Half the Brides You Know Are About to Buy a Short Wedding Dress

Because there are only so many ways you can reinterpret the basic white ballgown and we’ve tried ’em all in the three decades since Princess Di got married, short dresses are becoming the latest and greatest wedding trend. My God, it’s a historic first! A wedding trend that actually saves you time, money and energy!

The AP reports that, while short dresses are nothing new in places like Brooklyn where the cutesy courthouse wedding is a genre unto itself, the trend is trickling out into mainstream American life. Said Marthastewartweddings.com editorial director Darcy Miller: “More and more brides seem to be seeking no-fuss, lightweight and easier silhouettes.” So more and more designers are expanding their options:

“A lot of people are doing more intimate settings, so a shorter dress just feels more appropriate. If they do the big wedding, some change into a shorter dress so they can dance and have a good time,” Lhuillier said.

Exactly how short is up to the bride. There are minis, high-low hemlines (high in the front and lower in the back), knee lengths, tea lengths below the knee and so-called “transformers,” where a long train or sheer skirt detaches to show off a short dress underneath.