To bustle or not to bustle?

It depends a bit on your preference.

When it is poofed out, there does not seem to be much of a train. Also, you only really get this one opportunity to wear a dress with a train. So, some just don't bother with a bustle, especially since you are not that fond of it.

In the other direction, you don't have to be too concerned about the look of it during the reception since you will mainly just meet with guests and do some dancing. It is just the practical look for the celebration.

I hope I haven't made the choice harder.

I had dress down for ceremony and definitely did the bustle for the reception. People will step on it and it'll be dragging on the dirty floor.

Hi and Congratulations to you both I think you should bustle it like the ladies stated in there reply. I have 1 too and I also so happy that it can be so easy to move around. Do you have a wrist loop on your dress so when you leave the chapel your dress is not drag until you get to your destination. Then your maid of honor should help with the to do the bustle and your dress is beautiful.

About getting the dress dirty, there is a wonderful sunset picture where the Nicole apparently was more interested in the pictures than getting the dress all dirty. It is a wonderful picture in this thread:

Let's hear it for the discount and secondhand dresses! | Weddings, Wedding Attire | Wedding Forums | WeddingWire

I had my wedding dress bustled and it still managed to rip 🤦🏻‍♀️😅

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That's probably pretty rare. not good it happened to you. oh well.

I would look into the different types of bustles and see if any of them catch your eye- I believe there’s 5-6 common bustle types and then a bunch of miscellaneous ones based on different dress styles that people have come up with to create a bustle they find visually appealing

Your dress is beautiful! If a bustle is offered, I would get it. Doesn't mean you have to use it. But if you're on a crowded dance floor the possibility of having your dress stepped on is very real. You don't want to take the chance and have your dress damaged. I'm sure your mood would really shift if that were to happen. For peace of mind, proper prior planning is important.

Definitely get the bustle made. You risk people stepping on the back, tearing it, getting it dirty, and you might fall backwards if you are walking while someone steps on it and pins it down.


I had a very lovely train on my dress too, but my seamstress was able to fashion a bustle that still showed off the lovely floral and vibe branch embroidery that was on my dress 😊

If you don’t bustle it, you and guests will trip over it.

I'd suggest a ballroom bustle. They basically hide the train and make the dress look like a floor-length dress. Here's an example (not my dress):

Since the back of your dress/ train doesn't have any embellishment that you'd want to keep visible, I think this would be a great option! I have a cathedral length train too, and my seamstress did a phenomenal job on mine! They're a bit more expensive that a single-point bustle since they involve multiple points (mine has 10 points), but in my opinion they're worth every penny extra to maintain the look of your dress.

View Quoted Comment Oh wow this looks beautiful, thank you for sharing. And thank you all for your input! I think adding the bustle is the safest choice.