Calling All Short Dress Brides

UPDATE: It has been so much fun getting your emails, stories and short dress photos! Keep them coming. I'd like to have all submissions by Wednesday, February 4th. And don't forget to include your weddingbee name (or how you'd like to be acknowledged), the dress maker and where you got it to help other brides. If you're worried about surprises being ruined I can crop your head out of the photos (does that sound creepy?) so no one will know it's you!

The Ring Shots series has gotten so popular I thought I'd put out a call for photos of something I love -- short wedding dresses. Until recently I was the only short dress "bee" and always wished I could see images of bee readers in their short wedding dresses.



Are you planning to wear a short wedding dress? Were you already a short dress bride? If so, I'd LOVE to see photos of you in your dress to share with the hive in a future post. They can be from your fitting, a bridal session or from your wedding. (If there is a lot of interest this could be a few posts). Email them to onion@weddingbee.com. Please including where you got your dress (designer/store) to help other brides search for their perfect dress.

Here are a few photos of my gown, a Romona Keveza from her legends collection that I bought at Mark Ingram's Bridal Atelier in NYC:










Photo by Daria Bishop Photographer.

Attire close-up -- the women

What you wear on your wedding day should make you feel fantastic. More and more brides are expressing themselves with not only what they choose to wear but how they dress their groom, groomsmen, bridesmaids and flower girl.

There are a few things I learned while planning my wedding that I'd like to pass on to you. First, don't think that on your wedding day you have to look a certain way because that's what you see in a magazine or your mother said so! Be sure to pick a dress that suits your style. You should simply be a more dressed up version of yourself! If you're comfortable and confident that that will make you glow and look beautiful.



I bought my Romona Keveza gown (it's actually two pieces) from her Legends Collection at Mark Ingram's Bridal Atelier in NYC. It was a fantastic experience, from my first appointment, to the day I picked my dress up before my wedding. My sales girl Anju was fantastic -- supportive but not pushy in any way. I'd highly recommend making this one of your first stops while searching for a dress in New York.



When it came time to finding a dress for my bridesmaids I started looking very early (like 10-11 months early). I didn't want my friends to have to break the bank to participate in my wedding and bridesmaid dresses can be outrageously priced! I went to Ann Taylor to look at their celebrations collection with my BM who lives in the city and we found a dress we loved -- and score team bridesmaids -- it was on sale for $99!! This made my day. I love how our florist was inspired by the roses on their dresses for their bouquets with lavender freesia, purple delphinium, and creamy white roses.



And last but not least, our flower girl. This sweet little girl (who just turned eight a few weeks ago) is very special to me. I also didn't want to put any financial stress on her parents so I showed her mother the Ann Taylor Flower Girl Dress for inspiration because I didn't want her to have to spend $128 on a dress she'd outgrow so quickly. She ended up getting her dress on sale around Easter time -- so savvy. The one thing I did ask is that she get her the brown sash so she'd compliment the bridesmaids dresses.

Click to enlarge images

Up next...Attire close-up -- the men!

Short Dress Bride!

I got a lot of comments on my short wedding dress in my post, Informal "Formals" so I thought I'd address this in more detail. I didn't set out to buy a short wedding dress. After looking at many different dresses and many salons (see my "dress shopping" post), Anju, the wonderful woman helping me at Mark Ingram's Bridal Atelier said, "I have an idea, I'll be right back."

When I first started looking for my wedding dress I was drawn to lace and all things romantic! I also knew (or thought I did anyway), that I didn't want a strapless gown. Basically I was trying to avoid the standard A-line long strapless wedding dress I'd seen in every magazine! Don't get me wrong, it's a lovely silhouette, but I just wanted something that was more "me," you know?

So, Anju brought me two dresses. The first was a short Monique Lhuillier similar to this one (except on my five foot nothing frame it was more mid calf):



It was lace -- which I liked, and the short was a bit of whimsy. OK, I thought, this is a nice thought. And it had pockets which I just adored! But it wasn't quite perfect. I didn't feel beautiful in it.

The second was a two piece short raw silk gown. I didn't know what to make of it. She told me it was a "Romona" and I smiled as if I knew what that meant.



It turns out it was a Romona Keveza from her Legends Collection (I discovered when I scoured the internet to find the dress). When I brought my mother to New York to see the dress she said "You look adorable!" That was her first reaction. Then she said I looked like a Degas Ballerina.



