Petite register office wedding dress help

[Mymews]

Hi,

I'm getting married in a register office next year - date not set but probably some time between March - May.

I'm looking online for dresses and finding it hard to find a nice white dress that will fit well. I'm 5'1 and a size 6. I don't really want a proper bridal gown or anything but I have no idea where to shop!

I saw some dresses that look okay on Coast but they don't seem to have physical stores anymore so it makes it hard to try things on - can't afford to order loads to try on and then return.

Can anyone recommend any physical shops that might sell the kind of thing I'm after?

I also quite liked some of the Needle and Thread dresses - same issues with being able to try them on though. Also concerned they will look ridiculous on me because I'm so small.

Any suggestions are very welcome - especially from other petite ladies. 😊

If you like Needle and Thread you might like Sister Jane. Personally I much prefer Sister Jane but apart from the poster who first linked to the site everyone else seems to hate the brand. They have a physical shop in London.

Sister Jane

Harvey Nick's and Liberty stock a small selection of Needle and Thread which would give you an indication of size if you're in or can visit London. There might be other stockists but that's the only shops I've seen them in.

And just because looking at OTT dresses is fun even if you can't afford them or would ever wear them here's Cecelie Bahnsen. Liberty has a small selection.

Cecelie Bahnsen

Excellent suggestions above - I would have suggested exactly those two brands myself!

Two things though:

Firstly, just because you’re not planning on buying an ‘official’ bridal gown doesn’t mean you can’t have your dress altered to fit perfectly. It would be worthwhile to start seeking out a really skilled and reliable seamstress / alterations service now - and maybe try them out with a couple of items that matter less.

Secondly, have you considered hiring a dress instead of buying? It would be a way to limit the cost and yet have something fabulous to wear. There are a number of very stylish dress rental places.

The thing to do might be to decide on a designer you like, travel to a shop to try several things on and establish the correct size, then hire the dress from somewhere like this. Example only! (Which is not the green dress you see below.)

https://www.hurrcollective.com/listings/tilde-dress-35554

Additionally, photos from a couple of places. All probably available to hire as well.

Short dress

Blouse and skirt

Long dress

Midi dress

One more.

Shops like:

Matches Fashion

Net-a-Porter

stock a vast range of bridal wear. (Normal dresses and extravagant gowns.) They’re worth browsing so you can see what’s possible and the sort of style you might like. Then either hire or look for similar styles at lower prices or pre-owned.

Still, Sister Jane might have the perfect thing!

Self-Portrait? They have midi and mini lengths in bridal, store in London.

Thanks for all your suggestions. It's much appreciated. A lot them are a bit "fashiony" for me though. 🤣 I especially didn't like Sister Jane.

I haven't seen anything I like more than Needle and Thread yet so I'll have to find a stockist so I can at least get an idea of their sizing.

These are the ones I like so far. Just not sure if the micro minis are too short! Also need to hold out for a sale as I'm very much on a budget!

Worth having a look at The Outnet, their sizing advice and online chat are super helpful.I bought an Erdem dress from them in a completely different size to what I would have ordered after getting advice, and it fits perfectly. Also worth noting their models are super tall, the Erdem "mini" is knee length on me, I'm 5'1.5"

Couple more, these from the John Lewis sale

Have a look at Galvan. They have some lovely shorter dresses!

https://www.galvanlondon.com/products/mini-pandora-bridal-dress?currency=GBP&variant=42323645595822&utmmedium=cpc&utmmsource=google&utmcampaign=Google%20Shopping&gbraid=0AAAAADGxiCinZ4RJd2f3LGSCe9BvL7tOv&gclid=CjwKCAjwrranBhAEEiwAzbhNtUSdeGgds6U4fEp5xOrJsg5XRP-7IqENUpBpjfuy6oooxhOmy5bpxoCNN8QAvDD_BwE