With each passing year, brides are rethinking what a wedding dress should be. Brides are walking down the aisle in gowns featuring new shapes, new colors (and we don’t mean ivory), and new lengths! The short wedding gown – from mini-skirt to tea-length – is being rethought in new ways for all styles of weddings from outdoor Summer affair to New Year’s Eve city soirees.

Above: Bride Eleanor is timeless in her short, lace wedding dress. View more of Eleanor’s Spring Meadow wedding at Chic Vintage Brides. Photographs by Love Me Do Photography; Click on any image to enlarge.

Above: Brides Megan & Amy opt for short styles by Janice Martin Couture.

Left: Megan wears a short, fitted gown with 3/4 length sleeves. Read more about this Marilyn Monroe inspired gown. Photo by Ricky Stern Photography

Right: Amy’s two-piece bridal ensemble features a soft, lace halter and a-line skirt. Photo courtesy of the bride

Above: Bride Lynn wears an iridescent blue tea-length wedding gown with a full, dramatic skirt. Lynn chose a short, colorful style for her wedding. Check out this blog of Lynn’s wedding recently posted by her photographer; Photo by Lorraine Daley Wedding Photography

Short wedding gowns by Janice Martin Couture are short on fabric but not in details. Two detail views of short wedding dresses (below) show the intricacy of the fine fabrics from France that are available to Janice Martin Couture clients. Many gowns are constructed out of fabrics from the same company used for the creation of Kate Middleton’s wedding gown. Lace in particular is being utilized in new and exciting ways – from antique to contemporary lace, brides are redefining every bit of what “bridal” actually means.