Image from Pre1900prints.com

And when I showed it to a dear friend from college she gasped and said "Oh my god! You're Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face!"



Now, here I am at my last fitting:



Here are things I love about my dress:

1) It's comfortable. I had room to eat, could sit comfortably and really enjoyed wearing it.

2) Wearing it again. Because it's two pieces I can (and will) wear it again. I'm already thinking about being invited to some fabulous black and white New Year's party (I'm open to your invitations ;)). I have a black velvet and raw silk top that would look awesome with the skirt!

3) Any shoes I wanted. Because the length was a non issue I was able to buy any shoes I wanted and didn't worry about the height of back up shoes for the reception. Also, major bonus, people could see my fantastic Cynthia Rowley Shoes.



4) No Bustle. Because there was no bustle to worry about I could sit easily, dance easily and just enjoy the party.

5) It's different and totally me. Because I'm so petite one of the issues I had with dress shopping was, even though I tried on many beautiful gowns, they just seemed to be wearing me.

Some Tips:

If a short dress is what you're after, don't go straight to wedding gown salons. If I hadn't fallen in love with this dress first I would have looked off the rack. Take a look at white party dresses at department stores. Even if you spent $300-$800 on a fabulous designer cocktail or party dress that is still much less than your typical wedding gown.

During the planning process I got a lot of "Love the short dress, wish I had the courage," or "I could never do it, but it looks great on you." So I say to you -- don't be motivated by convention. If you want to wear a short dress to your wedding -- I say go for it! Just because tradition says it's not "bridal" or you don't think it's formal enough for a wedding doesn't mean you can't look fabulous! If you feel beautiful that is all your husband and guests are going to see.

So now I'm dying to know -- are there any other bees or readers out there who were or plan to be short dress brides? If so, was it for a first or second wedding? I know that it used to be the case that woman would choose a shorter dress for a second marriage. I'd LOVE to see photos of you in your dress! I felt like a huge minority in the process (not that I minded at all) but it would be lovely to share with some other short dress brides!

Second dress fitting...

I had my second dress fitting on Wednesday morning with Melissa at Mark Ingram's Bridal Atelier. We're almost there! She still has to shave down a little fabric under my right arm so my arm falls naturally over it and isn't uncomfortable. She's also going to shorten the lining which is causing the hem to flip out a little instead of stand straight and bow under a little like it should be. It's so nice not to have to worry about a bustle!



I wore my hair up in a bun to see what it would look like with the dress and veil as I'm thinking about an updo now as I was so unhappy with my half-up/half-down hair trial in Vermont.

Here is my new inspiration -- Kkatherine Heigl from the Emmys! She looks stunning and I love that it's inspired by the 40's but she doesn't look like she's playing dress up with pin curls and bright red lipstick. There is some interest to the wave in the front and the side bun looks so pretty.




And here is my hair with my veil just thrown up in a quick bun to see what it would look like from behind.




Thoughts on the new inspiration??

Wedding dress budgeting...

A Note about budgeting for a wedding dress: Don't forget that there are other costs involved than just the sticker price of the gown.

Other costs of your bridal look include:

a) Fittings, which can be 15% or more of the gown
b) Tax (which can sometimes be avoided by shipping out of state -- but then there are shipping costs)
c) a veil
d) shoes
e) a bra for the dress (can be anywhere from $70-$150 I found)

Although my gown was $1,770, I budgeted $2500 which is about what I ended up spending as follows:

Romona Keveza Gown: $1,770
Pattern change (opening the cup): $300
Alterations: $200
Tax: $173.36
Subtotal: $2,443.35

Long-line Bra (from Bra Tenders): $99
Veil (from Rose's Bridal): $50
Shoes (from zappos.com): $180 (a wedding gift from a friend)

Grand Total: $2,772.36

Actual cost to me minus the shoes: $2,592.36

This is just a little over where I said I'd planned on being, so I was very happy. But notice the whole look cost just over $1,000 more than the gown itself.

Wedding dress shopping...

Shopping for a wedding dress can be the most exciting thing you've ever done (after getting engaged to the love of your life that is). But it's not easy -- that's for sure. NYC brides have an amazing number of option, but where to start?

