Tea length, Knee and Short Wedding dresses

Whether it’s a fifties flirt or a demure tea-length wedding dress, shorter dresses have had a real come-back recently. It makes a change from always dealing with full length and trains! Here is a selection of dresses I have made where the bride has opted to show off her pretty ankles – or more!

Examples of tea length and shorter wedding dresses from my archive

short wedding dress and veil made to measure
aine19 silhouette kiss short knee length wedding dress

1950’s Wedding Dress for Aine: Aine commissioned a 1950s style wedding dress made up in white taffeta. The flared, knee length skirt has soft white tulle peeking out below.

Wedding photography by Michael Dillon

angela 10 bride with friends shirt wedding dress wrap over jacket
angela 15 fitted jacket and skirt with peplum and fan pleat detail custom made


Oyster satin Wedding Dress and Jacket for Angela. Wedding dress with knee length pencil skirt with kick pleats in oyster silk duchess satin and chantilly lace.

Photography by www.christellephoto.com

Tea length wedding dress for Clare. Clare commissioned a flamboyant 1950’s style dress made in burnt orange satin and ivory chiffon. Beaded lace and sequin chiffon were perfect for her Florida wedding.

Official wedding photographs by www.gingermidgett.com

ivory silk satin wiggle dress with peplum

Photoshoot: City Burlesque Wedding. I designed a tea length wedding dress in ivory duchess silk satin. It had a fit and flare skirt that was graduated to show off the purple and teal petticoats. This vintage style 1950’s wedding dress was made for a London based photoshoot. This sample dress has now been sold but you you buy other dresses I have made for photoshoots from my Etsy shop.

Photography by Jessica Partridge

candler 10 1950's knee short midi tea length wedding dress bespoke
candler 4 autumn fall wedding ornage silk dupion short full skirt dress petticoat

Autumn colour Wedding Dress for Rebecca. I made a beautiful 1950’s style short wedding dress with delicate cream lace over Autumnal golden-orange silk. The skirt is a tea length full circle over many layers of ivory netting, each edged with orange satin ribbon.

Photography by Gregg Brown, http://www.greggbrownweddings.com

A Titanic inspired wedding dress. Common features from that period were empire waistlines and square necklines. This particular era was a lot more relaxed and bohemian compared to previous decades, which had been much more restrictive and hemlines were rising!

Photography by Darren Kirwan⁠

lace applique to customise wedding dress

Vintage Wedding Dress Upcycle for Madelie: I used the skirt from her mother’s 1970’s wedding dress and created a new bodice and lace detailing for Madelie’s upcycled wedding dress.

lou 6 buttermilk silk crepe satin bow sash wedding dress
lou 1 informal kimono inspired short pale gold silk wedding dress

Informal Wedding Dress for Lou. Lou commissioned a simple Kimono style dress in soft sand-coloured silk satin to wear for her wedding day. The short dress has a midi/tea-length skirt. I made the design with a high boat-neckline and is loose fitting but pulled in at the waist by a sash.

Blue halter neck wedding Dress and Veil for Angie. Angie wanted something really different for her wedding, as an older bride she wanted to feel extravagant special without wearing a long white dress. Together we created the design for this tea length dress in torn layers or lace and muslin. I also added lace details to her shoes and gloves for the finishing touch.

alternative wedding dress tufor inspired red velvet fit and flare skirt

Red Velvet Wedding Dress for Tracey: I designed a two piece ensemble made in deep red silk velvet. This alternative wedding dress has tea length skirt and a firmly boned bodice cut in a ‘Tudor’ style with a ‘flat front’. The pencil skirt is fitted to the knee then flaring to mid-calf and supported by ivory netting.

Halloween Wedding Dress for Ellie: Gorgeous Ellie was married in Vegas on Halloween. Her short wedding dress was a wonderful mixture of fifties shape, modern styling and subtle Halloween detail.

knee length informal wedding dress with shrug made to measure

Brown and pink tea length wedding dress for Suzanne. I designed this short wedding dress in shot taffeta and brown chiffon, suitable and pretty for a mature bride. A matching bolero and Swarovski pearl beading finished the ensemble.

pale blue cocktail wedding dress with scalloped lace overlay

Pale blue cocktail wedding dress for Isabelle. This cute, short wedding dress has a tiered lace skirt and pale blue lining.

Photography by  Miranda Virgo 

bride and her sons custom wedding dress

Rose pink tea length wedding dress for Clare. Clare was a mature bride who asked me for a sophisticated and pretty wedding dress with a touch of lace. The tea length skirt is straight in front with flirty flared panels behind.

bespoke custom made to measure uk surrey london fairy princess wedding dress

I made this three piece ensemble for a photoshoot with a Marie Antoinette theme. In fact it incorporates elements of not just the 18th century but also the 1950’s and the Victorian era too. The tea length wiggle skirt qualifies it for inclusion on this page but with so many sources of inspiration you’re going to see it again and again through my website! It was also featured in another photoshoot at Lainston house.

Photography – Tanya Flannagan Photography and NK Photography

To talk about your ideas for a bespoke tea length or short wedding dress just get in touch.

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Felicity Westmacott

I write about all aspects of weddings, dressmaking, fashion history, and the human relation to clothing. I welcome comments and debate.

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Let’s appreciate some of the details of this dress together…

This bohemian wedding dress was made for a vintage Romani Gypsy inspired wedding shoot, and since then it has been used for a few Edwardian and Titanic inspired shoots as well.

For this look, I chose beautifully lightweight ivory silk georgette (or chiffon) and lace, trimmed with ribbons. I spent a lot of time embellishing with hand sewn lace appliqué and tiny glass beads, to make the dress truly unique.

I always like to add versatility to my designs, and for this one I created a lace overskirt, decorated with red and black floral lace and a bold red sash around the waist. Then I made a ¾ length sleeve bolero in black velvet, lined with red satin for the chill nights.

This dress makes me want to dance around a fire, singing folk songs to the stars!

If this dress feels like the one for you, you can find it, ready to order, on my Etsy (link in the bio). Or, you can order it any size you like, completely bespoke to your body and taste. 

#weddingdress #vintageweddingdress #modernvintage #2025bride #2026bride #customweddingdress #bridalboutique #ukbride
Have you ever watched Strictly and thought "I would love to wear that"?

Alison wanted a wedding dress inspired by a gown she saw on Strictly Come Dancing. I love ballroom dancing - my grandmother was a famous dancer in her time, and as a result, I feel a real affinity with the culture of ballroom. So it was really exciting for me to work with Alison in creating her dream dress.

As with all my brides, before I started to cut into the beautiful guipure lace Alison had chosen, I made a toile. The toile is a rough draft of the dress, made in cheaper fabrics. It's a really useful way of checking the fit of the pattern is right, and it also gives the bride a chance to ask for any changes they might want. It's an invaluable part of my process!

The smile on her face during her final fitting says it all ☺️

I think this dress is perfect for Alison, who could easily dance the night away in this gorgeous, floaty frock 💃

#bespokeweddingdress #surreybride #sussexbride #kentbride #londonbride #ukweddingdress #maturebride #modestbride
emailme@felicitywestmacott.co.ukTEL 07762 543230TOUCHGet in
from design to completionbespoke wedding dressesFelicity Westmacott
Dorking, RH4 1RT241 High Street• Visit the Studio •
Dorking, RH4 1RT241 High Street• Visit the Studio •
emailme@felicitywestmacott.co.ukTEL 07762 543230TOUCHGet in