Congratulations, if you’re reading about the wedding dress bustle then you’ve found your perfect dress! Hopefully it’s as fabulous as you’d always dreamed it would be and makes you look and feel absolutely amazing.

If it’s a chic mini, a tea dress or slim-fitting sheath then bustles aren’t for you. But if you’ve chosen a style with any kind of train, whether that’s a modest 23 inches or a whopping 100 inches then you’ve come to the right place. 

Our bridal experts have put together their essential guide to wedding dress bustle styles, so you can move with ease on the big day and dance until the small hours without worrying about catching a heel in your hem or tripping over your train. So, read on to discover everything there is to know about the humble bustle…

Bustle definition: What is a bustle?

‘Bustling’ a wedding gown is the process of fastening the train to the rest of the dress, so it looks as if it has no train. Designers also call the back of the skirt the ‘bustle’, once it’s attached to the gown.

There are also different types of bustle and it’s important to choose the right one for your dress and your personal style. Most wedding dresses come without a bustle, so you will need to have one added. Our instore experts can advise you on the different styles and also give you a list of seamstresses in your area who can create one.

Find your wedding dress bustle style

There are five common types of wedding gown bustle. Read on to discover the best one for you…

American bustle/Over bustle

Difficulty level: Easy
Try with… Ballgowns or cathedral-length trains

An American bustle is one of the most popular bustles, as it’s very simple and easy to do on the big day. Your seamstress will add several hooks along the waistline of your dress that allow the outside of the train to be hooked up over the top of the skirt. You can have one, three or five hooks to make the effect more dramatic. This bustle gives the back of the skirt a cascading look, as the extra fabric flows down the skirt.

Ballroom bustle

Difficulty level: Intermediate 
Try with… Most silhouettes

For a ballroom bustle the train is folded under the skirt, essentially making it disappear. This creates the illusion of a floor-length gown that hasn’t been bustled at all. Despite the name, it’s also suitable for most types of dress. To create this look, multiple bustle points are sewn around the bodice so the fabric can fold into itself. This style can be a little more expensive, as it needs more bustle points sewn in.

Bow bustle

Difficulty level: Easy
Try with… A lines

This type of bustle is for gowns that have a bow or sash at the back, so the extra fabric can be discreetly hidden away underneath. If you like this style, you could also ask your seamstress to add a bow. Your train will be folded over the skirt with ties hidden under the bow. This allows the fabric to flow naturally down, creating the effect of a flowing, train-less skirt. 

French bustle / Under bustle

Difficulty level: Intermediate
Try with… A-lines, sheaths or mermaids

The French bustle looks complicated but isn’t too hard to do, thanks to colour-coordinated ribbons. Also known as the under-bustle, it’s the opposite of the American style. The train is folded under itself, instead of over, to create a tidy billow of fabric. The finished look is an understated fold, two-thirds of the way down the skirt. 

For this look, your seamstress will add numbered or colour-coordinated ribbons underneath the gown. Then, when it’s time to get bustling, the train tucks up and under as each hook is matched with its pair, creating a streamlined fold. This makes a lovely feature that adds volume and an extra dimension to your skirt. 

Victorian/Royal bustle

Difficulty level: Advanced
Try with… A-lines, ballgowns

The style is a more elaborate version of the French bustle. Instead of tucking the train into a neat single fold across the back of the dress, a royal bustle has more pick-up points, so the finished look is more dramatic. It will give your dress a fancier, vintage feel and is more suited to skirts with plenty of volume and detailing.

Top wedding dress bustle tips…

  • Have a bustle budget - Remember to allow a little extra money for your bustle, especially if you want a more dramatic option with lots of pick-up points.
  • Make sure someone knows how to do it - It’s nearly impossible to bustle your dress yourself, so you’ll need a trusted friend to help you. It’s ideal if that person is able to come to collect your dress from your seamstress, so they can see how to do it from an expert. Even if they’ve done it before, every dress is different so it’s worth learning again.
  • Create an emergency kit - Wedding dresses can be very heavy. So, no matter how good your seamstress is, there’s always a chance that your bustle could break. Prepare for the worst case scenario with a ‘Broken Bustle’ kit. This should contain large safety pins, a sewing needle and some clear fishing line or strong thread. Then you can sew a loose ribbon back on or replace a pick-up point with an oversized safety pin.
  • Don’t do it in a hurry - On the day, don’t wait too long to bustle your dress. You want to allow a good 10 minutes, so you can take your time to get it looking perfect. The ideal time is after the ceremony and before the reception, although some brides like to leave their train flowing for the first dance.

Let’s get bustling!

Well, we hope that has answered some of your questions about a bustle for a wedding dress and why you might want one. Don’t forget our expert staff are on hand (both online and instore) to answer any other questions you might have. They can also advise you on whether you need a bustle and the best type for your dress. Plus, don’t forget to read our guide to train lengths, to help you decide how long to go. And our guide to wedding dress shapes to find the perfect skirt.  Finally, take a look at our gorgeous real life brides too, to see how they styled their beautiful wed2b trains.

Click here to check out all our wedding dresses, then try on your favourites at your nearest wed2b store. Here’s what to expect when you visit, too. Lastly, for more wedding gown bustle inspo, check out our Instagram, Facebook or TikTok accounts.