Short and Sweet

Last week I met up with clients Dani and Sophie to discuss their forthcoming nuptials in more detail. Surrounded by framed artwork mounted on funky wallpapered walls and retro, fringed lampshades in a super cool indie coffee shop, we talked outfits. Obviously.

Dani and Sophie have the most amazing coastal wedding planned, to be followed by a late summer celebration at a contemporary, rural local wedding venue. As their chosen photographer, it's impossible not to be swept away on their tide of positivity and excitement and unsurprisingly, their celebrations may well feature multiple outfits.

We chatted about wedding dress styles and touched on length, with one of the two favouring a shorter length. Now I've been obsessed with short wedding dresses for a while. I have a life long love affair with vintage clothing and also get excited when brides break with tradition.

A couple of years ago, I organised a styled shoot which featured a short and very sweet wedding dress and a gender fluid outfit for the groom.

Model: Linz (Pandora's Curse), wearing a Velvet Birdcage Bespoke Bridal dress

Hot on the skyscraper heels of this shoot, came my beaming bride client, Vanessa, who injected a little individuality into her traditional church wedding by opting for a cute, retro style dress for her windswept wedding.

The fabulous fifties and swinging sixties can be credited with bringing shorter dresses into the mainstream. Here are a few notable females rocking their shorter lengths. First up, actress and animal rights activist, Bridgitte Bardot in 1959, marrying actor Jacques Charrier. The image may be black and white, but in reality, her wedding dress was a lace trimmed pink and white gingham affair and was endlessly copied.

By the mid 1960s, dress lengths had risen higher and the mini was everywhere. Liverpudlian singer, Cilla Black embraced the look with knee high boots and ostrich feathers....

...as did Yoko Ono at her wedding to John Lennon in 1969 in Gibraltar.

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Jane Fonda rocked a similar look at her wedding to director Roger Vadim, the ex of the aforementioned Brigitte.

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Check out actress Raquel Welch's crocet mini dress. This look has never strayed far from fashion circles since her 1967 wedding day.

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If there's any doubt about the longevity of a short wedding dress, bear in mind that actress/singer/fashion icon Jane Birkin, below, had a Hermes bag named after her. Trust me when I say it would be easier to emulate her white crochet mini wedding dress than it would be to get your hands on a Birkin bag. They command crazy money!

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Fast forward a few decades and Lily Allen opted for a 1960s inspired Dior wedding dress. Considering many people say that if you can remember the 1960s you weren't really there, its influence on fashion has never been forgotten.

Now far be it from me to try and influence your sartorial choices, but a shorter wedding dress does offer some advantages. Here are my top five reasons for considering one:-

1. Practicality. No need to worry about tripping, catching your heels in your train or being stopped short when a guest treads on your hem. Plus, if you're having an outdoor celebration where mud might be a factor, a short dress could be the answer. Legs are wipe clean!

2. If you have leg tattoos, your individuality is allowed to shine.

3. If you're wearing an amazing pair of designer shoes, personalised DMs or Converse, they will not go unnoticed.

4. For petite women, there are three specific dress lengths that are most flattering, including a dress that finishes a couple of inches above the knee. This can help elongate shorter legs.

5. Short wedding dresses are just a little rebellious - even today - and so are still the reserve of the bold and the brave, which translates as uber cool!

At the time of writing, my Instagram feed is awash with references to short wedding dresses. It seems that short wedding dresses are having a moment!