If you are a bride to be who is getting ready to shop for your wedding dress, you might be wondering if you are going to be too tall or too short for a wedding dress. What is the standard length of a wedding dress? What type of shoes or how tall of a heel should you wear on wedding day? All of these are common questions that we hear at Lovella Bridal, especially from our petite brides and our tall brides.
Before you head to your next bridal appointment, let’s discuss if there is a standard length for wedding dresses, how tall you should be for a standard-length wedding dress, and if you will need to order your wedding dress with additional length. Today, I'm talking about how tall or short brides need to be for a wedding dress and specifically, I'm going to get into the average wedding dress height for brides, the bridal footwear needed for trying on wedding dresses before purchasing, as well as bridal dress ordering considerations that brides need to know about before purchasing their dream wedding dress. I will also give an extra special tip for my petite brides and those brides that feel that they are on the shorter side for the standard wedding dress length.
Let's dive in! There's no doubt that wedding dresses are very different than normal, everyday clothes that brides buy off-the-rack as we've talked about many times before. Everything from sizing to ordering to styling is different with a bridal dress. I'm so excited to share my bridal styling expertise about how tall brides need to be to try on and purchase their wedding dress.
Video: How Tall Do You Need To Be For A Wedding Dress?
Is there a standard height for wedding dresses? Before wedding dress shopping, tune in to our expert advice video discussing wedding dress lengths and how tall you need to be for a wedding dress.
Average Wedding Dress Height
If you have been following our bridal fashion advice, then you already know we discuss bridal sizing quite a bit. Wedding dress stores carry sample dresses for brides to try on during their appointments and these inventory dresses will be somewhere in the middle of the designer’s size chart. While we often discuss bridal dress sizing, we don’t often think about the length of a wedding dress. Is there an average length to wedding dresses?
We wish there was a straightforward answer, but as is often the case with bridal fashion, there is no set rule. The standard length of wedding dresses is going to vary from designer to designer and even vary dress to dress in the same designer collection. There is not a set formula that every designer follows like their gowns should accommodate a 6 foot tall person when wearing heels.
For some perspective, if you have seen our Wedding Fashion Expert sharing videos on social media, she is 5’ 7” and when wearing a 4 to 5 inch tall heel, many of the designer wedding dresses we carry at Lovella Bridal are a perfect length, which would put them at about 6 feet. But it does vary where a 4 inch heel is perfect for some designers and others need a 5 inch heel or else would have to be hemmed in order to not be too long. The long and the short of it is that the length of your wedding dress will depend on the designer and the specific dress you choose, along with the shoes you plan on wearing on wedding day.
Footwear When Trying On Dresses
Keeping in mind that every dress and every designer is different, you might think that you need to have your bridal shoes in hand when you go wedding dress shopping. This is not the case at all, and often brides will choose their shoes after selecting their dress so they can ensure they will match or be cohesive in style. It might be helpful to know that you want to wear heels or flats, but you don’t have to have the exact shoe you will wear on wedding day when you first are going wedding dress shopping.
When you first try on wedding dresses, we actually recommend doing so in flats or bare feet. Wedding dresses are long and can be bulky so it’s easy to trip or get a bit tangled in fabric when getting in and out of dresses. It will be safer to try on dresses in a flat shoe or barefoot. But once you find the dress you plan on ordering and wearing on wedding day, then it’s a good time to try on the heels. You can always bring a favorite pair of heels if you know you want to be about that height on wedding day and then you’ll be able to see where your dress falls at that height.
Ordering Considerations
When it comes time to order your wedding dress, there are a few variable to keep in mind to ensure you have the correct length to start with. It’s easy for a seamstress to hem a gown to the correct height, but there isn’t much they can do if there is not enough fabric.
As a general rule, if you are taller than 6’ with heels, you are most likely going to need to order extra length on your dress so you can ensure your dress will be the proper length for you.
Another important thing to keep in mind with your wedding dress length is the size you are ordering. As you may know, your wedding dress will be ordered based on your bust, waist and hips measurements and where you fall on the designer’s size chart. If you are trying on wedding dresses and your stylist has you clamp you into the dress because it’s really big on you, there is a chance that when you size down to the correct gown size to order, the dress could be shorter. So if you are ordering a few sizes down from the sample size, the wedding dress length can shorten a bit in proportion.
Another consideration for the length of your wedding dress is if you want to add more volume to your dress. Perhaps you want your skirt to be a bit fuller so you want additional layers of tulle or a petticoat added. Keep in mind that each layer of volume you add, the length of your dress will get shorter. This is important to decide before ordering your wedding dress or having your dress hemmed in alterations.
A Note For Petite Brides
If you are a very petite or short bride and you are worried you will be swimming in wedding dresses as you try them on, there is a chance that you will be. The majority of wedding dresses will be sized at around 6 feet in length, give or take a bit as you move through various designers and dresses. At the vary least, you will want to plan on hemming your gown during alterations as a petite bride.
A helpful tip when wedding dress shopping as a petite bride is to get off the pedestal when you find a dress you like. Put on the shoes that are similar in height if you plan on wearing heels and tuck the fabric of the dress in so you create the illusion of the dress being properly hemmed and you can better visualize the proportions of the dress on your body.
More Helpful Wedding Dress Shopping Advice
We hope you have found this advice helpful when it comes to knowing how long wedding dresses are and how to determine your hem height. For even more helpful advice when it comes to shopping for your dream wedding dress and finding your bridal style, be sure to check out our past posts:
- What Style Wedding Dress Should Tall Brides Wear?
- What Style Wedding Dress Should a Petite Bride Wear?
- Tips For Wedding Dress Shopping as a Petite Bride
- What is The Proper Length a Wedding Dress Should be Hemmed?
About Lovella
If you're shopping for your perfect wedding dress, come visit us at Lovella Bridal in Glendale, CA. We carry wedding dresses in all sizes and styles, including plus-size bridal gowns and a full selection of veils and accessories. Lovella Bridal is the premier, luxury bridal wedding dress shopping boutique located in Los Angeles, California. Lovella features couture, feminine, modern and chic bridal gowns in all sizes from the best wedding dress designers. Schedule an appointment to find the wedding dress of your dreams at Lovella Bridal. We can't wait to help you!
About Wedding Fashion Expert
Our wedding dress shopping tips and advice are from Nayri, Lovella's own, in-house wedding fashion expert. Nayri is truly the expert when it comes to bridal fashion and wedding style. As the Wedding Fashion Expert, Nayri is the top bridal fashion stylist and the best-selling author of the book "I'm Getting Married And I Have Nothing To Wear," the ultimate guide to helping brides find their wedding day style and their perfect wedding dress. You can subscribe to her YouTube channel or listen to her podcast for more helpful and practical advice on wedding dress shopping.
