Would You Wear a Short Wedding Dress? Here are 7 Stunners… | Cup of Jo

“For our small wedding, I was looking for a short, classic dress,” Akai told us. “The word I kept thinking was ‘darling.’” In the past few years, we’ve noticed more and more short wedding dresses popping up in photos and friends’ lives. Here, Akai and six others share their beautiful — and often quite affordable — choices…

Perfect for a Rainy Wedding

Akai and Joe got ready together at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, took photos at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and then held a small brunch ceremony with their families at Sunday in Brooklyn.

Photo by Kara McCurdy. 

“I found this Theory dress online. The sheer material on top is organza, which — heads up — is apparently tricky to tailor. Between the two kinds of material and some awkwardness in the draping of the dress, it ended up taking four fittings, a botched job, and two different tailors to get it looking right. I finally picked up my dress from the shop the morning before the wedding — with my fingers crossed hard!”

Photo by Kara McCurdy. 

“I felt really lovely in my dress. I do think the veil helped a lot in making the overall look feel more bridal. Plus, I got to run around in the pouring rain, through muddy grass and city sludge, without worrying about keeping my dress safe. ”

A Friend Found It First

Diana and Andrew eloped on the cliffs overlooking El Matador State Beach in Malibu, then had dinner at Nobu.

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Photo by A Raw Collection.

“Once we decided to elope, we felt like all bets were off when it came to wedding traditions. We invited only our best friends, and I decided to wear a short dress.”

Photo by A Raw Collection.

“A friend wore this dress to her bridal shower, and I knew I had to have it. It reminded me of an áo dài, a traditional Vietnamese dress, and I wanted to nod to my culture, even in an unconventional wedding. My husband took my measurements with a tape measure in our kitchen, and I ordered the dress online. I loved the short dress/long veil combo.”

Photo by A Raw Collection.

A Day-Of Decision That Clicked

Fennel and Sara got married at a Long Island City photo studio in front of 10 loved ones. Between the ceremony and dinner at Mayfield, the pair went to Central Park to take some photos.

Photo by Sylvie Rosokoff. Sara is on the left; Fennel is on the right.

Says Fennel: “Two months before we got married, I had top surgery. I’d picked out a white Calvin Klein jumpsuit with a cape, but after such a major physical change, it no longer felt quite right. I suddenly had to find an alternative, which was scary, especially while getting to know my ‘new’ body. Sara and I both wanted to wear white, but I didn’t feel attached to the idea of a long, formal white dress. I considered boiler suits, skirt/top sets, and short dresses. After ordering some online to try on at home, I ended up narrowing things down to a linen jumpsuit from Etsy and a halter-neck dress from Anthropologie. The morning of our wedding, the dress just felt right.”

Photo by Sylvie Rosokoff.

“The dress showcased my tattoos and felt a little bit punk. It was the perfect combo of honoring the white dress tradition, while still feeling comfortable in my own skin. I felt beautiful, which is not a way I would describe feeling normally, and deeply myself. I also loved that Sara and I were both in dresses. I wear Dr. Martens on an almost daily basis so it felt right to wear them at our wedding. The night before, I surprised Sara with personalized key charm necklaces as a wedding present, and we wore those, too.”

A Dress-y Tribute To Family

Caelan and Wil got married at New York’s City Hall on a Friday, then had a small dinner on Saturday at Torrisi, followed by drinks at Loreley.

Photo by Kara McCurdy. 

“Knowing that we were going the micro-wedding route took a lot of pressure off finding ‘the’ dress. My parents are Filipino, and my husband’s dad is half-Filipino. I knew I wanted to wear a Filipiniana-style dress for our Saturday dinner. I ordered a custom one for $275 from an amazing Etsy seller. I loved the fabric, and it fit like a glove.”

Photo by Kara McCurdy. 

“Above, my sister and her boyfriend are introducing the Filipino cord and veil ceremony. I got unexpectedly verklempt and started crying. It meant so much to be able to honor our roots and share a ceremonial experience with friends and family. After dinner, we went to a bar where another Filipina bride recognized that I was Filipina because of my dress!”

Long Sleeves for a Cozy Day

Ali and Simon got married at the Dublin Registry Office (the Irish equivalent of City Hall), then had drinks next door at the Storyteller Pub, followed by a meal at Fade Street Social.

“We got ready together at home. No butterflies, just excitement. For a dress, I wanted something that felt simple and structured but a little different. I was also keen to have sleeves in case it was chilly, as I absolutely hate being cold.”

“My family was late, we almost missed our ceremony slot, and a construction worker cursed at us when we were trying to take photos! We laughed a lot — the day was really laid back and happy.”

A Dress That Won Mom’s Approval

Dani and Michael got married at City Hall in New York, then had a reception for 10 people at Palma.

Photo by Kara McCurdy. 

“My mom lives outside of the U.S., so I went to a wedding dress boutique by myself. They didn’t have many sizing options, and the overall experience wasn’t pleasant. I left feeling defeated and nervous I wasn’t going to find a dress, but then I realized I was near one of the biggest Anthropologie stores in the country. I didn’t have an appointment, but they fit me in, and I instantly clicked with the saleswoman.”

Photo by Kara McCurdy. 

“This off-the-shoulder dress felt like the vibe I was going for. It was comfortable enough to sit and dance in without any issues. At the store, I FaceTime-ed my mom, and she agreed it was stunning.”

A $82 Vintage Find

Erika and Christian got married at a church in Manhattan, then had a reception at Sauced in Brooklyn.

Photo by Freda Banks.

“My husband and I said ‘I love you’ after one month of dating. We already knew we’d end up getting married, so buying a dress felt like a fun way to start planning. I’d always been drawn to a sixties look, and then I saw an iconic family photo of my now-husband’s Great Aunt Bess standing outside a church in a short wedding dress. I found this wedding dress from that decade on eBay for $82, then stuffed it in a box under the bed.”

Photo by Freda Banks.

“Two months later, he proposed. The dress didn’t fit and there was lots of excess fabric, but I trusted the team at Bode Fine Tailoring. I borrowed earrings that my mother-in-law had worn to her own wedding. When I looked in the mirror before the photographer arrived, I loved how much I felt like myself in the dress. That was important to me.”

Would you wear a short wedding dress? If you’re married, did you go short or long? Is anyone currently wedding dress shopping?!

P.S. 4 New York City Hall weddings and “my favorite moment from my wedding“.

(Opener photo by A Raw Collection. Photos of Ali’s wedding taken by family and friends. Other photos shot by Kara McCurdy, Sylvie Rosokoff, Freda Banks, and A Raw Collection.)