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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It’s the night before you’re wedding day. You have your dream bridal outfit ready to go for the morning. But there are a few things you should do before you go to sleep, to make sure your wedding dress is looking its best for the big day.

First up, make sure to hang your dress up high. A curtain rail or a wardrobe door are good choices. And make sure to hang it in a pet and fiancé secure room.

When unzipping the bag, put your finger behind the zip to stop it catching on any delicate fabric.

Your main priority is to get the train out, so it has time to flatten out overnight. Hang the dress in the bag so it’s facing inwards. Leave the shoulders of the bag on the dress to keep protecting the dress from dust.

You’ll want to lay a clean towel or sheet on the floor to protect the train when you pull it out.

Check to make sure the dress is hanging from its dress loops, not straps or sleeves. This prevents any delicate fabrics being stretched out by the weight of the dress. As you can see from the one I’ve chosen, that’s a lot of (heavy) dress!

On the wedding day, your dress can be taken completely out of the bag. To prep it for the photographer, turn it round so it’s facing the front, and pop any straps or sleeves, back onto the hanger so it looks its best..

And that’s about it. It isn’t very much, but it can make all the difference, and avoids any unwanted wrinkles, especially on your dress’ train.

Let me know if you have any other tips and tricks!

(Shout out to @engaged_bridal_studio for inspiring this post 🙌🏻)

#wedding dress #customwedding dress #weddingdressinspiration #bespokeweddingdress #bridalboutique #surreywedding #sussexwedding #londonwedding #weddingdaytips #weddingdresstips #bridaltips
This wedding dress is inspired by the same era that Titanic and Downton Abbey (well, some of it) are based on; the Edwardian Period.

The corseted bodice fits close to the body, and is made of panels of silk chiffon over luxurious duchess satin. Trimmed with satin ribbon and embellished with hand sewn lace appliqué and tiny glass beads. 

I love the tiered skirt so much. With three layers of gathered chiffon and trimmed with more intricate lace, giving it a perfect vintage feel.

There is something so timeless and elegant about this wedding dress, don’t you think? If you love this design, you can either head to my Etsy shop, or drop me a message if you'd like it made entirely to your measurements and preferences.

#weddingdress #edwardianfashion #edwardianbride #edwardianweddingdress #periodweddingdress #vintageweddingdress #seamstress #bespokeweddingdress #customweddingdress
If you're curious about what I get up to in my breaks at the shop...now you know!

Inspired by @theadhdpersonaltrainer 🥰

#handstand #handstandpractice #upsidedown #handstandprogress #handstandshapes #feetuptrainer
With spring finally appearing, it was time to update my bridal shop display window.
(If you're curious what it was last month, you can look at my previous post...if you're a fan of dip dye, I think you'll really like it)

I wanted to create something that was full of verdant texture. I feel really strongly about single use plastics, so I always try to either re-use elements from previous window displays, or gather things from nature. This time I used a floral garland by @muscariwhites and added dried flowers from the hydrangea bush in my garden, as well as ivy, and anything else I found that I thought would look pretty.

For this display, I featured two dresses. Usually it's three, but when one of them takes up so much space, I had to make sacrifices! I chose the sumptuous pink Evil Queen dress, as well as the lilac dip dye Bridgeton dress. Both of them are historically inspired (the former by Elizabethan fashion and the latter by Regency), but also have fantasy elements to them. Completely my style as a wedding dress designer.

Which dress in this display is your favourite?
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