Key Takeaway
Wedding dress bustles easily hem a train after the ceremony so a bride can seamlessly move among guests and dance into the night. Three bustle styles are commonly created by seamstresses to achieve this effect.
If you’ve always dreamed of wearing a gown with a long train down the aisle, you’ll need to become well-acquainted with wedding dress bustles. A bustle is a system added to a gown in the alteration process that allows you to hem your dress in minutes to reduce the length of a long train.
Brides who plan to wear their wedding dress past the ceremony often opt to add a bustle to their gown so they can easily move through the party without the dress getting damaged or having guests stop you in your tracks by stepping on your train.
As someone who had their own wedding dress bustled, I’m well aware it isn’t the simplest process. They often come with sheets of visual instructions, require time out of your schedule, and also need a helping hand to put into place on the day of.
However, the results are worth it. My long train that created drama in the ceremony was transformed into a tailored hem that had me cruising around cocktail hour without the fear of being jolted backwards by a wary shoe.
Considering giving your gown a midday hem? Ahead, we break down everything you need to know about wedding dress bustles, from common types to what to do if it breaks on the dance floor.
Just as there are multiple wedding dress silhouettes, there are also a few bustle styles to fit these gowns. “We often say that the dress sometimes dictates the bustle,” shares Melissa Lynn Oddo, owner and master seamstress of bridal alterations studio deMelis Atelier.
“Factors that go into what bustles look best are a person's height, the gown materials, layers, and length of train.” In the end, choosing a wedding dress bustle comes down to what works best for the bride and their dress. She continues, “I typically show my clients each style and have them choose, explaining the pros and cons as we go.”
French Bustle
“The French is a beautiful style where lower points of the train are brought up from the inside or tucked under. This brings the hemline to the floor while creating a beautiful fold feature that almost reminds you of a flower petal,” says Oddo.
“The difficulty level and how long it takes depends on how many points are needed to pick the dress up off of the floor, as well as how the seamstress is constructing it. The more points (like on a larger ballgown or a longer train), the more complicated it can get.
If a professional is using clear snaps or more camouflaged things to make it, that can also cause difficulty because it's harder for the person doing the bustle to find all of the matching points.”
One pro of the French bustle? “This style tends to be very sturdy and tends to be great for a dancing queen and can usually withstand getting accidentally stepped on. It works well on most styles of dress, but a con is that it is more visible. If you don't want your line of buttons on the back to be disrupted, for example, you might like a different style.”
American Bustle
Also called the traditional bustle, the American takes an opposite approach à la Français. “Usually constructed with buttons and loops or buttons and hooks, it takes those points on the train and brings them up over the outside of the gown,” explains Oddo. “This can look great on any silhouette of dress as well, depending on materials and the nearlywed’s personal taste.”
“One pro is that it tends to mimic and almost add drama to the shape of the skirt, but it can feel heavier and be more delicate,” says the seamstress. “The difficulty and time it takes to execute is again decided by how many points and how many layers, as well as how difficult it can be to find each loop.
For example, lace materials can camouflage loops very well, but in turn can make them difficult to find.” She adds, “I'd also throw in that this style is the style I see botched the most.”
Ballroom Bustle
One bustle that has been on the rise—along with hemlines—is the ballroom bustle. It’s a popular choice for brides with cleaner dress silhouettes that don’t want to add too much extra dimension to their gown thanks to its bubble-like finish. “I call this the ‘non-bustle bustle’ because it tends to be the most discreet and looks like the dress was just magically hemmed right to the floor,” says Oddo.
“Any style of silhouette can carry this bustle, and its difficulty and time it takes to execute depend on how many points and layers [it has],” she shares. “This bustle is done by putting loops along the edge of the train hem and attaching them up inside to create a uniform length across the back.
It is sturdy and light like the French and is a perfect style for anyone who isn't into the bustled look and wants something more inconspicuous.”
Deciding when to bustle your wedding dress depends entirely on the flow of the day, the kind of bustle used, and any outfit changes planned. A simple bustle could take five minutes while a complex bustle can take up to 15, so it’s important to think of a moment in your schedule where you can step away for the process.
Most bustles are done either at the start of cocktail hour or before the reception begins. This allows you to be able to move through your guests or traverse the dance floor without anyone stepping on your train.
Some couples choose to have the bustle done right after they recess to have a moment of privacy before re-emerging with their guests. If you have a shorter cocktail hour and aren’t changing into another outfit for the reception, you may wish to wait till all your guests are finding their seats for dinner to have your bustle done.
Want to ensure everything is done quickly and properly? “For difficult or complex bustles, have the bride hop out of the dress and do it on the floor,” recommends Oddo.
“It's a great time for a trip to the powder room, so consider having a lovely robe on hand and laying the gown out. This can allow the person doing the bustle to see the layout very clearly without having to manage the weight of all of the materials when it's on the bride.”
A rowdy dance floor, a mistimed step on a train, or a messy application can occasionally unravel a bustle. If a loop or button falls off, you can still fix it with a handy tool.
“Always have safety pins on hand and use them to try to mimic the point of the bustle no matter what style,” advises Oddo. “You can usually see the area it broke in, so copying it as best you can is going to salvage the intended look, style, and efficacy of the bustle.” Having an on-site bridal stylist to assist can make this fix simple to achieve.
Meet the Experts
Melissa Lynn Oddo is a seamstress with over 25 years of experience and the owner of deMelis Atelier. She is also the founder of Stitched Collective, a network for bridal sewing professionals.