Published on

Jan 31, 2024

Collection Spotlight

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Inspiration

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Real Bride Stories

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. We’re here to help our smaller brides find the perfect petite wedding dresses, so 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 take these things into consideration 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 petit brides the perfect fit. Morilee 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, 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 drop waist 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 Pietra Wedding Dress! The sleek mermaid wedding dress features a stunning satin bodice with a drop waist, elongating the torso, and perfectly placed seams to enhance your curves. The classic off-the-shoulder neckline will help to give the illusion of broader shoulders and we love the texture and romance added by the frosted, three-dimensional floral embroidered appliqués add to the sexy silhouette. It’s best to stay 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 also help to lengthen a petite frame, grazing the body without being totally form-fitting. Our Nyssa Wedding Dress is sexy, yet sweet in curve-hugging soft satin with romantic lace details. The slinky gown features a draped cowl neckline and open back with delicate lace edging that adds a feminine touch. The front skirt slit ands more movement to the dress and reveals a sultry pop leg, with more lace to soften the look.

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 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 Lindsey Wedding Dress is a sophisticated sheath mini dress that’s great for petite brides! Sleek crepe is beautifully contrasted by frosted embroidered lace sleeves on our Lindsey dress. The figure-hugging sheath has contoured seams to emphasize your curves and an illusion back that will take your breath away. If a short wedding dress isn’t your thing, you still have options. A way to make traditionally cut wedding dresses work for petite or short brides would be the addition of a skirt slit. Exposing a leg can help you from being covered in too much fabric and lengthen the look of your legs. Our Palmina Wedding Dress is the perfect choice. This fresh and feminine A-line features allover floral embroidered net with a gossamer tulle overlay. The sheer boned bodice has a chic square neckline and delicate v-back with three-dimensional, frosted floral appliqués accenting the dress. The front skirt slit shows some skin, keeping your legs looking long and enhancing your 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 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 Joey Wedding Dress has both of these features! a classically cut gown with an open v-neckline on an empire bodice and seams that help to cinch in your figure. The Larissa satin looks luxe on the column silhouette with chic details like the square back and buttons down to the hem. The streamlined silhouette draws the eye down the body giving you the illusion of being taller. 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 Pauline Wedding Dress and Patsy Wedding Dress are great choices! The sheer plunge in the neckline does all the work by drawing the eye down the body for an elongated effect. 

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 can absolutely apply to help you find beach wedding dresses. Fabrics like chiffon are 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. Our Parvati Wedding Dress is the ideal petite summer wedding dress. The soft mermaid silhouette is great for petite brides with short torsos, lengthening your figure with its drop waist. The sweetheart neckline has a delicate plunge, drawing the eye downward, while thedraped chiffon bodice creates incredible texture while maintaining a minimal look with a asymmetric detail to add something unique. The lightweight skirt will flow around you and the skirt slit will make it easier to dance the night away in the fitted summer wedding dress.

Finding the Right Dress for Petite Brides with a Small Bust

Petite brides with smaller busts might be concerned that a wedding dress will look funny with a smaller bust, 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 Persephone Wedding Dress is a stunning example. The sweetheart corset bodice gives you a “push-up” effect making it a great choice for petite brides with small busts who are looking to augment their cleavage. And we love the colorful pop of the frosted floral embroidery on the lightweight tulle mermaid for a fun, yet romantic look. 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 Padma Wedding Dress, with its sheer boned bodice and chic strapless neckline is our pick. The three-dimensional floral lace appliqués are absolutely breathtaking, especially paired with the sleek crepe fit and flare skirt. If you’re a smaller chested, petite bride, there will be certain styles that you can pull off that brides with larger busts may have a hard time with. A scandalously plunging v-neck is a great and sexy choice. This style was made for small busts beautifully showing off your décolletage and chest, for an alluring and alternative look. Charlene, style 12125  the perfect dress if you’re looking for this style! This daringly simple gown is sleek and sultry in fitted crepe with a plunging neckline that draws the eye down, lengthening your body and showing off a smaller bust.

