We always love it when our real brides rock short wedding dresses. Mini, knee-length and midi or tea-length wedding dresses there's something just so effortlessly chic about ditching formality and opting for something a little cooler. When it comes to finding a short wedding dress, there are gorgeous options across all budgets, from bespoke and designer to vintage and high street! With this in mind, we wanted to share a few of our favourites to inspire your wedding dress search! We've also popped a handy list at the end of the post, with bridal designers who always feature gorgeous short wedding dresses in their collections...
Short Wedding Dresses: White Mini Dresses
A miniskirt on your wedding day may sound a bit risqué, but hey, they did it all the time in the '60s! Super short wedding dresses are a cool option for city hall weddings, but any of these beauties would also work for a civil ceremony before the big day, or a second-day bash.
If you told me last week that the first dress on this list would be a sequinned crochet minidress, I wouldn't have believed it, but the Consenza dress by French Connection is so much sweeter than it sounds on paper!
There's no reason why you can't do sexy on your wedding day, as proven by the slinky Empress dress by BHLDN! OK, so we probably wouldn't wear this one for a church ceremony, but for a city wedding in summer, it's an absolute knockout!
With its halter neckline and flowing A-line skirt, this Halston Heritage dress is giving us serious Marilyn Monroe vibes.
A slip dress may seem like a brave choice for your wedding day, but the Kadi dress by Halston Heritage is just so elegant. It'd be perfect for a city hall wedding!
Rembo Styling's Beatle dress boasts a sweetheart neckline and laser-cut lace overlay, which nicely balance out the short hemline!
If the idea of wearing a miniskirt on your wedding day rubs you up the wrong way, try a super short shirt with a semi-sheer overlay, like BHLDN's Cathy dress.
The Jax dress by Rime Arodaky completely tears up the rulebook with its blazer-look style. I can't wait to see a real bride in this one!
If you want to go super short but still look bridal, a high-low skirt is a great option. The Meghan Markle-esque cut of the bodice on this Suzanne Neville dress tones down the sexiness of the hem.
Short Wedding Dresses: Knee-Length Wedding Dresses
Wedding dresses that fall just at the knee can be smart and sexy or sweet and retro. If you're shopping online, just remember that most models are around 5ft 9", so knee-length on them may not be knee-length on you! But, of course, a quick trip to the seamstress will sort that out!
The Camilla by Catherine Deane is the ballerina-inspired wedding dress of our dreams!
If your bridal style is cool and contemporary, the strip appliqué dress by Halston Heritage with its fashion-forward cut, is a really beautiful choice.
A top vintage bridal boutique like One Fab Day favourite Dirty Fabulous will have lots of knee-length and tea-length options. This 1950s beauty is a little bit Elizabeth Taylor, don't you think!?
High street bridal style doesn't get much cuter than real bride Andressa's blush pink Coast dress! Something tells me we're going to be swooning over this real wedding for a very long time!
The silk and linen organza fabric on this Max Mara dress is just so pretty! And you can't go wrong with that classic cut.
High-low wedding dresses really do give you the best of both worlds! This dreamy lace number is by Justin Alexander.
Bespoke bridal designers often make the most beautiful short wedding dresses, as evidenced by this romantic number by Sarah Foy Couture.
Short Wedding Dress: Midi or Tea-Length Dresses
Hemlines that fall just below the knee or at the mid-calf mark are really popular with brides it's easy to see why! This length of skirt can really work for any style, including retro, classic and contemporary!
I will never stop loving the 1920s flapper glam look for brides! This ASOS midi dress would be perfect for a vintage-inspired wedding.
There's a reason why lace tea-length wedding dresses are still hugely popular 70 years after they first appeared! This is such a timeless and foolproof style, and we love how the Memphis dress by Callista Bride switches things up with a cool cut-out at the back.
How fabulous is the rose-print lace on the Frida dress by Catherine Deane?! This one just oozes sophistication.
For romantic '70s vibes, we love this long-sleeved dress by Costarellos.
This one's another bespoke beauty! The full skirt on this Charlotte and Jane dress is adorably retro.
We can hardly cope with how cute real bride Emma looks in her bespoke dress by Irish Bridal Couture. Click through to the full real wedding feature to see her matching cape!
Bridal separates are easier to wear when the hemline is short! The Hampshire by Lela Rose comprises a ruffle-sleeve off-shoulder top and A-line midi skirt in a thoroughly modern, lace-inspired print.
Sometimes you've just got to take things back to basics! This Monique Lhuillier dress is one of those effortless gowns that needs minimal styling.
Now here's a dress that pretty much any bride would look incredible in! The Verity dress by Monsoon is a budget-friendly option, too!
When a high-end designer like Paolo Sebastian does midi, you know it's going to be pretty special! Oh the drama!
With its clean lines and mid-calf length, Reformation's Talita is the perfect summer wedding dress.
Appliqué florals are a great way to give a classic wedding dress a modern update! We can hardly believe that this gorgeous number is by Ted Baker!
When shopping for short wedding dresses, it's always a good idea to look for something with an interesting or detailed neckline, like the Clementine dress by Whistles. It kind of reminds us of Baby's dress in Dirty Dancing!
Bridal designers with great options for short wedding dresses
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Still looking for the perfect wedding dress?
Check out our recommended bridal boutiques across Ireland!
