Weddingbee Blog

We’ve got one more guest post for you all today. Bayside Bride is talking about the difficulties of wedding-dress shopping for petite brides, including tips on what types of gowns work best on your smaller frame!

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One of the most discouraging parts of planning my own wedding was finding a dress that fit. At five-foot-one, my small frame and I were completely overwhelmed by just about every dress I tried on, and I found myself swimming in layers of ruffles, tulle, and silk. I quickly learned that the elegant ball gown I had always dreamed of wearing wasn’t going to look right on my petite body.

When it comes to wedding dresses, smaller brides should stick with simple cuts and minimal details. Straight sheath dresses are very much in style this season, and they’re fantastic for elongating, rather than shortening, the body. Classic cuts like A-lines also work well on smaller frames because they accentuate the natural waist. Empire-waist and mermaid cuts tend to make smaller bodies feel disproportionate; petite women should also avoid large ball gowns, excessive ruffles, long trains, and heavy beading. Even though petite brides may not have quite as many options as our taller counterparts, this year’s spring and summer lines are filled with choices for the smaller bride.

This A-line Watters dress has subtle yet beautiful details that enhance a small frame.*

Petite brides should look for sheath dresses like this one from Watters.*

The simple shape of this Elie Saab dress keeps it from overwhelming small frames—even with the the detailed lace.

Even though this J. Crew dress has large ruffles, the overall simplicity keeps it from being too overwhelming.

This adorable dress from J. Crew would also be perfect for petite brides.

If you’re looking for a lace dress, opt for simple, slimming cuts like this one from Ian Stewart.*

A beautiful dress from Claire Pettibone

Just because a dress is simple doesn’t mean it has to be boring. Details along the bottom and the straps of this Claire Pettibone dress add interest to a simple cut.*

*Indicates images owned by Weddingbee

Find me here at Bayside Bride, on Facebook, and on Twitter.

I’m Krista Jones, co-founder and editor of Bayside Bride. Three years ago when I was planning my own wedding, I had the hardest time finding local venues, photographers, and other wedding vendors. There were so many incredible wedding blogs out there, but none where really helpful when it came to booking vendors or finding ideas I could actually use for my wedding. So last May, fellow photographer Natalie Franke and I launched Bayside Bride.

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Follow the entire series of Spring 2012 Wedding Trends!