1. I'd highly recommend you start by pouring through bridal magazines and websites. The knot.com has a place to view many gowns by designer, price, neckline or silhouette. Just tear things out that you are drawn to -- for the shape, the fabric, the neckline -- whatever. No limits!

2. Most people will tell you to set a budget first and then start looking with that in mind. If you have self control, and the budget is a reality, I say forget it! Start by "dream dress" shopping. Try on all prices and shapes of dresses to see how they feel on you. You can love something in a magazine that will look terrible on your figure and be surprised by something you wouldn't expect to love. Don't have "the dress" set in stone in your head before you start trying gowns on. I began thinking I wanted a romantic dress with lace and it couldn't be strapless (see below -- my gown = no lace and strapless)!

3. I started with the NY Magazine's Wedding Guide. They have a pretty comprehensive list of Bridal Salons in the city and it was a great way to start planning.

4. I went to salons that carried dresses I knew I couldn't afford and tried on very expensive designer gowns: Reem Acra, Carolina Herrera, Monique Lhuillier etc., as I knew I'd never get the opportunity to do this again! Then I also went to places like Kleinfields (which was not a positive experience to be honest) and RK Bridal (which was overwhelming).

I tried on the following dresses (all across the boards in style and price):



Angel Sanchez



Carolina Hererra



Monique Lhullier



Le Spose di Gio

5. Then I got back to reality and went back to Mark Ingram's Bridal Salon where I began. I ended up buying the least expensive dress they carried (at $1770), but I LOVED it! Here is what I ended up buying -- a short Romona Keveza gown:



Mark Ingram's gowns usually start at $3,000, but if you're not looking for amazing detail and expensive lace, you might be surprised -- I was!

Mark Ingram's Bridal Atelier
110 East 55th Street, 8th Floor
NY, NY

By appointment only -- call 212 319 6778.

My first fitting!

Yesterday afternoon I went to Mark Ingram's Bridal Atelier in NYC for my first dress fitting. My sweet sales girl Anju was there with me and made me feel so comfortable as always. It was such a great feeling to have MY dress on in my size. It needs a few minor alterations to the bodice but the skirt is perfect.

My dress is a Romona Keveza from her Legends Collection. I brought my shoes (Cynthia Rowley's Trilogy), my veil (from Rose's Bridal) and my earrings that I'll be wearing to get the feeling of the whole look. So without further ado -- here are the photos from the first fitting session.

My dress hanging (it's a top and a skirt)



The front of the dress with the shoes, veil and earrings



The back of the dress (with my fitter Melissa in the shot). This is my favorite shot because you get the back with the veil, and the front and side in both mirrors.



Close up of the back. I had the buttons arrive separately because they were heavy enough to pull the zipper cover (not sure if this has a name) open so you could see the zipper. I didn't want that, so we decided to have them put the buttons back on, as it's a nice detail, on the other side to obscure the zipper. No one will know but me, the seamstress and now all of you! In the picture there are a few pinned so you can see what it will look like.



And for those of you who are interested, here are pictures of the earrings and shoes:





The earrings were a college graduation gift from my grandmother (who passed away a week before my graduation) and the shoes are Cynthia Rowley Trilogy from www.zappos.com. Note the signature blue soles. So my earrings and my shoes are my "something blue."

So, what do you think ladies? Anyone else a short dress bride? If so was it your first or second wedding? I know the short trend is very popular among subsequent marriages, but I wasn't sure about a first (and last) time bride like me!

Wedding dress inspiration

My wedding dress inspiration came from one of my favorite acrtresses of all time -- Audrey Hepburn. When I was a kid (who am I kidding -- I still do) I watched her movies over and over again -- Sabrina, Roman Holiday, My Fair Lady, Charade, Breakfast at Tiffany's etc.

Well in her movie, Funny Face (1957), she wears the sweetest wedding dress -- a la a Degas ballerina. I had forgotten all about this until I showed the picture of my dress to a dear friend of mine. And she said "Ooooh...so perfect -- it's so Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face!" I rushed home to remind myself as it had been years and did a quick google photo search and sure enough, she was right.

Here is what I found:





My first dress fitting is this afternoon (actually in an hour so I HAVE to jet). I'll be sure to post pictures of the fitting. My gown from is a Romona Kevaza Legends Collection.