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Wedding Gowns and Trains — Why do Wedding Gowns Have Trains

Weddings are events that are celebrated on a large scale due to its significance and similarity to fairytales. Every lady wants to feel like a princess even more on their big day, so gowns with trains are a go. Now speaking about wedding gowns and trains, you need to know about trains to get the best dress. Many ladies just want trains on their wedding gowns before thinking about the appearance in the long run. Let us look at what trains are, how they affect wedding gowns and, finally, why do wedding gowns have trains?

What Are Trains on Wedding Gowns?

A wedding gown train is an extra amount of fabric that is designed to extend from behind your gown. The purpose of the train is to sweep behind you while you walk around. The train can be used on different dresses, but the design can be different depending on the gown. You can have it designed as a cape or fixed to your skirt with a removable design. Regardless of the type of train you are thinking of, you need to consider some important things. These things help you know what would work and what wouldn’t.

Why Do Wedding Gowns Have Trains

Wedding gowns and trains give off a royal feel like in the children’s stories you read as a young child. Looking at it closely, it is not so far off as its origin is closely related to that. Trains are not new in the wedding setting but have been around since the medieval era. The purpose of the wedding gown trains then was to astonish the guest and express a standard of wealth.

This meant that the longer the train on your wedding dress, the wealthier you are seen to be. Asides from that, it doesn’t have any other practical use for attachment. It is said that in previous times, the train designs women could use were restricted based on royal status and ranks. This means that not all train designs are available to everybody. . Compared to the old times, the trains on wedding gowns are just used to astonish guests now.

There are a lot of things to consider before shopping for your wedding gown. And here are some of them

Presence of Bustle

You need to know if you will have to bustle the train of your wedding gown. If you are picking a long train, you will need to consider bustling it but might not with a short one. The reason is that it could be hard to handle at the reception, causing some issues. This is where the bustle comes in as it helps you keep the train at floor length. You get to walk freely without having to worry about being stepped on and falling over.

Woman Wearing Wedding Dress And Holding A Bouquet Of Flowers Standing On Brick Pathway

Location of Wedding

The location of your wedding also has a lot to do with your choice of wedding gown train. Indoor and outdoor weddings would require you to consider different types of trains. In an indoor wedding, you can get away with choosing a longer train for your wedding gown. Outdoor weddings on the other hand, will probably not give you that opportunity, so a shorter one is better.

Know Your Body Type

An important thing to consider before the two above is knowing your body type. Both points above are important, but if the train does not match your body type, then it’s all void. You need to know if the gown and the train are a good match before going ahead with it. You won’t want to look out of place in a beautiful gown.

Train Designs You Can Consider

When going for trains on your wedding gown, there are various options, but four major ones are known worldwide. These major train designs are

  1. The Cathedral
  2. The Chapel
  3. The Royal
  4. The Sweep

The Cathedral Train Design

The cathedral train design has a measurement that goes up to 22 inches in length and can be longer. It is a train design that is preferably used for the grand venue, black tie type of wedding. You get a great feeling when you use it on ball gowns and wedding gowns with an A-line. Selecting this train design, you will need to have your bridesmaids around you most times. This is because you need to remain flawless, and they help you do just that.

The Chapel Train Design

The train design we all know as chapel has a shorter length compared to the cathedral listed above. The measurement ranges between 12 and 18 inches which is the usual train design that ladies use the most. It attaches just the right amount of drama to wedding gowns with A-line, especially in a ballroom. A good choice if your preference is a train that can be noticed without you going over the top.

The Royal Train Design

Just as the name implies, it is a train design that puts you across in the theme of royalty. Even as it does this, it doesn’t mean it is restricted to just royals alone unlike the previous times. The royal train, which is also called monarch train has the longest measurement and is best for extravagance. The length can be as long as 25 feet and is not advised for a simple wedding since it would be stressful. You can know a royal train design by just looking at the length as it is different from the others.

The Sweep Train Design

The sweep train design is just like the skirt of your gown but with an extra six inches length. It is a choice of many ladies who want just a little extra flair to their simple gown. The sweep design is a good choice for outdoor weddings and on attractive gowns that have a mermaid design. It is the shortest train design so anything shorter than this means you won’t be having a train.

Some others are:

  • The Court
  • The Watteau
  • The Semi-Cathedral
  • The Court Train Design

The Watteau Train Design

The court train design is very similar to the sweep train design, but there is a simple difference between them. Unlike the sweep train that goes with the gown, the court train is an extension the starts from the waist.

The Watteau Train Design

The Watteau design takes on a different direction compared to the regular wedding gown trains. It a fusion of a train and a veil, sometimes seen as a cape and mostly attached to the shoulders. This is a good design if you want to look astonishing without going for the regular design. It is also detachable so you won’t need a bustle for it, and is a great option for weddings outdoors.

The Semi-Cathedral Train Design

The semi-cathedral train design goes between the cathedral and chapel measurements and is attached a bit off the waist. It’s a good option if you don’t want to go over the top but still want a cathedral design.

Conclusion

The right wedding gowns and trains bring out the beauty in you. It is like a chain. The train enhancing your wedding gown, and your gown enhancing your beauty