by donning a flower crown instead of a traditional veil.
4. Crisscross Dress (Price available upon request): Celebrate your curves in a body-hugging gown made from ivory French corded lace and rum-pink charmeuse. Glamorous brides are sure to adore the chandelier embroidered cap sleeves and jeweled crisscross back.
5. Daisy Dress (Price available upon request): A simple sheath is always a lovely choice, especially when it features an illusion back with vine-like threadwork. This gown’s slinky silhouette and silk crepe fabric make it a sexy, stylish pick for an upscale beach wedding.
6. Sierra Dress (<$7,500): If going completely backless is a bit too much for you, dial things down a notch by showing only a slender sliver of skin. We just love this gown’s crystallized bodice and plunging V-neck, which both guarantee plenty of drama up front.
7. Elegant Lace Gown ($900): Lace sleeves deliver a look of timeless elegance, while an open back adds a modern touch of trendiness. You’ll be ready to dance the night away in this classy tea-length dress.
8. Lorna Dress (Price available upon request): Wishing you could wear a halter-style dress and your favorite statement necklace? Here, a crystal hand-beaded neckline gives you the best of both worlds.
9. Roxanne Dress (Price available upon request): Put all of that strength training to good use by stepping out in this back-baring showstopper. Complete with studded straps, a sparkly bodice and free-flowing skirt, it’s the perfect choice for the modern-day princess.
10. Rosalie Dress (Price available upon request): Featuring floral lace trim and romantic rose motifs, this dress promises a picture-perfect entrance (and exit). Keep things sweetly chic by carrying a rose bouquet or sticking a couple fresh blooms in your hair.
11. Julietta Collection Dress (Price available upon request): Cinderella herself would surely approve of this gown’s elegant embroidery and crystal-beaded waistline. Snag it for your own fairytale wedding, and get ready to be the belle of the ball.
Would you go backless on your big day? Share your favorite dress designs below.
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
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Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
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You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures