PHOTO CREDIT/pinkgaloshes

Bridal gowns that have long trains may look stunning walking down the aisle but can be quite impractical for the reception that follows. This has led many brides to opt for two wedding dresses instead of one; a formal gown for the wedding ceremony and then a smaller sleeker dress for the reception that allows them to move around more freely and dance the night away.

Unsurprisingly, the reception dress idea doesn't excite all brides. In fact most brides don’t even want to consider taking off their wedding gown until the end of the night. This is completely understandable especially considering that most wedding gowns cost a mini fortune and are only worn once; thus many brides feel there really is no rush at all to take off such a gorgeous gown and change into something ordinary. For brides such as these, the solution is to have a bustle added to their gown or a wrist loop.

A bustle is simply an artistic way to bundle up the train of the dress so that it is tied over or under the skirt and no longer sweeps on the floor. Although some gowns with long trains already have a partial bustle as part of the style of the skirt such as the gown shown in the picture above, a full bustle completely lifts the train off the floor. There are several kinds of bustles as can be seen in the photos below, and they are a great way to transition the wedding dress from a day to night look. Once the dress is bustled, the bride can move around and dance with ease. Bustles provide a win-win situation, the bride can stay in the dress of her dreams, and have a slightly altered look from earlier in the day.  Wrist loops simply allow the bride to carry her own train as she moves, they are romantic and ultra feminine but can become tiring to hold if the fabric is heavy and the train is very long. The photos below show a range of wedding gowns before and after they were bustled.