Every bride should have a wedding dress that will fit and flatter them. Something that perfectly suits their physique, whether they’re athletic or curvy. Sometimes it can be difficult to know what will look best on you. That's why we’re here to help our smaller brides find the perfect petite wedding dresses, so that they can feel confident on their big day. From bust size to sleeve length, silhouettes and styles, we’re sharing our expertise in finding the perfect wedding dress for a petite bride!
What is a Petite Wedding Dress?
While many may use the term “petite” to mean tiny or skinny, in fashion, petite refers to a range of heights that are considered shorter than the regular cut of clothing. Petite clothing is cut smaller in areas like sleeves, busts, and length, and can even be narrower in areas like the hips and shoulders. Petite wedding dress designers consider these things when making gowns.
Being petite doesn’t have to mean skinny. Curvy brides can be considered petite depending on their height. In terms of wedding dresses, petite brides, whether plus-size or thin, may have to have customizations or alterations done to their wedding dress. Most wedding dresses aren’t specifically designed with petite women in mind. Things like the length of the gown or the width of the sleeves can easily be altered by a professional bridal seamstress to give our petite brides the perfect fit.
Morilee New York has an extensive size range, with styles available in sizes 0–28, and 16W–32W in our Julietta collection. With this, many of our gowns are also available in multiple lengths: 55”, 58”, and 61”, to accommodate both our petite and tall brides.
Petite Wedding Dresses for Short Brides
We have some tips to share about the best silhouettes and styles when choosing a wedding dress for a petite frame. Many petite brides are looking for gowns that will elongate their bodies, and the best silhouette for this would be a mermaid. Mermaids are considered a sultry silhouette with a fitted bodice that emphasizes the hips, and a great option if you have a more narrow, athletic build and want to give yourself more curves. The best feature about mermaid wedding dresses for a petite bride is the dropped skirt they are often designed with. This lengthens the body, drawing the eye down the torso for a more elongated figure.
A great example of this is our Atete Wedding Dress. The sleek mermaid wedding dress glows in sleek satin with princess seams that elongate the frame and draw the eye down to the lowered skirt. The flared skirt adds drama and shape, while the cool, clean neckline gets a glamorous touch with a detachable pearl drape.
We'd recommend staying away from full wedding dresses, like ball gowns. Too much fabric can overwhelm a petite bride, drowning their figure instead of emphasizing it. Sheath or column gowns also make great petite wedding dresses for short brides. The streamlined silhouette of a sheath gown will help to lengthen a petite frame, grazing the body without being as form-fitting as a mermaid silhouette.
Our Amaris Wedding Dress is a chic stretch crepe sheath that glides down the body, hugging your figure for a gown that's understated, yet sexy. Lace appliqués are intentionally placed to help contour your frame and add a romantic feel, while the sheer back and corset boning create modern structure.
Which Dresses are Best for a Short Bride
If you’re a short bride and looking for your perfect wedding dress, we’ve got you covered. One option is to not only embrace your height but also match it with a short wedding dress! While wedding dresses are traditionally floor-length, short gowns are on the rise. A short wedding dress won’t swallow a petite figure, making it a unique and unexpected choice.
Our Virtue Wedding Dress gives our brides the best of both worlds. Virtue is a satin mini dress with a classic Feel. The scoop neck and long sleeves help to balance the short length, while the scoop back and detachable bow add a sense of drama. If you're not sure about a short dress for you're ceremony, the detachable overskirt is the perfect thing—allowing you to switch up your look.
If a short or transitional style is not for you, a great way to make traditionally cut wedding dresses work for petite or short brides is a skirt slit. Exposing a leg can help you from being covered in too much fabric and lengthen the look of your legs. For our brides who want a fitted gown, our Eleni Wedding Dress might just be "the one." The stunning satin gown serves minimalism with a seductive twist, featuring a stylized corset on a basque waist bodice. The draped skirt has a streamlined shape with a skirt slit, keeping your legs looking long and enhancing your petite frame.
If you're looking for a fuller silhouette with a more romantic feel, our Filippa Wedding Dress is a great choice. The ethereal A-line sparkles in glitter tulle with sequin and floral beaded threadwork appliqué and a sweetheart neckline with a sultry plunge, which draws the eye down the body to help elongate your figure. The skirt flows into an open slit, adding movement and keeping the gown from overwhelming a petite frame.
What Can a Short Bride Do to Look Taller?
If you’re a short bride who wants to look taller, obvious solutions might come to mind, like wearing high heels, but there are things that you can do solely through fashion and the cut of a dress that can help you look taller. First would be to look for dresses with more high-waisted bodices, in bridal, this would be an empire bodice. An empire waist may shorten the look of your torso, but in turn, greatly lengthen the look of your legs, making you seem taller. Another option is to go for a sheath or column silhouette, as we mentioned previously. This more tailored style creates straight lines up and down the body, lengthening you and making you look taller.
