Not bustling dress?

How long is your train? If it's on the shorter end you may be able to get away with it. If it's a bit longer though I'd be afraid of people stepping on it in general

I'm not bustling mine but my dress isn't really long enough to worry about. The only real train I'll have is on the overskirt and I'm only wearing it until the ceremony is over.

View Quoted Comment There is a train, not a super long one but it definitely exists. I probably will have to bustle it for the convenience, I just am not a huge fan of how it’ll look when it’s bustled, plus the $ and hassle lol

My dress only had a short train and even just in the bridal shop trying it on, it got stepped on. No way I’d want to deal with that all day. Even indoors, you’re effectively dragging a tail around , and every foot, corner or chair is a hazard!

I did not bustle my dress. It had a sweep brush train, and for a couple of things I used the strap underneath to hold the dress, but overall it wasn't an issue. Nobody stepped on it and it didn't get caught on anything.

View Quoted Comment I would it is not super long but easily long enough someone can step or trip on very easily. Your dress is gorgeous by the way.

Something you have possibly seen in old movies, or storybooks when you were a kid, more common until the last. 20 years: Instead of a bustle, a small pull loop can be put on low on your train, or a hem edge. When you get up to walk in a group of people, or dance, you reach down and either fasten it to a loop over your wrist, or over a finger, or near tour elbow. As you move the train is swept to the side, but you need not hold it with your fingers. Works with many styles of dress, and train lengths. Often women appear to be holding a ball gown up and to the side , but it is actually on a loop. Much simpler. Some style dresses are hard to neatly bustle without looking like an unmade bed, due to style. Wrist loops get round the problem .

Go to Bing.com search, which will give you less extra stiff than google. Search: Wrist loop Dress train ... Nice images of many styles. Press or click, to a web page.

Speaking from experience, if your train is down and unbustled, it WILL get stepped on. (My dress was bustled and H still stepped on it, broke the bustle loops, and the hem of my dress got trashed....) At the least, it will get really dirty, and it's quite likely it will tear. Also, in the photo it looks like your dress is strapless.... Depending on how tightly the bodice fits, if someone steps on it you could have a serious "wardrobe malfunction." Like Judith said, you can do a wrist loop which gets it up off the floor, but if you're considering that try a test run to see how you like it. It could lift the dress up awkwardly and it might get really heavy carrying it around for the entire reception. Given the shape of your dress, it doesn't seem like it would take much to put a simple bustle in that will just blend the train into the gathering that already exists below the buttons. Daughter had a 3 point bustle put on her a-line dress with a very full skirt with multiple layers for $120 (there were other alterations that drove up the total cost, but the bustle wasn't bad). That included a three-point under bustle for the satin lining and a three point over bustle for the multiple layers of lace/tulle. The work was done at the bridal salon where we purchased the dress. An outside seamstress/tailor would probably be even less.

I thought about just doing the wrist loop as I didn’t want to spend a lot. But my train is long and full. I found an independent seamstress to work on my dress. She bustled my complicated train for really cheap! I don’t remember what she charged but alterations were only $100 total for bustle, taking it in, and adding sleeves! I suggest finding someone who is independed to do alterations if your interested in saving some money.

View Quoted Comment

You could get away with it, yes, but you'll also be worried about it getting dirty and people stepping on it.

Have your seamstress pin it multiple ways (american (over), french (under), royal (multiple folds), etc etc) and decide! I think you'll be surprised with what will look good on your dress! Here's a few examples:

If you're not bustling, you may want to consider having a loop sewn inside the train, which you can just put around your wrist when you are dancing. That will keep you from stepping on the dress during the dance, without changing the general look of the dress the rest of the time.

I did have a bustle and H STILL stepped on my dress 5+ times while we were doing table visits and I thought I was going to spontaneously combust. I would definitely do a bustle. I can't imagine how many people would have stepped on my dress without one.