The Second Dress: Short Wedding Dresses for the Reception

More brides now change for the evening: out of the dress for the ceremony and into something short enough to dance in. These are the reception dresses we would choose, from the bridal collections of Clio Peppiatt, Halfpenny London, Alex Perry, Carolina Herrera and Jenny Packham, from £285 to £1,950, all in stock now.

Made to change

Clio Peppiatt

Clio Peppiatt designs for exactly this moment. The Lille is ivory stretch-tulle, hand-embellished with glass beads, and its bow detaches as you go from ceremony to reception. £555.

The Daisy has detachable tulle sleeves, crystals along the square neckline and a subtly flared shape. £925.

Sale

Clio Peppiatt Lille Bow-embellished Stretch-tulle Mini Dress £555 Was £1,850 70% off NET-A-PORTER ↗

Sale

Clio Peppiatt Daisy Crystal and Bead-embellished Stretch-tulle Mini Dress £925 Was £1,850 50% off NET-A-PORTER ↗

Simple and clean

Halfpenny London and Rasario

Halfpenny London’s Maisie is draped from pure white satin that is lightweight but opaque, so it will not look sheer in photographs. £408.

Rasario’s white silk-satin mini has a corset-style bodice. £309.

Sale

Halfpenny London Maisie Draped Satin Mini Dress £408 Was £1,020 60% off NET-A-PORTER ↗

Sale

Rasario Silk-satin Mini Dress £309 Was £1,030 70% off NET-A-PORTER ↗

The full skirt

Alex Perry and Carolina Herrera

Alex Perry’s Elyse is luminous silk-faille with an inner corset, a strapless neckline with a wraparound cuff, and a full skirt to balance it. £558.

Carolina Herrera, whose bridalwear launched in 1987, makes a strapless mini in white moire-taffeta, tiered in two cascading layers of ruffles. £1,343.

Sale

Alex Perry Elyse Strapless Silk-faille Mini Dress £558 Was £1,860 70% off NET-A-PORTER ↗

Sale

Carolina Herrera Strapless Tiered Ruffled Cutout Moire-taffeta Mini Dress £1,343 Was £2,685 50% off NET-A-PORTER ↗

For the dance floor

16Arlington and Safiyaa

16Arlington’s Michelle is white crepe in a loose fit, with an exaggerated pointed collar, a keyhole neckline and feather-trimmed cuffs that move when you do. £318.

Safiyaa’s Janie sits off one shoulder: crepe with a tulle cape covered in tonal sequins, and a neat 2cm belt. £569.

Sale

16Arlington Michelle Feather-trimmed Cutout Crepe Mini Dress £318 Was £795 60% off NET-A-PORTER ↗

Sale

Safiyaa Janie One-shoulder Crepe and Sequined Tulle Mini Dress £569 Was £1,895 70% off NET-A-PORTER ↗

The sparkle

Jenny Packham and Emilia Wickstead

Jenny Packham’s Alexis is covered in ivory sequins and star motifs, with a fitted bodice and long sheer sleeves. £1,950.

Emilia Wickstead’s Judita, from the label’s bridal capsule, is ivory cloqué with pintucked seams that shape the figure. £285.

Jenny Packham Alexis Star Sequin Embellished Mini Dress in Silver £1,950 Farfetch ↗

Sale

Emilia Wickstead Judita Cloqué Mini Dress £285 Was £950 70% off NET-A-PORTER ↗

And the shoes to dance in

Swap the heels too. Jil Sander’s cream leather ballet flats have a crystal-embellished T-bar, made in Italy, £282: pretty enough for the photographs, flat enough for the last song.

Watch: the second look

Every piece in this story

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