Wedding Dresses With Trains: A Quick Guide

May always sees the bridal fashion shows and, if you’ve been keeping an eye on the runways, you’ll have seen lots of wedding dresses with trains. Trains have made a huge come back over recent years and they’re set to be big news over the coming years too. So, if you’re considering a gown with a train or if you’d like to know more, this is the feature for you.

Trains and wedding dresses

So, why exactly do wedding dresses have trains? Well, formal court dresses for ladies worn centuries ago used to include trains where the length of the train basically showed how important you were. Also, when fabric was expensive, being able to afford extra lengths of material for your gown showed your wealth, as well as your status.

Nowadays, trains on wedding dresses are simply there to look amazing. The train becomes an integral part of the gown’s design and the style that you choose is unlikely to be linked to social status or your wedding venue. Instead, if you’re looking for something that’s romantic or something to make a statement, a wedding dress with a train could be just what you’re looking for.

Images: Top Row Left via Wedding Dresses Guide | Top Row Right via Tir Dresses | Second Row Left via Happy Wedd | Second Row Right via Brides | Third Row Left via Elegant Wedding Venues | Third Row Right via Junebug Weddings | Bottom Row Left via Whimsical Wonderland Weddings | Bottom Row Right via Deer Pearl Weddings

Styles of wedding train

When you’re looking for your wedding dress or even just starting to think about your gown, there are some things that you need to know about trains so here’s a quick guide to lengths and styles:

• Sweep trains – these are the shortest train of all and, if you’re getting married outside, a sweep train could be perfect. You won’t have to contend with metres of fabric dragging on the ground but you’ll still get that quintessential bridal look. Sweep trains look amazing on mermaid and trumpet-style gowns.
• Chapel trains – a chapel train is the medium length train and measures between 12 and 18 inches long. It’s always a popular choice and looks fabulous during your ceremony and evening reception without being too fussy or hard to manage.
• Cathedral – the statement length train, cathedral trains measure 22 inches or more in length and work really well for more traditional weddings.
• Watteau – Watteau trains are having a style revival because here, the train comes from your shoulders rather than the skirt of your gown. Removable Watteau trains are perfect for that ceremony-to-reception style as you can easily change your look.

Images: Top Row Left via Style Me Pretty | Top Row Right via Carol Hannah | Second Row Left via Etsy | Second Row Right via Style Me Pretty (as before) | Third Row Left via Style Me Pretty (as before) | Third Row Right via Huffington Post | Bottom Row Left via Moonlight Bridal | Bottom Row Right via The Bridal Collection

Things to remember

Once you’ve found your gown and you’ve settled on the perfect length train, you need to think practically to make sure that you’re perfectly prepared for your big day. Here are the things to consider:

• The train on your gown adds length to your dress when you wear it AND when it’s hung up. Make sure that when you bring your gown home from your boutique before your wedding that you hang it so that the train can hang fully without creasing.
• Before your ceremony, ask your wedding day coordinator or bridesmaid to arrange your train so that it’s looking fantastic before you walk up the aisle.
• If you’ve got a long train, you might need your bridesmaid to help you during your ceremony too. Think about where you’ll be standing and where you might need to move to beforehand.
• Speak to your boutique about managing your train after the ceremony. They might suggest different options to allow you to ‘bustle’ your train. With your train out of the way, you can party without worry all night long!