Many brides opt for traditional style wedding dresses which are either elegant, long and flowing or full-skirted princess style. However there are no rules and you are free to push the boundaries as even church weddings have seen a relaxation of the traditions of covering arms, décolletage and legs.

Laura, bride, wearing Elizabeth Bessant couture wedding dress with detachable overskirt and veil

I met Laura at The National Wedding Show in 2016 when she and her mother walked onto my stand and literally fell in love with one of my show stopper wedding dresses. Even though Laura’s wedding was then two years off, she knew she had found her dream wedding dress and was ready to commit.

Her wedding dress was a one of a kind made from a beautiful nude silk and tulle overlaid with ivory guipure lace. The tulle skirt was lined only to mid-thigh which showed off Laura’s lovely legs.

Guipure lace is one of the most elegant of all laces. It has a continuous motif, which creates a distinct dense floral design.

The lace was hand cut to graduate down the tulle skirt. This formed a base for hundreds of hours of work applying hand-cut appliqué flowers, leaves and silk feathers that were attached by hand with pearls and crystals.

The removable overskirt was made from ivory silk taffeta stiffened to keep its shape and appliquéd to match the dress. The waistband was hand beaded with my Deco style vintage crystals, pearls and tiny antique gold beads. This was worn for the church ceremony and removed later for dancing. The dress had a low cut back so I also made Laura a cathedral length veil to add modesty for her church wedding.

Laura, bride, wearing Elizabeth Bessant couture wedding dress with detachable overskirt and veil

Laura, bride, wearing Elizabeth Bessant couture illusion dress with applique

There are advantages to having your legs on show at your wedding:

1. If you are marrying in a hot country, like Laura, but want to wear a long dress, the silk tulle decorated with lace appliqué is airy and light.
2. If you want to wear statement shoes a short dress will show these off.
3. If your shoes are jewelled this can cause problems with a long dress because the gems may catch and pull the underside of your dress when walking.
4. If you want to do some extravagant dance moves a short dress will work well for rocking around the clock.

But you can have the best of both long and short wedding dress options – either choose a see-through fabric like Laura or opt for a dress that is long at the back and short at the front… or you could go all the way and opt for a mini dress.

If you would like advice on choosing your wedding dress you are welcome to contact me for a free no obligation consultation [email protected]