Cocktail wedding dress in pale blue and lace for Isabelle

pale blue cocktail wedding dress with layered skirt

I am a huge fan of wearing a bit of colour for your wedding, so this pale blue cocktail wedding dress hits all the right buttons! The dress has a cute, vintage, 1950’s wiggle dress vibe and suited Isabelle perfectly.

Simple and sweet bridal mini-dress with tiered ivory lace skirt. Pale blue silk satin shows through the lace with a lightly boned bodice giving support and shape. The final length for the cocktail wedding dress was mid-knee but the pale blue silk finished above the knee for a glimpse more leg. The lace over dress has a high round neckline and short sleeves. I highlighted the waist with a delicate scalloped lace trim to compliment the edge on the skirt tiers and sleeves. The wedding dress closed with a concealed zip at centre back with a keyhole opening in the lace above and single button closure.

chantilly lace bespoke wedding dress exchanging rings
short cocktail wedding dress london made to measure bride and groom
simple wedding dress with lace surrey with bouquet
laughing bride something blue bespoke wedding dress pale blue silk

I loved seeing the pictures with Isabelle’s bouquet. I remember talking to her at the fittings about flowers and colours that would compliment her pale blue wedding dress. I suggested using eucalyptus leaves as they have a lovely soft grey-green colour. I was really pleased to see her florist agreed with me, as there they are!

How we designed Isabelle’s cocktail wedding dress

Isabelle came to see me with an off-the-peg dress she had found, which she loved but it wasn’t quite right. Isabelle’s mum came to the consultation too and she was pleased at the idea Isabelle might end up wearing something a little more special than an off-the-peg dress.

inspiration dress off the peg hanging up

Isabelle knew from the start she wanted some colour . She was weighing up between a pale pink and a pale blue for the cocktail wedding dress. It was easy for us to choose the lace as by a huge coincidence my usual fabric supplier had exactly the same lace available as the inspiration dress! I have sample books with hundreds of lace fabrics (and other fabrics) to choose from.

Although I don’t make copies I do encourage brides to share any images or ideas they have found elsewhere. In this case although most of my design work was guided by the inspiration dress. Isabelle wanted enough changes from the original design for me to feel comfortable. She preferred a straight across neckline for the underdress and we reduced the sleeve length during the fitting process to just a cap sleeve.

original design sketch for cocktail wedding dress by felicity westmacott

Making Isabelle’s Wedding Dress

Working with lace always presents a few challenges. For this cocktail wedding dress I had to make sure I was lining up the cascading tiers and scallops. I also wanted to ensure a balanced placement of the motifs in the bodice area. I used a concealed zip to ensure a couture level invisible finish for the back fastening.

With thanks to Miranda Virgo who took Isabelle’s professional wedding pictures

pale blue cocktail wedding dress with scalloped lace overlay

If you’d like to talk about your own bespoke wedding dress ideas, for a cocktail wedding dress or another style just get in touch.

If the colour is what drew you in have a peek at some of my other blue wedding dresses, they are very varied!

Victorian pale blue wedding dress

Teal flamenco inspired wedding dress

Fairytale pale blue tulle and sparkle

Aqua blue ruched satin

or a another chantilly lace dress

or another short dress

Add a comment...

Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

felicity westmacott wearing a hat

Felicity Westmacott

I write about all aspects of weddings, dressmaking, fashion history, and the human relation to clothing. I welcome comments and debate.

pinterest icon
instagram logo
twitter icon

Recent Portfolio entries

Read More
follow me on instagram@felicitywestmacott

When you have two bespoke wedding dresses on your sample rail that are perfect for both Elphaba and Glinda, and with Wicked For Good having come out, it felt rude not to!

Wicked has done an amazing job of bringing bright, bold fashion back to our attention, which is so exciting. But I've had many Elphaba and Glinda brides way before they came to the big screen. Brides who are up for going on an adventure with me to conjure up their perfect wedding look. 

I might not be the Wizard of Oz, but I am the Dress Alchemist after all 😉

(shout out to my social media manager, Elodie, for stepping in and being the Elphaba to my Glinda. If you're looking for your own magical media witch, you can find them at www.brightbeemedia.co.uk)
The dress on the stand vs. the dress in action✨

I made the Poinsettia dress last Christmas for my window display. I never would have predicted that it would be spotted by Rosie, who then bought it and wore it for the 2025 Miss Great Britain pageant!

My bespoke designs have been used for all sorts of events. Weddings mainly (obviously), but parties, anniversaries and proms too. But this might be the first time one of my gowns has been seen on the stage of a pageant. And doesn't Rosie look so serenely glamorous? The perfect model for this sparkly, elegant dress. And she placed in the top 10. Well done Rosie!
You might’ve noticed that I can get quite particular about language. I think it’s important, especially when that word can carry a lot of meaning. When words get misused, you as a consumer might get mis-sold something.

An example of this is the word ‘vintage’, which now gets tacked onto the description of any garment, whether or not it actually is vintage. Often the item just looks like it’s from an older period of fashion, and for many sellers now, that’s good enough to warrant the label ‘vintage’ (which it’s not).

‘Bespoke’ is another of those words. The word comes from ‘to bespeak’, which means, to ask for. Like someone walking into carpentry workshop and asking for something completely new to be made to their exact specifications.

Anything can be bespoke, if it has been asked for, to be made especially to your requirements and preferences. You often hear it in the context of bespoke suits, but the term doesn’t belong to any one industry.

When it comes to wedding dresses, you have a few options. Off-the-peg, which is what it sounds like. Then there’s custom or made-to-measure, which both describe when something is adjusted or changed. You might order a dress where there are options to customise the length, the sleeves, the neckline etc. 

But true bespoke is something different. It’s a dress that’s been designed and made completely from scratch. Completely to your measurements and your ideas. With several stages of fittings and adjustments, to ensure it’s exactly how you want it. It’s an entirely unique garment, and this is why the price of a bespoke dress can be so much more than something off-the-peg or made-to-measure.

So, next time something online claims to be ‘bespoke’, now you know what to look for to make sure you’re not being tricked into pay more for less.
Tonight is the Wedding Industry Awards! I'm in the running for two awards, which is all very exciting! 🏆

Since it's such a special occasion, I decided to design and make myself a dress. That way, regardless of the outcome, I'll feel like a winner. I rarely have time to make myself anything, so this felt rather lovely.

I used some gorgeous pink coloured silk chiffon, lined with pale gold silk satin, finished off with velvet ribbon. I started making the dress at 11am yesterday, and I finished it at 3pm today. Now I just have to finish making the bolero to go with it as well. I think we're gonna make it! 🏃🏻‍♀️
emailme@felicitywestmacott.co.ukTEL 07762 543230TOUCHGet in
from design to completionbespoke wedding dressesFelicity Westmacott
Dorking, RH4 1RT241 High Street• Visit the Studio •
Dorking, RH4 1RT241 High Street• Visit the Studio •
emailme@felicitywestmacott.co.ukTEL 07762 543230TOUCHGet in