How to bustle your dress?

[Gradar1]

I really want a long, cathedral length train and dress--but I know that with the reception and everything--it'll be very inconvenient (plus it'll get the dress very dirty!) So--how do you bustle your dress? Does the dress just have buttons on the inside that'll shorten it, or do you just use safety pins And how many of you still wear your veil during the reception? Or can you shorten that too?

 

[JonetteA]

I had buttons that shortened my dress. I recommend going with ties! Don't do anything else but that, it is easy b/c even though the dress is bustled, people still walk on it. Needless to say my bustle broke. To "shorten" the veil, I would do a long piece and a blusher. I wore mine during the reception, until it fell out while I was dancing.

 

[Fairy_Tale_Bride]

I really want a long, cathedral length train and dress--but I know that with the reception and everything--it'll be very inconvenient (plus it'll get the dress very dirty!) So--how do you bustle your dress? Does the dress just have buttons on the inside that'll shorten it, or do you just use safety pins And how many of you still wear your veil during the reception? Or can you shorten that too?

The bustle is done for you, where you purchase the dress. When you have it altered, they will also do the bustle. They just include a button or three if it is a very long train. There is a loop put on your train and it slips right on the button. You choose how you want the bustle..how high, etc. It's a piece of cake and you will regret it if you don't do it! I've been to a wedding where the bride had not had the button sewn on the dress and she was irritated during the entire reception. There is no veil shortening that I have ever heard of...unless you buy a seperate veil for the reception.
Here are pictures of my bustle with the button...

My Mom doing my bustle

My bustle

Bustle up

 

[wendy46001]

With the bustle it can either be on the top of your dress (standard...pulling the dress straight up) or tucked under (French bustle)...which ever way you go make sure your bridesmaids have extra safety pins...its always possible for it to break.....
Mine was attached by metal hooks in two rows under my dress, it was color coded so the girls knew which one went where....with a really long train you have to take into account of the weight of the bustle...they could not do a standard bustle with mine because of the length/weight, my semesters suggested a double French....the clasp where pressed closed so it wouldn’t come down all night (but i do believe the ribbons are easier for the girls to tie together)...Don’t know if you can tell (proof is in the way) but it ended up looking like this

 

[hmgolden]

I second Jonette's recommendation of making sure your bustle is done with ties! My bustle didnt' last mroe than 2 songs into the reception. We tried safety pinning it, but that didnt' last long (my dress was VERY heavy) and I ended up having to carry my train around all night.

Whoever does the alterations on your dress should be able to help you decide which style bustle will be best for your dress.

 

[Gradar1]

Thanks so much! If I can, I'll try the ties--they sound easier than buttons!

 

[Tinkerbellz]

With the bustle it can either be on the top of your dress (standard...pulling the dress straight up) or tucked under (French bustle)...which ever way you go make sure your bridesmaids have extra safety pins...its always possible for it to break.....
Mine was attached by metal hooks in two rows under my dress, it was color coded so the girls knew which one went where....with a really long train you have to take into account of the weight of the bustle...they could not do a standard bustle with mine because of the length/weight, my semesters suggested a double French....the clasp where pressed closed so it wouldn’t come down all night (but i do believe the ribbons are easier for the girls to tie together)...Don’t know if you can tell (proof is in the way) but it ended up looking like this

WOW! That is a gorgeous picture. I like the sound of the way your bustle was created. Sounds more secure. Did you have it done by the seamstresses at the bridal shop, or by a local person in your area? I am leaning toward a dress for my VR that has a cathedral train, so I know I will need to bustle it at some point. I'm having an intimate so no "big" reception but we will have Mickey/Minnie and some music as well as a dessert party at Epcot.

 

[wendy46001]

WOW! That is a gorgeous picture. I like the sound of the way your bustle was created. Sounds more secure. Did you have it done by the seamstresses at the bridal shop, or by a local person in your area? I am leaning toward a dress for my VR that has a cathedral train, so I know I will need to bustle it at some point. I'm having an intimate so no "big" reception but we will have Mickey/Minnie and some music as well as a dessert party at Epcot.

Thanks, we decided to use it for our holiday card this year.....as for the bustle my designer did it while making the dress....The hooks didnt come out all night so it think it was a success, but numbering or color coding is a must...no matter how easy it looks in the store its so different the day of and when dealing with time limits.....Also even if you think it will be a short time its good to bustle the dress....Makes even walking around thanking people easier

 

[jlhansen]

I agree with the ties, also make sure you double knot each tie. The weight of the dress loosens the ties and they will fall out if to heavy . Also if possible, have the event manager or someone from your bridal party look at it prior to the wedding, practice is the key and they you won't lose precious time.

 

[dsnyfan6/18]

Go with the color coding of the bustle!!! that's a great idea!!

The EM's assistant bustled my dress for me after our pictures, so it would be easier in to get in the car!

Needless to say, i felt like something wasn't right, i just couldn't focus for 5 minutes to tell my MOH to make sure that it was busteld correctly. I was wondering why it felt longer at the reception than in the store - well it was totally bustled WRONG!!! oops!! i can tell in the picutres and in the video but my family says i'm nuts!

If it was color coded it would've been better!

 

[Error_kitten]

I had wanted the long train but then realized it would be heavy and annoying so im going for the super super long mantia veil insead of a train.
Also because I plan on wearing my dress to SCA events after the wedding.
I didnt want to limit myself to only being able to wear my dress once.
So Super long veil it is for me.

 

[Chrissie-riel]

Everybody covered most of it.....here is an official bridal shop version (I've worked in bridal for five years)...

Some designers include a bustle. If yours does, use it! However, most bustles will need to be added by your bridal shop or alterations seamstress Here are the basics listed by degree of difficulty.

Traditional American/Over bustle: Your gown will be picked up about 2 1/2 feet from the end of the train and hidden loops will be added. A clear button will also be added up by your bottom. Loops hook over the button and your train forms a "triangle" behind you. Some girls don't like it because it can look like a pony's tail hanging behind you.

French bustle: A half circle of hooks is added under your dress; the coordinating eyes or thread loops are discreetly added on the outside of your gown. The train fabric is held up under the skirt fabric in a fold. For a long train, you can do a double French and hold about 2 ft of fabric in each fold. Make sure your seamstress can do a Flat French where the fabric lays nicely folded on top of itself as opposed to a Bubble French where you have a big poof back there. (Unless you are a big fan of the J-lo look!) That big poof can be hard to sit on for dinner.

Ballgown bustle: The train is literally folded in half up under itself and lays completely flat. The dress looks like it never had a train at all. This bustle only works on plain undecorated trains. It is also VERY difficult to do because you are essentially "hemming" the back and making it look like a ballgown. So you must have a top notch seamstress.

Long veils can also be bustled and they look really pretty/ethereal. I would suggest having two seperate veils - a long layer underneath and a short one on top - then just take out the long one before the reception. Or, just take it all off so that you won't have to worry about the veil all evening. You can get a big head/neck ache from all those hugs and your veil pulling on your head!

There are lots of variations - it all depends on your dress and your seamstress. Example, a dress with a carriage back would look best with a French on the main part of the train, add some snaps to the over skirt and then ballgown bustle the over skirt.

 

[D&R love Disney]

My French bustle had 3 tiers of color coded ties, about 9 in all. It must have looked funny at SBP with 2 people under my dress after the ceremony trying to tie it up.