By Georgina Clatworthy

The new season collections are hitting the bridal stores and we are getting a good idea of what is in and what is out for next year.  Short wedding dresses seem to be a big feature and many of the mainstream designers have included some in their collections this time.

Of course, short wedding dresses are not entirely new, many designers have included them in their destination wedding dress collections for some years now.  However, recently short dresses have begun appearing in the mainstream collections too, as well as separate collections often described as ’second dresses‘ intended for brides who want a dress they can dance in later on during the wedding day.

Styles for these shorter dresses varies from sophisticated fifties styles to more contemporary chic.  The fifties, Hollywood glamour look is a big trend and the shorter dresses set it off perfectly.  When buying a short wedding dress you will need to follow the same principles as if you were buying a full length wedding gown, however, it is advisable to be aware of the different skirt lengths you may encounter:

• Cocktail skirt lengths finish on or above the knee.
• Tea length finishes around mid calf
• Mini skirt is mid thigh and only for the brave!
• Street length finishes at the knee or just below

As with any wedding dress style the choice of skirt length will depend on your body shape and the look you want.  A tea length skirt is a good choice for shorter petite brides as it doesn’t overwhelm a smaller frame.  It is also a good choice for late-morning or afternoon weddings and particularly if you want an informal look.  Street length or cocktail length skirts are practical but are rarely seen on wedding dresses because they have a tendency to look rather too formal and business like, they can however suit brides marrying for the second or third time.  The mini skirt is for the daring bride and has become popular for brides who want to wear a sexier dress for the evening party.

Short wedding dresses are steadily creeping their way into many designers’ sketchbooks of late and whether you wear a shorter dress all day or change into one later on, make sure you follow the same principles when making your choice as you would for a longer, more formal wedding dress.

Wedding etiquette dictates that the choice of dress length should be decided by the time of day and the year of the wedding, but don’t let etiquette influence your choice; instead just take them into consideration when you visit the bridal store.