I wore a short wedding dress to my wedding. A decade ago, short wedding dresses were just starting to make a comeback, and picking one felt like a bit of a wild choice (in fact, you can see my early overthinking of the subject right here).

Back in the day, finding a short wedding dress was something of a nightmare. Every time I saw a blog post with a short wedding dress, I’d desperately look for the credits, only to find that the dress was custom made, or vintage, or simply not credited at all. So I did what any reasonable person would do, which was go into wedding dress boutiques and show them pictures of dresses I liked. The salespeople would always nod and smile very politely, and then tell me they had something very similar. Then they’d pull out several full length, strapless, cupcake dresses, and suggest I might look GREAT in a dress like this. (Further review would confirm all the dresses in the store looked exactly the same.) In one particularly desperate moment, a saleslady pulled out a $10,000 Vera Wang dress that weighed at least ten pounds, and suggested I could just chop it in half. Clearly, the logical thing to do with a recent $10K purchase is to chop it down the middle and hope that it works out. Needless to say, I didn’t follow that salesperson’s advice or even end up buying a dress at a bridal salon. Instead, I…. you guessed it… tried to make my own dress, and when that failed, I lucked out and found a perfect $250 vintage short wedding dress. Nice for me, but just as unhelpful to you as all those blog posts I read back in the day.

Now (with thanks to the wedding Goddesses, along with a changing industry), finding a short wedding dress isn’t super difficult, though you still often can’t find what you’re looking for at your local bridal boutique. But thanks to the wonder of the internet, now you can buy great wedding dresses online, saving you ridiculous conversations with saleswomen, who suggest chopping dresses in half to achieve your desired look. Plus, short wedding dresses have the added advantage of not always being marketed as wedding dresses, making them much more affordable.

Pro-tip: If you’re having a hard time finding a short wedding dress you like, try looking for reception dresses. Often super stylish, super affordable short dresses will be marketed as dresses to wear while you dance… but they’re clearly cute enough to wear all night long. In fact, BHLDN has a whole reception dress section, and it tends to be pretty killer.

So without further ado, here is a selection of vintage short wedding dresses, bohemian short wedding dresses, and modern short wedding dresses, in a variety of price points and sizes (including some rental options).

Vintage

Personally, I’m grateful that the silhouette originally known as The New Look has made a comeback. One day I may be like my grandmother, rocking it regardless of whether it’s in or out of style because it is the single most flattering look on my body. If like me, you’re looking for a vintage short wedding dress, this might be the vibe for you. But we’ve also thrown in vintage styles from a bunch of different eras because we can all get behind some ’60s chic or ’70s glam, and we’re always here for the flappers.

Chi Chi London Gilded Grace Lace Dress* via Modcloth ($175) *available in plus sizes

Goldie Dress via BHLDN ($400)

Truly Zac Posen 3/4 Sleeve* via David’s Bridal ($758.00–$808.00) *available in plus sizes

Ketu Dress by Catherine Deane via Rent the Runway ($125–$145 rental)

Mock-Neck Illusion Lace via David’s Bridal ($99.95)

Recognized Romance Fit and Flare Dress* via ModCloth ($200) *available in plus sizes

Dazzler via BHLDN ($460)

Curve Lace Embroidered Mini via ASOS ($222) 

Ivory Lace Cocktail Sheath by Marchesa Notte via Rent the Runway ($130–$145 rental)

Mia Dress via White Runway ($155.45)

Collectif x MC Rosette Radiance A-Line Dress* via Modcloth ($175) *available in plus sizes

Tea Length Cotton Eyelet Dress* by FrenchKnotCouture ($800) *available in plus sizes

White Bride Dress via Vintagecatalunya ($222.93) 

Tulle Plus Size Tea-Length via David’s Bridal ($499)

Bohemian

When you think bohemian, it’s often the maxi dress that comes to mind. More is more is MORE, right? But some of the coolest bohemian wedding dresses are short ones. The balance of maximal with less (dress), creates a really design-y take on one of our favorite looks.

High Neck Shift via Grace Loves Lace ($544.50)