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. For 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 Pepita Wedding Dress or our Phoenix Wedding Dress are both stunning choices! Pepita is a feminine mermaid with couture details. The fitted gown has a wide v-neckline, with sheer detailing for a plunging look, and cap sleeves that will give you the support you need. Delicate floral lace is a romantic design detail, but the best part is the illusion back. If you prefer straps over sleeves, Phoenix is a real stunner. The chic crepe fit and flare has a structured, corset boned bodice with a cool cowl neckline that leads to detachable wrap around sleeves and straps for extra support. The faux-wrap skirt is artfully draped with a sexy skirt slit serving fierce fashion bridal. 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 Phillipa Wedding Dress is a great example! effortless gown features botanical frosted, embroidered appliqués accented by delicate beading. The illusion bodice has a seductive plunge that guides the eye down the relaxed A-line silhouette, while the open back reveals the perfect amount of skin, offering all the support a petite bride with a big bust could need. 

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. Our Nuala Wedding Dress hits all the marks. This luxe lace fit and flare features frosted, embroidered floral appliqués over romantic Chantilly lace. The sheer boned bodice has a plunging sweetheart neckline with angular panels that feel cool and geometric. If you don’t love the sheer look, you can get the bodice lined as well. The lovely lace creates a a delicately scalloped edge to both the neckline and dreamy sheer train. Another glamorous lace gown is our Paula Wedding Dress. The fitted gown highlights delicate Chantilly lace with beautiful beaded lace appliqués. The corset bodice has a strapless sweetheart neckline, perfect for our brides with smaller busts, and a sexy plunge to elongate your figure. The sheer petal train highlights the intricate floral lace and we love it paired with the detachable gauntlet sleeves for a stunning long sleeve lace wedding dress. If you don’t want a fitted gown, our Paladia Wedding Dress makes a beautiful petite lace wedding dress. The whimsical A-line features delicately beaded embroidered lace appliqués that softly float down from from the sheer, plunging v-neck bodice. . We love how sultry elements, like the open back and front skirt slit, contrast the feminine details of the waistline bow and three-dimensional flowers. 

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 Molly Wedding Dress is a beautiful choice. The effortlessly chic satin fit and flare has a straight neckline has a subtle cowl effect and a peek-a-boo of glamorous pearl and crystal beading. The long, off-the-shoulder sleeves have a delicate drape, emphasized by the cowl back.  If you’re looking for a petite long sleeve wedding dress that has more of a fairytale feel, our Paulette Wedding Dress is the one! This enchanting A-line features a sweetheart neckline on a sheer bustier bodice highlighting the botanical embroidery that floats down the sparkle tulle skirt. Detachable illusion bishop sleeves offer a peek of the arm, so you don’t feel shrouded by fabric, and add a whimsical effect to the gown. 

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 Nicosia Wedding Dress. This soft mermaid features a drop waist that helps to lengthen the body, with a plunging v-neckline that aids in drawing the eye downward. Straps will give our bustier brides the support they need leading to an open back that is sure to stun. Romantic Chantilly lace with crystal beaded embroidered appliqués makes this dress a top pick. For our petite plus size brides who want a more relaxed style, we say go for our Nadette Wedding Dress. The breezy and boho dress features a Chantilly lace bodice with a sweetheart neckline featuring a sheer net inset for a subtle plunge. Crystal beaded, three-dimensional floral embroidery pops, especially paired with the simple A-line chiffon skirt that has an airy and effortless look. For our plus size petite brides who want to feel sexy, there’s no other choice but our Nicky Wedding Dress. The sultry fit and flare glows in stretch satin with chic draping for an ultra-flattering look. The scoop neckline can help accentuate your bust with internal corsetry for added support. We love the couture touch of the sheer back exposing the boning and how to front skirt slit allows for a pop of leg, keeping them looking long and exposed.

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 Marceline Wedding Dress is mermaid magic! Serving drama this form-fitting mermaid features frosted embroidered lace on a drop waist bodice that lengthens the look of your torso. The exaggerated sweetheart neckline ends in a point that helps to draw the eye down the body to the show stopping tiered tulle skirt. For something a bit more subtle, opt for our Philomena Wedding Dress. The intricate mermaid is all about the details with delicately beaded, three-dimensional floral embroidery cascading down from the bustier bodice. Sparkle tulle gives you that classic bridal shimmer and we love how the sheer back reveals the couture corsetry.

To find your perfect petite wedding dress visit one of our amazing retailers!