Manolo for the Brides

We hear so little about the trials and tribulations faced by the tall bride because most of us had to strip fabric from our wedding gown hems instead of adding more. Questions like “I’m short and curvy — what wedding dresses will flatter my figure?” are far more common than “What can a tall bride wear?” But while the 5’4″ bride dominates, the tall bride is nonetheless out there shopping for her gown and her bridal shoes, and perhaps wondering just how she can make herself appear that much more petite in her wedding photographs.

Ages and ages ago, before the advent of the Never teh Bride, a reader wrote to inquire “whatever is a tall bride to do?” and our esteemed head of state, The Manolo, rightly recommended that the tall bride should not attempt to camouflage her height with flats — especially, I might add, considering that her intended probably already knew she was tall when s/he proposed. Though all you tall brides out there may feel like you’re going to end up looking like this as you walk down the aisle…

…I can promise that you won’t. The perpetual middle schooler that lives inside your brain and whispers that you’re still a gawky and ungainly girl is wrong, wrong, wrong. Unlike us shorties, you tall brides can often look effortlessly elegant. Your height gives you a certain presence that has to be faked by the rest of us. You may be willowy and graceful, in which case you can probably wear any wedding dress you like. Or perhaps you are as rubenesque as you are statuesque, in which case you should probably wear any wedding dress you like. Maybe you’re sporty and lean, built like a stringbean, which means you can definitely wear any wedding dress you like because, come on, you’re the closest thing to a runway model on this list!

Above we have a tall bride, who also happens to be a friend of mine. Gawky? Anything but! Ungainly? Certainly not! Still, the tall bride does have to take some things into consideration that other brides can take for granted. Here are just a few:

• Don’t think you HAVE to wear flats or low-heeled shoes on your wedding day, particularly if you usually tower over the world in 5-inch heels. At the same time, don’t wear heels *just because* if you spend your life in flats.
• You may need to order a wedding dress with custom measurements or, if you’re buying online, make sure you specify “long” when placing your order. Don’t forget to consider your heel height and petticoat bulk when ordering.
• Tall brides with tall torsos may need to take that into account, too, when buying a wedding dress. Remember that it’s better to get a gown that’s too long, as too much fabric can be removed easily while too little may mean your full-length dress becomes a tea-length dress by necessity.
• Be bold when choosing your wedding dress, since tall brides can frequently pull off styles that brides of average height cannot. Full skirt? No problem. Lots of embellishments? If anyone can wear it well, you can.
• The same goes for accessories! A larger frame means you can wear larger accessories, whether that means chunkier bridal jewelry or a huge hat or a tremendously long veil. This is one case where more really is more.
• Tall brides are also blessed in that they can carry bigger bouquets if they so choose. Cascading styles and across the arm styles both look great on tall brides. Just remember to scale your bridal bouquet to your frame — too small a bouquet can look odd in pics.
• Finally, stop worrying about looking too tall in photos! If you’d really like a wedding portrait where you and your new spouse are the same height, take one where you’re sitting with your heads together. Otherwise embrace your tallitude since you’ll be wearing it for a very long time!

(Image via Monsters vs. Aliens)