Advice PLEASE on reception and ball gowns!

I personally haven't tried it but it seems like a good idea. Eta: I read a few comments and then decided to post an answer. I guess someone else already shares this photo.

I wore a very very full-skirted ballgown. I loved it and wouldn't have traded it for the world. That being said, there are some considerations:

1) Get it properly hemmed and have a bustle added. I'm quite tall so I didn't need a hem but having it be too long would have been a nightmare. Same with having all that skirt unbustled all night.

2) On a similar note, have a couple of the inner layers of tulle closest to your feet hemmed a couple of inches. Doing that meant I had NO fear of tripping because there was never fabric caught around my feet or ankles.

3) Walk straight and confident. To a certain extent, people will give you space because you're the bride.

4) For me, I had my two best friends help me lift my skirts to pee- no one can see anything. I went once right before the ceremony and then I didn't feel the need to go again until after the reception ended. Try to use a handicap stall or restroom if possible.

5) Practice any dance moves with your SO, and warn them about your wide skirts. I told DH when we were practicing our moves and even tried to imitate my gown width with some layered petticoats (which didn't even come close). But on the day of, he was aware and gave me extra room and everything went smoothly during our dance.

6) Sitting is the trickiest part. Try to sit sideways in your seat and let your skirts billow out one side. We planned and had our reception venue swap out the chivari chairs in advance that they were using for some sort of armless-side chairs instead that they had in the library BC my skirts were so big and powerful that they knocked over poor defenseless light chairs. Whenever I went to sit, DH held my chair so it couldn't escape. My skirts still didn't really fit under the table at all, so I put three napkins across my lap during dinner and are very carefully. I also avoided colored beverages just in case.

7) Just go with it!!!! This is my most important tip. My skirts were so wide that I didn't fit smoothly down the church aisle next to my dad or DH and my skirts took out some of the aisle decor. When it came to sitting in the pew, my skirts couldn't fit so they just billowed out into the aisle and kind of above the pew even. And we just laughed and went with it, who cares. I still looked OK, and my skirts taking down aisle greenery have no bearing on whether or not I get to marry the love of my life. We got tons of compliments about how nice it was to see us smiling abd giggling and not freaking out or being embarrassed like a lot of other people might have.

You can do this, you do not need a second dress, and you will look lovely.

I was wondering about this recently too!! Especially because I'm considering a mermaid style dress. I think the goal is to just not have to pee for 6 hours. ETA: You and your dress are beautiful btw!

That dress is gorgeous

I'm doing two dresses because of this. I've heard people say it takes away time from the wedding to change. I have changed between the two dresses in my home, alone, in less than 5 minutes so I'm not concerned at all.

@Sarahmouche, thanks for the tips! I am bookmarking this post!

@CoffeeNColor- You're very welcome! It was something about which I was concerned but it really worked out pretty wonderfully as long as you keep it in perspective. AND the few funny moments that ensued made the day that much more lighthearted

In regards to the Bridal Buddy, BuzzFeed did a review on them/using the bathroom on your wedding day.

I don't have the link on hand presently, but the gist of it was:

1) The Bridal Buddy wasn't ideal for ball-gowns; it kinda "exploded" at the top or hung off the sides a lot. It was ideal for slimmer skirts.

2) The garbage bag method worked a bit better at containing the ballgown.

3) The sitting on the toilet backwards technique also somewhat worked with the ballgown; though the person doing the review ended up having a friend assist in holding the skirt.

Your dress is gorgeous! I had an organza ballgown as well - dancing and moving around isn't an issue - make sure you have a good bustle. I went with a ballroom bustle so it was all up off the ground. Make sure your hemline is short enough so you don't trip on the front of your dress - make sure you bring your shoes to your fittings. Mine was a liiiitttle long but I didn't have any issues. I also sat backwards on the toilet haha, but didn't have any problems with it!

@ Sarahmouche wonderful tips!

Thanks everyone!

Believe it or not I did not pee once at my wedding! I was all worried and never went once haha. Just make sure you go before you put your dress on

@Javeya, you're very welcome! Your dress is beautiful :-)

View Quoted Comment

How did you do the bustle? It looks perfect

First you maneuver while trying it on in many different positions.

Walking is not difficult. It will be bustled so no train to trip over. But your height must be the same. So don't switch to barefoot or flats from 2-5" heels without it being altered for the barefoot height. Otherwise you will trip, guaranteed. To use the bathroom, you will have to have help (no one can see through all that fabric) and get creative.

View Quoted Comment The dress came with buttons to bustle it. I actually don’t know how it worked. All of my bridesmaids came to my last fitting and the seamstress showed them all how to do it while I was wearing it. Here’s a picture of them all working on it after the ceremony