Happy early wedding Wednesday! I’ve been compiling this post for a little while, and it’s a special one. When I first blogged about my wedding gown search, several gorgeous readers from all over the world shared their own dress photos with me on my Facebook page. I loved seeing the range of designs / silhouettes on a variety of body types, and especially enjoyed reading their accompanying stories and tips! With each bride’s permission, I’ve re-shared their photos below:
Name: Roxana
Dress: Inbal Dror “VIP”
“I remember wedding dress shopping (we are around the same measurements) and almost everything would have required alterations off the rack. After much searching, I bought my dream gown designed by Inbal Dror.” Roxana also kindly shared a tip to help the “girls” : “I searched for a dress that had defined cups in the corset instead of having a strapless neckline without sewn-in cups…I also highly, highly recommend the backless silicone gel bras sold in Victoria’s Secret stores. The size A version fit me well.” 
Name: Melissa
Dress: Maggie Sottero – Alana 2
Self-described body type: 5’2″ petite straight-cut
“A-line/mermaid was the most figure-flattering silhouette for my frame…don’t be too swayed by all the trends you see out there. Simplicity, figure-flattering silhouettes and subtle details make a classic and timeless look.” 
Name: Cara
Dress: Her mother’s!
“I wore my mothers gown from 1962 (organza with alencon lace details) and had it fitted to me and a bit of the volume taken out as it would have been a tad overwhelming. But there’s no reason a petite person can’t wear a ball gown…I was 5’1.” Here is a pic of my parents with my mom wearing our dress in 1962. Mind you – she was 19 years old there and I was 40 when I got married. I also used her tiered crystal crown to hold my bouquet. It was quite something.” (photo by Teness Herman)
And here is another beautiful reader Kristen who was able to wear her mother’s wedding gown with absolutely no alterations!! So special…her mom is on the left, and Kristen on the right:
Name: Betty
Dress: Monique Lhuillier Scarlet
Self-described body type: 5’1″ hourglass shaped
“I think it’s important to not get fixated on one particular dress and to be open to trying different styles…another thing I found important was to trust your own judgement and not let too many of your friends and families opinions get in the way. I went shopping by myself and purchased the dress by myself.”
Name: Melissa
Dress: Essence of Australia Style D1688
Self-described body type: 5 ft tall and 00P
“I am very petite, and I opted for a form-fitting gown with slight flare at the bottom. I actually had the straps removed during alterations. 2. Other alterations just included taking up the length quite a bit, removing one of the tulle underlays to make it more form fitting, and taking in the waist.”
Name: Blair
Dress: BCBG
“I’m also very petite (4’11 100 lbs) and was on a tight budget for my wedding. I actually wore a $300 BCBG gown for my wedding and loved it! I happened to wander into the BCBG section of the mall and saw this gown – in pink. On a whim, I tried it on and imagined what it would look like in my size, and white. I may have been crazy, but I ordered it without getting anyone else’s feedback…I still had some alterations done to take it in a bit and of course, shorten, but I was really pleased with an affordable dress that I may actually be able to wear again!”
Name: Amanda
Dress: Badgley Mischka Odessa Style # 28923803 from BHLDN
Self-described body type: 5’4″ pear-shaped with a shorter torso
“The best part of dress-finding story is that I went to BHDLN and tried it on by myself….My gown still required quite a bit of alterations to fit my frame, but that was to be expected. My dress fit like a glove, thanks to Nhu!” (Houston-based tailor, for anyone interested)
Name: Anna of Min Edition
Dress: Made by herself – so talented!
Self-described body type: 5’3″ with small bust and waist; a bit pear shaped.
“The dress is an a-line with a sweetheart neckline. The main dress fabric is silk taffeta which I chose because it’s crisp and light (it was 106 degrees on my wedding day!) I used silk organza on top of the taffeta to add an airy layered effect and the bodice is made of silk chiffon ties that create the ruching effect. I hemmed the entire length of the silk chiffon by hand”
Name: Jessica
Dress: Suzanne Neville
“I’m 5’2 and I had a really hard time finding something that I felt made me look tall and elegant, which was my vision for a bride. I fell in love with Suzanne Neville. Her dresses are handmade out of
London and I customized mine to lower the back. Highly recommend her dresses!” 
Name: Ruth
Dress: Vera Wang White at David’s Bridal
“I’m just under 5ft and choose this dress…just trust your instincts and you can’t go wrong. I ordered the dress in size 0 and I had to have the dress taken up a few inches and the way they ‘shortened’ the dress was by pinning the ruffles up which I though was very clever! It meant none of the dress had to be cut!”
Name: Jan
Dress: Nouvelle Amsale #929349
“I immediately gravitated towards this style and material – lo and behold, the designer, Amsale, is Ethiopian (my husband’s family’s ethnic background). I couldn’t afford her regular dresses and searched for similar styles from other designers to no avail…she subsequently released an affordable line partnering with Nordstrom and this dress was love at first sight. I also made my purchase a triple point day AND had it tailored in the bridal suite at Nordstrom at a discount as I am a card member. Nordstrom was amazing – they even held my dress for almost a year under lock and key so I didn’t have to worry about storing it (and the other half seeing it) until the wedding. It was steamed and pressed and ready to go the day before. Choosing this designer was an homage to my husband and his family. ”
Name: Belinda
Dress: Reem Acra Tianna 4915 (selling pre-owned here)
“I personally tried on many different designers/brands but I found designer Reem Acra styles were well suited for petite frames. The dress I ended up going with, was actually the first dress I tried on! My dress was size 2 and altered to fit. My seamstress put in built in cups and I also wore a nu bra.”
Thanks again to the beautiful brides above who shared a part of your wedding day with me! I would love to see and read about more of your dresses (petite and taller ladies alike) – please feel free to share a photo and a blurb about your dress in the above formats on my Facebook page, or you can Facebook message me via my page!
