Rachel commissioned three silk and tulle dresses for her younger bridesmaids and two shop bought dresses were customised for her grown-up attendants.
Official wedding pictures by Robert Lawler
The two teen bridesmaids had v-neck ivory silk dupion bodices with wrap-over ruched detailing and a ruched sash. The younger girl had a simple round necked bodice with sash. All the girls had romantic ballet length skirts in layers of gathered ivory tulle over yellow satin.
Rachel found the simple yellow linen shift dresses an brought them to me for style changes. We added a lace layer, keeping the feature cut-out neckline and re-binding all the edges in the original yellow trim. The hems were finished with a pretty scalloped edge for a softer look. I also made the wide wrap around sashes in the same ivory silk as the younger bridesmaids.
I don’t take sizing alterations on anything other than wedding dresses but style changes to bought dresses are welcome as part of a larger dressmaking commission.
12 year old Cosima in a dress designed to suit her age and figure
Original design sketches
The youngest bridesmaid, Skye, aged 11 with simple round-necked bodice.
The younger girls show that pretty dresses are no restriction to dancing the night away
Bridesmaids doing their duty
Making the dresses
Rachel narrowed down her lace choice to just two from my samples book of hundreds. In the end she chose the lace on the right as it was a closer match to the lace for her own bolero.
The adults’ dresses finished and on the stand
Kate’s dress, finished and on the stand with neckline and bodice shaping to suit her 17 year old figure
Cosima at her final fitting, and on the stand
Rachel’s mum commissioned a traditional horseshoe as a surprise. She asked for it to be made to match the bridesmaids theme in yellow satin and lace with a sprinkle of pearl.