Our Kalliope Wedding Dress has both of these features. The slinky satin sheath hugs the form with a chic criss-crossing bodice with a subtle v-neckline and romantic peek-a-boo lace. The empire bodice paired with the statuesque silhouette creates a long, lean look, while the center skirt slit exposes the leg for a sexy look that lends itself to a petite frame.
One other thing you can do is opt for a wedding dress with a plunging v-neckline—something that may be more achievable for brides with a smaller bust. Gowns like our Euphemia Wedding Dress or our Fiora Wedding Dress are gorgeous choices. Both seductive and romantic, with shapes that beautifully enhance a petite bride.
Petite Summer Wedding Dresses
We love a summer wedding! The bright blue skies and warm weather make it a great season to get married in. If you are a petite bride who is having a summer or beach wedding, our tips above absolutely apply to help you find beach wedding dresses. A fabric like chiffon is perfect for summer weddings as it's light and airy, making it comfortable to wear in the hot climate and something that won’t swallow a petite body.
We think you'll love our Sevren Wedding Dress, a boho gown that's perfect for our petite brides. The dress has a slim A-line cut, allowing you to have a flowing and free-spirited gown without the volume that could overwhelm your frame. The corseted bodice has a sweetheart neckline, adding curves that help emphasize the bust of our smaller-chested brides, with intricate beaded lace appliqués over Chantilly lace for a dimensional layered look. The modified drop waist helps to lengthen the torso, where it flows into the effortless chiffon skirt that beautifully billows around you.
Finding the Right Dress for Petite Brides with a Small Bust
Petite brides with smaller busts might be concerned that a wedding dress won't look right, but there are plenty of necklines, bodices, and wedding dress styles for petite small bust brides that can emphasize the curves you have or flaunt your chic shape.
If you’re a bride who wants the illusion of a fuller bust, opt for a corset wedding dress. Corset wedding dresses have strategically placed boning to add structure and shape, pushing up your assets to enhance your bust. The ideal style would be a bustier corset as it has a sweetheart neckline, which, with its heart-like shape, adds to the illusion of curves. Our Millah Wedding Dress is the perfect example. The corset bodice has supportive boning that lifts your bust and shapes your body, while the soft sweetheart neckline adds elegant curves. The basque waist aids in drawing the eye downward, following the beautiful lace fit and flare silhouette, where the skirt opens to a front slit.
Another style that’s great for petite brides with small busts is a straight, strapless neckline. Smaller-chested brides tend not to need the extra support that straps and sleeves provide, making strapless wedding dresses a great option. A style like our Atalanta Wedding Dress, is a strapless stunner. The chic stretch Mikado fit and flare has princess seams that elongate the body, ideal for our petite brides. The straight, strapless neckline has an elegant fold-over detail on a beaded lace bodice that helps to draw the eye down with its trailing design. The detachable back bow is the perfet way to add a touch of drama.
Finding the Right Dress for Petite Brides with a Big Bust
If you are a petite bride with a big bust, a priority for you will be ensuring that you have the support you need from a bodice that will allow you to feel comfortable and fashionable in your wedding dress. When it comes to a wedding dress for big bust petite brides we recommend that you opt for gowns with straps or sleeves. This will ensure that you won’t be spending your wedding day pulling up your dress with the fear it’ll slip down leaving you to commit a fashion faux pas.
Styles like our Evageline Wedding Dress or our Remmy Wedding Dress are both stunning choices! Evangeline is a delicate sheath gown in romantic Chantilly lace. The dress stuns with a soft scoop neckline with widening straps that lead to a breathtaking low open ack. Intricate beaded appliqué shimmers with subtle brilliance and illusion side cutouts contour the waist. While Evangeline feels classic, Remmy is for our petite brides who like things a bit trendier. The satin gown features deep v-neckline with supportive straps and boning to add structure to the bodice. The dropped waist elongates the silhouette, flowing into the A-line skirt with beautiful bow accents at the shoulder and open back.
Another option for a petite bride with a bigger bust, who may want to show some skin is to opt for an illusion neckline. Often designed with a bateau cut, illusion necklines cover the chest with sheer net fabric, exposing the skin while still remaining fully covered. Our Antheia Wedding Dress is a beautiful example. The ball gown combines a plunging cat eye neckline mikado bodice with an illusion batteau neckline, seamlessly blending modern edge with timeless elegance. The dropped waist elongates the torse, cascading into a voluminous tulle skirt, adorned with delicate 3D floral appliqués that add depth and romantic texture.
