Today’s Brides Enjoy Nuptials of Their Dreams

“I’m gettin’ married in a mini” could be the theme song of this year’s brides, as the miniskirt revival starts to make its way down the aisle.

And there’s nobody to blame but the brides themselves. They’re old enough to know what they like--more than half of last year’s first-time brides were 25 or more years old, according to a Bride’s magazine formal-wedding survey.

And they’re able to buy the dress of their dreams, no matter who else likes it, because 87% of 1986 brides earned their own money, the same survey reports.

To accommodate the hem hike, even conservative American fashion designers are showing short wedding dresses. Bill Blass and Carolyne Roehm both marched out minis for the finale of a recent fall fashion show presented by Saks Fifth Avenue to benefit the Music Center.

Blass sprayed lilies of the valley across the hemline of his A-shape bridal dress, the veil of which extended several inches below the skirt.

Roehm styled a wedding suit with a tight skirt that stopped mid-thigh and a jacket that nipped the waist, then flared to a peplum. The tulle veil cascaded to the floor.

But longer looks for brides are still floating along fashion runways too. Carolina Herrera, who made a floor-length gown for Caroline Kennedy’s wedding last summer, showed a similar look at the Saks event. Herrera’s gown had a fitted top that flowed into a full skirt long enough to cover the ankles.

Los Angeles designer Irit Ehrlich unveiled her floor-length gown as the finale for a benefit fashion show for HELP. It fit close through the bodice, then burst into a five-tiered “wedding cake” flounce.