The Perfect Wedding Dress for a Petite

I collaborated with wedding photographer, LauraNovak to bring you some great tips and examples of brides who got their look right for their big day.

Laura sees more wedding dresses in a month then I’ll see in my whole life, plus she’s petite and has worked with many petite brides. I vote her to be the expert on this subject.


Here in her own words, is her advice and finds for all petite brides to be:

As a wedding photographer, I see so many different beautiful dresses that it’s difficult to even begin to narrow down my favorites. But when it comes to petite wedding dress shopping – trends should really be put aside in lieu of what works best for petite figures.

One big selection factor is the material – based on my experience it’s important that the material a petite bride wears is not too full and not to thin. A petite girl wearing a huge ballgown can overwhelm her, while a mini bride wearing a thin silky gown does not have enough structure to provide presence.

This beautiful slim petite named Christine is wearing a dress by Elizabeth Fillmore that is all about the beaded, intricate bodice with built in boning for structure. With detail closer to the top of the dress, your eye moves upward for an elongating look.

Another beautiful petite, Muy, wore a custom designed silk gown in a sheath shape by Atelier Des Modistes of San Francisco with bodice detail and detail around her natural waist, which lengthens the look of the dress.

Kate, a PF with lots of energy wore a very simple, but structured, Vera Wang strapless sheath for her beach wedding. The classic lines highlight her natural waist and draw attention to her glowing smile.

And finally, Kara went a little non-traditional with her Monique Luhllier gown and wore a super cute pink sash to compliment the detailed silk bodice. Although this is more of a ballgown style dress, it does not overwhelm Kara because the silk fabric is soft and flowy. A sash is an excellent way for a petite bride to draw attention upwards to her natural waist, lengthening her look.