Thoughts on short dresses?

Knottiee9cfb00cfba51a0d

I am starting the wedding dress hunt and am wondering everyone's thoughts on short dresses. I am quite clumsy and don't want to have to deal with tripping over a train all day and also want to be able to show off my legs. My wedding send off is in a hot air balloon so I am also looking for a dress that will easily fit into the balloon. I found a short dress I really like and was thinking of pairing it with a floor length veil to help make it more elegant. Everywhere I read though does not recommend long veils for short dresses so I don't know if that would look weird. I am also worried I might regret not doing a longer dress. What do you guys think?

CMGragain

You should go shopping and try on both styles of dresses.  There are long dresses that are designed for destination weddings which are less bulky than more formal gowns, but nothing is wrong with a shorter dress.  I do think a long veil would look odd with a short dress, and it won't be easy to manage it in a hot air balloon.  (Think fire hazard!)  I hope you are making alternative plans for your send off.  Hot air balloons are limited by strict weather and safety conditions.  Have you done this before?  It is very, very windy and cold up there!

ernursej

Your dress is one area that you can do whatever you want. I like @CMGragain suggestion of trying different styles on. Pair them with short and long veils to get a better idea of what you like.

southernbelle0915

How short are you talking here? Like mid-thigh/club dress short? Or knee-length short?

I strongly dislike short dresses with long veils. It looks trashy IMHO. Short dresses in general remind me of Vegas weddings. 

There's probably a lot more space than you're thinking there is in the hot air balloon basket. I would call the company you're using and ask for the dimensions. I hardly see the basket as being a reason to limit your dress choices, unless you're going with a SUPER full skirt. 

CMGragain

I would seriously be concerned about a long veil being sucked up into the burner of a hot air balloon!

charlotte989875

I agree with trying on a bunch of styles with different veil lengths to find what you like, by if short is your preference, go for it! Short dress+long veil isn't really my style, but if you like it then wear what you feel great it!

DrillSergeantCat

A good friend of mine got married in a hot air balloon. She wore a full a-line dress and a veil. She had no issues. Your dress is very personal. Buy what you love and feel beautiful in.

CMGragain

BTW, I got this ad in my email today from Herberger's.  They are my go to department store out here, and are part of the Bon Ton group of stores.

https://www.herbergers.com/sc1/splash/?campaign=Wedding-Shop&om_rid=NsoSLb&om_mid=_BZOWZ3B9cgH-OO&utm_source=CheetahMail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2104623615&cid=CHEETAH-EMAIL

Some of them are way too short for a wedding, IMHO, but some are nice looking.

kahluakoala

How formal is your wedding? I think if your wedding is pretty formal you might have to work harder to make a short dress look fancy enough.

downtondiva

Try on both long and short dresses and see what you like. I did not find the long dress as hard to manage as I thought I would, except for the train. If you really want to do a shorter dress, it may take some searching or ordering your dress online; maybe it was just my experience, but I do not remember seeing any short dresses in actual bridal shops when I was looking. 

As for the veil, I have to agree that a long veil would look strange with a short dress, even if you went with something knee length or tea length. I don't think it would look elegant - it would make you look like you were playing dress-up. Personally, I'd recommend a fascinator or a small hat with a birdcage veil if you go the short dress route, but that's just my preference.

Heffalump

CMGragain said:

BTW, I got this ad in my email today from Herberger's.  They are my go to department store out here, and are part of the Bon Ton group of stores.

https://www.herbergers.com/sc1/splash/?campaign=Wedding-Shop&om_rid=NsoSLb&om_mid=_BZOWZ3B9cgH-OO&utm_source=CheetahMail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2104623615&cid=CHEETAH-EMAIL

Some of them are way too short for a wedding, IMHO, but some are nice looking.

Thanks so much for posting that.  I have been having the hardest time finding a dress shirt for DS--they're easier in Big Boy sizes, but he's a 5T or a 4, so it's been tough.  This pointed me in the right direction.

SP29

Nothing wrong with a short wedding dress! I think they look great (I would prefer a knee to calf length dress myself).

I do not think a long veil with short dress would look good.

Wear what you are comfortable in/ want to wear, but if you're trying to make a dress look more elegant, then maybe that dress isn't the right one.

If you actually prefer a longer dress but are worried about the hot air balloon, I wouldn't so much. An A-line, fit and flair, trumpet, or mermaid dress shouldn't be an issue. You can get a long wedding dress that isn't bulky- in fact a lot of the shorter wedding dresses have a fair amount of "poof" to them.

knottie72d6b636c9389057

I was in David's recently and they had a few very beautiful (and quite formal) short wedding dresses. One in particular was by Maggie Sweet. in addition, everyone is right about a long dress not having to be "poufy." Just don't go for a ball gown-try a-line or sheath. I do like the idea if you have great legs, and you could get killer shoes!

ahoywedding

How short are you thinking? Suuuuper short may not look wedding-appropriate, but knee-length would be cute. I agree with PPs that a long veil does nothing to to "class up" a short dress, and often ends up looking worse. You may find a longer, a-line or fit & flair could be easier to handle in the balloon. As an aside, I was dead set on a short wedding dress for clumsy reasons, and ended up not finding a single one I liked the look of. I have tripped at all of my graduations, and had no issues at the wedding