Weddingbee boards

I know it's too late for the initial poster, but I had the same concerns about ballroom dancing my dress, and I hope these ideas can help someone else!

I bought my dress before we decided what dance to do, but I didn't pick it up until we'd already choreographed and rehearsed a foxtrot with a lot of big steps backwards and sideways.

When I tried on the dress after it had been hemmed I realized it was still way too long! I asked the seamstress about it, but they told me they couldn't hem it so that it was all slightly off the floor when bustled or it would look weird with the train out. After a night of stressing about it, my bridesmaid and I came up with a plan.

We are putting in a second bustle in the back, with the loop about six inches down from where the first bustle loop is - this way, the back of the dress (and lining) will be several inches off the floor. I will use the first loop during the reception for walking around and later for general dancing, and I'll use the second loop for our foxtrot and dancing with my dad.

We are also putting in side bustles (one on each of the side seams) to pick up the side of the dress where it drags on the floor. One of the side bustles will be quite high, which means that the front of the dress will swoop from a higher point on the right to a slightly lower point on the left, and the front will be off the floor.

I'm then putting two front bustles(?) in just the lining part of the dress, because the side bustles will only pick up the top layer. I'm taking the bottom (fourth) layer, and folding it up over the next two layers and then attaching it to the front of the second layer (the dress has a top layer, then three other layers) - sort of like rolling up the cuff of your sleeve/pants, and then pinning it. I don't know if it's called a bustle, but these folds in the lining will pick the hem up to about six to eight inches off the floor so I don't have to worry about either of us stepping on it!

I don't like the look of the dress as much when it's this high off the floor at the hem, but I will only wear it like this for the first dance, and for the dance with my dad, and then take out the front and side bustles, and go back to the first loop at the back. It may sound like a lot of work,but it's going to be totally worth it to not worry about stepping on the dress and falling during our dance! In fact, the anxiety it's saved me has made it worth it already!

I hope this helps someone. Please PM me if you have questions about how I did it, or want to see pictures.