Hustle and Bustle

You found the perfect wedding dress, paid a pretty penny for it, prayed that it arrived on time and now it’s time to start thinking about how to bustle your wedding dress. But what type of bustle should you choose? If you’re anything like me, you probably didn’t even know there was more than one type of wedding dress bustle. Each type  accomplishes the bustle’s main goal, to hold up the train, but the style you choose all depends on the size and shape of your train and of course your personal taste.

French Bustle: One of the most traditional and common styles, it can also be referred to as an under bustle, because it hooks up under the skirt. You can also have a double or triple French bustle that adds more “tufts” to your bustle. With a French bustle your seamstress will place ribbons throughout the underside of your skirt that you tie together to pull your train off the floor. Talk to your seamstress about how the bustle ribbons are organized (i.e. color coordinates, number coordinates etc).

American Bustle
This style is also called a pick-up bustle as you pick up the longest part of your train and using buttons or hooks, tack the train onto the back of the skirt; this style is best for dresses that have less of a train or not a lot of poof. This bustle will require buttons and hooks to be sewn onto your dress. Ballroom Bustle
Also called an over bustle because the train is tacked over itself in such a way that your dress looks like a traditional ballroom gown. Hooks or buttons are sewn onto your dress bodice and your dress train, when the bodice hooks/buttons come together with the train hooks/buttons it gives the illusion of one length.

Varied Ballroom Bustle I used this type of bustle at my wedding and I loved it. This bustle takes the train and completely tucks it under your dress to give the illusion of a uniform hemline. This bustle is best used on dresses that have small, short trains. For additional information regarding bustles be sure to ask your seamstress or check out this website http://www.leanna.com/Bridal/Bustles.htm. One last tip, be sure one of your attendants is armed with needle and thread as even the most secure bustles have a tendency towards technical difficulties!

~Rebecca