Petite Lace Wedding Dresses
Lace is a classic choice for a wedding dress and can feel ultra-romantic. When looking for the perfect petite lace wedding dress personal preference always comes first, but our suggestions shared above can be useful in helping you in finding a dress that will fit and flatter. We love how our Vasiliki Wedding Dress blends the classic romance of lace with a modern sultry edge. The fit and flare wedding dress has a corset bodice with a sweetheart neckline, enhancing your bust, with a plunging detail that guides the eye down the silhouette. Feminine lace is highlighted by sequins for a subtle shimmer we can't get enough of. Detachable lace long sleeves add a more modest feel to the sexy gown and offer versatility for a stunning long sleeve lace wedding dress.
If you don’t want a fitted gown, our Speare Wedding Dress makes a beautiful petite lace wedding dress. The lovely ball gown is designed in Alençon lace, with its floral motif and scalloped edging for a dainty touch. The sheer bodice shows off the boned, bustier bodice, while the sweetheart neckline features a delicate eyelash detail on the lace. Thin straps lead to the subtle illusion back where a detachable sash and sweet satin bows draw the eye down to the chapel length train.
Long Sleeve Petite Wedding Dresses
If you love the look of a long sleeve wedding dress but are concerned it might be too much fabric for your petite frame, no need to worry! Slim cut sleeves or illusion long sleeves are great options for our petite brides. These styles accentuate the arm and add to a long and lean look that is sure to flatter petite figures.
A gown like our Zoe Wedding Dress is a beautiful choice. The effortlessly chic crepe fit and flare gown features an off-shoulder neckline that is both timeless and modern, paired with detachable long sleeves for versatile styling. Sculpted to trace the body’s natural lines, the silhouette flows into a graceful train, blending elegance with effortless ease.
If you’re looking for a petite long sleeve wedding dress with illusion detailing, then we think you'll love our Savina Wedding Dress. The fit and flare gown features a regal illusion high neckline designed in sheer sequin floral lace, keeping you covered without overwhelming our frame . The appliqués cascade down to contour the sides of the gown where the streamlined crepe skirt then flare out into a chapel length train. The illusion back is truly breathtaking with the classic touch of buttons leading to the hemline.
Petite Plus Size Wedding Dresses
As we stated before, petite does not mean skinny. There are plenty of plus size petite brides who need styles designed as full figure petite wedding dresses. Our Juliette Collection is dedicated to making plus size gowns for women of all shapes and sizes, ensuring that they have an expertly crafted fit that makes them feel confident and look amazing! The tips we’ve shared earlier on ideal styles, silhouettes, necklines, etc. all still apply to petite plus size wedding dresses.
If you want a form-fitting gown, look no further than our Silver Wedding Dress. This romantic mermaid blends boho floral lace with a sultry details. The v-neckline has a sheer plunge, creating a long vertical line down the center of the body, drawing the eye downward—perfect for petite brides. The double-banded waist not only looks chic, but helps to enhace the natural waistline, while the lowered mermaid skirt hugs your curves and elongates the body.
For our petite plus size brides who want to feel like a princess, we think you'll love our Minerva Wedding Dress. dress embraces the beauty of classic bridal featuring a flowing A-line silhouette enhanced by princess seam detailing and delicate corded lace overlay. The stylized v-neckline is framed by delicately appliquéd straps, perfect for supporting our bustier brides, to create a stunning keyhole back, while buttons guide the eye down to the graceful train.
For our plus size petite brides who want to feel sexy, there's no other choice but our Valeria Wedding Dress. The fit and flare gown features a sculptural angel wing neckline with delicate straps and detachable draped long sleeves that offer a transformative softness. The draped basque waist defines the silhouette, drawing the eye in and guiding it down, while beaded embroidery shimmers across the fluid crepe, cascading into a flared skirt finished with a lace-inset godet train.
Wedding Dresses for Petite Brides with an Hourglass Figure
Petite brides who are curvy may want a wedding dress that will accentuate their hourglass figure. The best way to do this is with a mermaid silhouette. A great wedding dress for a curvy petite figure, with its drop waist that elongates the torso, the curve-hugging style will emphasize your hourglass shape.
Our Selene Wedding Dress is a bold, yet beautifully refined mermaid. The gown has clean scoop neckline, with a sheer plunging inset that helps to lengthen a petite frame, and sheer side cutouts that contour the waist. Floral lace appliqués bloom across soft tulle, framing the low back and trailing into a graceful train.
For something a bit more subtle, opt for our Stassi Wedding Dress. The mermaid features a strapless scoop neckline on a sheer bodice with corset boning and a basque waist to enhance the fitted silhouette. The intricately ruched tulle makes this gown a textural dream with details a lace-up corset back and detachable off-the-shoulder sleeves to complete the look.
To find your perfect petite wedding dress visit one of our amazing retailers!
