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.

Add a comment...

Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

Felicity Westmacott

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

Recent Portfolio entries

Read More
follow me on instagram@felicitywestmacott

I'm a regional finalist for the Wedding Industry Awards! ⁠
⁠
Not only that, but in both my categories; Best Designer/Independent Dressmaker and Best Seamstress/Tailor. So thank you to everyone who voted for me. Your time and effort is not only appreciated, but has also paid off 💜⁠
⁠
And well done to my fellow regional finalists; @alexandersharpebridal, @harrietchristelow, @shell_stitches_kent, @stitchesbykristine, @nicolaleverington.⁠
⁠
There are a few finalists outside of my categories that I wanted to give an especially loud shout out to - well done @alexjaggermua and @lushcurvebridal!⁠

Thank you to the organisers and Damien at @twia_official
⁠
Wishing everyone the best of luck! 🪡✨️⁠
This is what a bespoke veil with almost 400 flowers looks like.

On top of some other alterations, @katiepigden wanted a chic, modern bridal veil. We chose a length a little longer than her dress and I got to work.
Her wedding dress already had these beautifully delicate 3D flowers on the bodice, so we echoed this design element in the veil. I hand embellished almost 400 satin flowers, selectively scattered at the hem of the veil and gently creeping up. I wanted it to look as though Katie had been standing underneath a blossoming tree and some had happened to fall onto her veil.

A veil is such a perfect way of finishing off a bridal look, and I think Katie looks stunning. If you're looking for something completely custom for your wedding day, then get in touch 💜
Spooky season has arrived!

I love Halloween, but maybe not for the reasons you might think. For me, Halloween gives people permission to be a little more wild, a little more 'out there' with their bridal choices. And as a seamstress who loves to makes bold and beautiful wedding dresses, there's nothing wrong with a little more wild!

Take these three wedding photoshoots, for example. The first one was inspired by Morticia Addams. It's a black wedding dress! You can't get less traditional than that. And it's now one of my most popular designs. Although all these dress designs are based around a fictional character, they're still the furthest thing from a costume. They're pieces of haute couture art, taking the essence of the character and then elevating it to something truly unique.

The second dress used the designs from the live action Cruella, and I love how the model nailed her character. The final dress used Jim Henson's Labyrinth as a starting point, in particular that iconic ballroom scene (*swoon*). They were all such fun projects. So if you're looking for a wedding dress maker to embrace your wild side, I might be the perfect choice.

If you could base your wedding dress on a fictional character, who would it be?

~
Photography - @lexflemingphoto⁠
Sometimes it can be difficult to be true to yourself. The world can feel really judgemental (even if it's just the voices in the back of your head saying it). But, you might be worried about being 'too much' or worried of what people might think if they saw how vibrant and colourful you really are on the inside. How big and sparkly your thoughts and feelings are!

Well, guess what? There's no such thing as 'too much'. Not in my books! As a wedding dress maker (and honestly, a fellow big, sparkly person) I'm here to encourage you to listen to what your heart is telling you. Ignore those voices telling you should be anything less than 100% yourself, especially on your wedding day.

There is nothing that makes me happier than a bride bringing me their ideas - the crazy ones they've barely voiced to anyone else. The ones they shyly mention, usually followed by "but if that's not possible, then don't worry about it". And there's nothing more exciting than seeing the face of that bride when they realise that I am absolutely on this journey with them, that we will make it happen and that I cannot wait to get started!

Anyway, I love my job 😉

#weddingdress #fantasyweddingdress #fantasybride #historicalweddingdress #dramaticweddingdress #bespokeweddingdress
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