This bride was looking for a UK seamstress and found me online. She then approached me, asking if I could make her an elegant couture dress with ruching, pleating and a statement bow. The end result is this opulent, bespoke, bronze gold wedding dress. We combined 1950’s and Elizabethan style details to create a modern, dramatic wedding dress no one will forget.
Scroll down for photos from her castle wedding, to learn about the design process, and for more gold wedding dress inspiration.
Photography – Duncan Ireland
I also made two flowergirl dresses for this wedding using scraps of the same silk for handmade flowers.
After her wedding the bride sent me this lovely message:
“Everyone loved the dress. The colour, the bow, the way it moved, I have had so many compliments!
I knew you would be the right dressmaker for me from the moment I saw your website. You listened to what I wanted, made changes whenever I wanted and never once said something was impossible.
The dress you created is an absolute work of art. Thank you so much for making my dream dress and turning me into a queen for a day. I am so grateful for all the effort you put in.”
The kind of feedback a seamstress dreams of!
Designing a Bespoke Bronze Gold Wedding Dress
As always, after meeting the bride, I set about sketching the design based on what we had discussed. I designed a sweetheart neckline, with asymmetrical ruching across the front and back. One arm had an off the shoulder strap to support the crisp statement bow.
On one of the front hips, the skirt was designed to have a split which was hidden unless pushed open. You can see in the photos above how fabulous this looks when the wind rustles the skirt, revealing the bride’s gorgeous leg (very Angelina Jolie)! We lined the dress in a contrasting pale buttermilk colour to really highlight the split as well.
A detail that didn’t go beyond this initial design phase was the idea of texture detailing in the form of beading or lace around the neckline, waist and shoulder. You can see below where we experimented with this, but decided the dress made more of a statement without them.
Making The Dress
The first fitting is to check that the toile (the ‘rough draft’ of the dress) fits properly and that the bride is happy with it. A smiling bride is what we’re looking for!
After that, some time is spent in my workshop, getting the shape of the bodice down and carefully placing, pinning and sewing the ruching, in time for the second fitting.
Nearly there. The third fitting included finalising the bow design. As well as experimenting with some lace embellishments that we decided not to opt for in the end.
Fine details
Before the final fitting, I worked on getting everything perfected. Including the concealed inner corset – fully boned, of course. The dress’ zip might seem obvious here, but it was concealed by two panels of over-crossing ruching that were secured with hidden poppers.
You can also see details of the cartridge-pleating all around the back and side of the skirt. This kind of pleating, along with the light-weight but slightly stiff texture of dupion silk gave a dramatic, full skirt. Cartridge pleating was popular in the first Elizabethan era and always gives a touch of the historical to any garment on which it is included.
The finished dress on the stand. You can see how the long train looks with the bustle hooked up – making dancing the night away a lot easier.
When it came to little extra details, this bride had thought of it all, requesting that I also make her partner’s cravat and pocket square in the same fabric as her dress. A lovely way of ensuring that bride and groom were perfectly coordinated.
If you’re looking for more gold wedding dress inspiration, then here’s another one for you.
I offer my bespoke wedding dress services all year round, so if you’re interested in getting your dress made especially to your design, get in touch.
