How to Do a Bustle for a Bride's Dress

You'll probably need someone to help you bustle your gown.

Readying the bride for the reception often falls on the shoulders of the maid of honor and possibly the mother of the bride, which includes bustling the bridal gown. Many gowns bustle to make it easier to show off the bride's moves on the dance floor and move around the tight walkways of the reception venue. A bustle gathers the bridal dress's train, although not all dresses have a bustle. Ask your seamstress or wedding apparel shop representative to demonstrate bustling the gown for you.

Instructions

1. Spread the train of the dress out as far as possible while the bride is wearing it. Fluff the dress because the bustling eye loops are often hidden from plain view.

2. Locate the metal eye loops or loops of thread on the lower section of the train. Eye hooks may be located toward the center of the train length, if the train is longer, or may contain a second row of eye hooks for cathedral-length trains to bustle the entire thing.

3. Lift the gown train near the center eye loop and hook it onto the matching eye hook near the waist of the gown. Loop the eye loops on each side until the entire train is bustled.

4. Fluff and arrange the bustled train to achieve the desired look and ensure that any beading or lace appliques on the end of the train are visible.

Tips & Warnings

• The French and "regular" bustle are two other options that bring the train up inside the underneath part of the dress, as opposed to the more common bustling technique described. These two techniques often include eyes and hooks as well.

References

• YouTube: How to Bustle a Gown; Monica Gill; June 2009
• Las Vegas Living: Wedding Dress Bustle