Detachable overskirt for wedding dresses | Elizabeth Bessant

Detachable overskirt solves day to evening wedding dress dilemma

Todays wedding celebrations almost always include an evening party. Often this is a chance to invite extra guests who you weren’t able to be include in the main event. Those guests will want to feel part of the wedding and will be looking forward to seeing the bride in her wedding dress.

Amy wearing Elizabeth Bessant couture wedding dress with detachable overskirt

However this poses a dilemma as at this point in the celebrations most brides want to let their hair down and enjoy the dancing.

If you want a scene stealing wedding gown, possibly with a train, for the day, simply hooking the train of your dress onto your little finger while dancing isn’t going to work very well. Instead a detachable overskirt worn over a simpler shaped dress could be the answer.

This will give you daytime drama and evening glamour.

A sexy sheath dress with a back split is fun for the evening if you want to show off your figure and be able to dance. For the ceremony, the back split will be hidden by the overskirt and any train on your overskirt can be as long as you want because when you are ready to party it can removed.

Rio wearing Elizabeth Bessant couture wedding dress with detachable overskirt

I first used this approach when I met Rio in 2014 who wanted me to design her wedding dress for her Italian wedding. She loved to dance and had a fantastic figure that she wanted to show off in the evening. For the wedding ceremony she wanted to make a real impact – her outfit actually evolved into three pieces. A tulle top to cover her décolletage, worn under her strapless chiffon sheath dress and a silk taffeta overskirt with train. It was such a success that in 2016 Amy, who was a guest at Rio’s wedding, asked if I would design her wedding dress with an overskirt.

At the National Wedding Show this year I showcased this look on the catwalk and it sparked a lot of interest from brides wanting to wear their wedding dress all day rather than change for the evening party.