Finding the ideal wedding dress can be difficult for any bride, but it can be especially difficult for a petite bride. If you’re a woman and you’re on the shorter side, you know the struggle of trying to find clothes that actually fit. Shopping for a wedding gown is no exception. Even if you spend hours poring over bridal magazines and Pinterest boards, you won’t be able to imagine how a dress will look on you if the model is taller than you.
It’s crucial to know what styles flatter a small frame before going wedding dress shopping. The goal in your search for the perfect wedding dress is to find something that will highlight your best features rather than draw attention to your flaws. This means that the extra fabric in ball gowns and princess dresses, as lovely as they may be, will actually cause you to appear shorter than you really are. Here are some shopping pointers and silhouette guidelines to help you find the dress of your dreams and say “yes.”
Shopping Guidelines for Petite Wedding Dresses
If you are short and petite, the first rule of thumb when searching for the perfect wedding dress is to rule out any dresses that have too much fabric. While every girl dreams of her fairytale wedding dress, those with a more petite frame may feel lost in voluminous princess-style gowns.
The key is to keep things basic so that your body isn’t forced to work too hard. Dresses with excessive embellishments, such as sequins or bows, should be avoided. If you want to keep things, even more, low-key, go with a shorter, birdcage-style veil. While chapel-length veils certainly make a dramatic statement, they can be too much for someone with a petite frame.
Although the length of the dress is important, it is not the only factor to consider when shopping for a wedding dress for a woman who is shorter than average. You should also check that the dress’s proportions flatter your own. You can have the hem of any dress adjusted to your height, but if the bodice is fitted and meant for someone 5’6″ or taller, it will look and feel very strange on someone 5’1″ or shorter. Nevertheless, laying the groundwork for a seamless iteration of alterations in the future begins with selecting a figure-flattering silhouette.
What Wedding Dress Silhouettes Work Best for Short Brides?
Dresses that emphasize your small stature should have a silhouette that flatters your figure. Different silhouettes look better on different body types in the fashion industry. The following four bridal silhouettes are particularly flattering on brides who are on the shorter side.
Sheath Dresses
A sheath-style wedding dress is a great option for a woman who wants to look sophisticated on her big day. When you want to highlight your trim figure, nothing beats a form-fitting sheath dress. The vertical seam from shoulder to hip creates a chic, understated silhouette in this design. The ease of movement afforded by most sheath dresses makes them an excellent choice for nuptials in any season. For small women, the sheath dress is the perfect option for a wedding in a church or on a beach.
Mermaid and Trumpet Dresses
If you are having trouble deciding on a silhouette, the A-line shape works well for everyone. This dress shape resembles the letter A: it is narrow at the top and widens toward the bottom. Brides who are on the shorter side of the size spectrum should search for an A-line or empire-waist gown. Not only does this cut look stunning in any wedding venue, but it also flatters a wide range of body types.
Cocktail Dresses
In the event that you simply must wear the puffy princess dress, a style that ends just above the knee may be cute, flirty, and not at all limiting to your petite frame. Dressing in a cocktail dress for your wedding is a great way to break tradition and have fun during the celebrations. You can go as crazy as you like with the embellishments and laces on your short wedding dress without worrying about looking too gaudy. Furthermore, they are perfect for outdoor ceremonies because the dress will not drag on the ground. Shorter wedding dresses are great for destination weddings because they take up less space in the luggage than long dresses.
