The wedding dress “silhouette” refers to the shape of the dress. The overall cut of the wedding dress sets the mood for the entire garment and helps the bride in choosing the perfect wedding dress for the great occasion.
Various wedding dress Silhouettes:
A-Line:
A-line dresses are the most popular as it looks wonderful on a variety of body types. Whether you’re tall, short, curvy or straight, an A-line dress that gently flares from the shoulders make you look fabulous. A-line silhouette wedding dresses will flare out from your waist and look like the letter “A”. Many A-line wedding dresses have an empire waist. This creates a high waistline that stems from the bust and falls to a slender skirt. Empire waist wedding dresses work well with many shapes.
Ball gown/ Full skirt:
This is what many brides think of when they think of a wedding dress. Ball gowns gives a princess look. This type of dress has a tightly fitted bodice and a full skirt. If you want to go with a classic look on your wedding day, this is a great choice. This type of wedding dress is an ideal choice for slightly taller brides or for the bride who may wish to hide hips. For petite or smaller framed brides, full skirt wedding gowns can be a bit overwhelming. This type of gown is great for a New Year’s Eve wedding.
Sheath
This is a classical style wedding dress that is narrow and very close fitting. It is an elegant shape reminiscent of an evening gown from the 50′s. Many brides find the sheath wedding dress difficult to fit in. This style of wedding dress is not suitable for kneeling. Sheath wedding dresses follow every curve of the bride’s figure. Generally, the sheath bridal dress has no waist and seems to come straight down from the shoulders. This silhouette works very well for destination wedding gowns because many of the sheath gowns have a short or detachable train.
Mermaid
Mermaid is a slim, body-hugging gown, with or without a waistline, flaring from the knees or slightly above. Wedding dresses in this silhouette are very similar to the sheath silhouette but different in that the bottom flares out. This style will show off your curves and looks great on taller brides. Pear-shaped figured brides should avoid this style.
Empire : 
The empire silhouette has a cropped bodice with a waist seam ending just below the bust line, creating a flattering elongated effect. This style works well for women with larger builds. The empire cut wedding dress will also appear to lengthen your legs and make the bride look slimmer and taller. The empire gown style is a classic style for wedding dresses that will hide waist-line problems.
Slip :
The slip dress is an elegant style that suits tall, slim women. The fabric is usually a silk satin and needs little or no ornamentation. The slip may be backless or cut on the bias with shoe string straps on the shoulders. The slip wedding dress was made popular by Caroline Bissett when she married John Kennedy Jr.