It's finally your wedding day and the excitement and slight nerves of such a monumental day are by your side through it all. Questions are going through your head like:
Is everyone going to get here on time?
Will my veil stay on my head as I go down the aisle?
Will I trip on my shoes?
Am I going to cry?!
Are they going to cry?! (they better cry)
Your wedding ceremony is just the first stop of the day. The second half of your day is your reception which brings a whole other list of questions, concerns, and excitement. One of the main questions you and the rest of your bridal party will have is, how do we bustle this wedding dress?! It's time for the party and dancing and the last thing you want is your dress dragging on the floor, people stepping on it, drinks being spilled. This is where the magic of a bustle comes into play.
The idea of a bustle is to lift up the train of your wedding dress so at the reception you can freely dance and walk without having to hold your wedding dress up (or people stepping on it😒). At RcustomBridal, we specialize in various bustle styles to ensure the bustle compliments your specific wedding dress. Depending on the style, fabric, shape of the brides silhouette, or personal preference, will determine which bustle style is best. It is a collaborative partnership between bride and seamstress.
Check out below two different wedding dress bustle
styles we have done on our brides in the last year!
For all of our brides with a bustle (which is typically 95% of them) we will schedule Bustle School Practice 3 weeks before the wedding day. This is when you bring your bridesmaids, mom, or any other member that will be helping you get dressed and bustled the day of your wedding. We will go over exactly what to do, have your bridesmaids practice with the special tools we recommend, and take videos so you can look back and follow along for extra guidance. We are there helping you until the very end.
Creating and pinning the right bustle is an art. Every dress is uniquely different and requires a unique bustle. With our eye for design & expertise, we evaluate what kind of bustle will work best and look best with the design of your dress. We want you to be able to dance and have fun without worrying about stepping on your dress or having to hold it the entire reception! Talk about a drag!
Below we will go over the steps of the
wedding dress bustle process so you have an idea
of what it will look like for your wedding dress.
Step 1
In the photo to the left, this brides dress had 2 layers, which requires 2 separate bustles. (Some dresses have 5 or more layers😳). The first layer is the under-layer where we color code each matching hook and ring to make it as easy as possible to find. It will be helpful to have a bridesmaid hold the layer up so all the hooks are visible to the person doing this part. You will always start hooking the rings from the center and work your way to the sides. We recommend using a needle nose-plyer to help with this process. Sometimes it can be tricky to attach the hook and loops, especially if you have your nails done, so using this tool will help make it a lot easier and not mess up your nails.
Step 2
After all the under-layers are clipped and bustled, we move on to the top layer. The top layer is the most important layer, because it is the one that is visible to everyone. A bustle done correctly should blend into the dress flawlessly and lay beautifully. If you don't take extra care during this step, it will show in the photos! The style of loops and hooks we use for the top layer may be different depending on the style and fabric. We want to make sure it blends in to the dress so no one can see it. Don't worry, we will make sure to show your bridal party all these steps one by one during Bustle School Practice so you are confident on the day of the wedding.
Step 3
The final step is one we notice many forget to do, but it is absolutely the most important in order to have a beautiful and clean finishing final look, especially for pictures!! This is when we show you how to tuck in all the layers so it looks neat and the lace shows on the outside. If you miss this critical step, the folds of the bustle will be sticking out, which does not create a polished finishing look. After you tuck all the layers in and flatten out the bustle, you are ready to go dance and have fun!
If you would like to see the full video, check out our
Instagram Reel of this bustle example.
We know this can be a lot of information to remember but it doesn’t have to be difficult! Our priority is always to have your day be as stress-free as possible. As a reminder, we make sure to have bustle school practice with your bridesmaids 3 weeks before the wedding. Many take videos of the bustle practice so they can refer back to it and easily follow along on the day of the wedding.
We are here for complete support and training, so you never have to leave our shop to figure it out for yourselves, we got your back 100%💓💓
To book your first consultation for wedding dress alterations, visit our scheduling link at https://calendly.com/rcustombridal, email us at rcustombridal@gmail.com, or give us a call at 717-598-5224.