Bespoke Wedding Dress in Guildford

Bespoke Wedding Dress in Guildford surrey sussex south england uk local seamstress

For this bespoke wedding dress in Guildford, I used a beautiful beaded antique-silver lace for the body of the dress, with the lower skirt being made in a silk chiffon and a silk lining. It’s the perfect combination of elegant and sexy.⁠

Depending on how much skin you want to show, you could choose to wear the sheer lace layer all on its own, or add a slip underneath.⁠ You can see the satin slip I made to go with the Slyphide dress on its own if you scroll down.

For this bridal photoshoot in Surrey we chose to style the dress with just nude underwear underneath the sheer sparkly lace. Doing this really emphasises that really sexy, figure-hugging look.

This wedding dress is romantic, sexy, boho. Like the kind of dress Marilyn Monroe might have worn if she had lived in 2025, or a modern day Bond Girl. Actually, I can totally see Margot Robbie or Charlize Theron wearing the hell out of this dress!

From the deep V-neck, to the bodycon shape, this dress is perfect for a bride with an hourglass or pear figure. But with the sexiness, there is also a lot of soft femininity, like the sweet ruffled chiffon sleeves, the sparkly, ivory lace and the fluffy waterfall layers of the mermaid skirt.

All in all, it’s giving bohemian bombshell.

bespoke custom made to measure surrey west east sussex guildford south england seamstress alternative bride

You can see the Slyphide wedding dress in three other styled photoshoots:

  1. In a romantic rustic Italian setting.
  2. Then, the dress was featured in an autumnal shoot.
  3. Finally, in this photoshoot, the dress was shot in a ruined chapel, deep in the woods.

A Bespoke Wedding Dress in Guildford

This is the base dress I created to go underneath the Slyphide dress. I chose a simple shape, with a deep plunging v-neckline, and a low back. The crisp whiteness of the satin shines through beautifully underneath the antique metallic lace.

And then the Slyphide dress on top. One of my favourite details about this dress is the backless illusion. If you look closely you can see beige coloured chiffon across the back of the dress. I did this so the sleeves had support, whilst still maintaining the impression that the dress is backless.

I also love the pretty scalloped edges down the plunge neckline, and of course the lace in itself is just so beautiful, featuring beads, pearls and sequins.

If you’ve fallen in love with the Slyphide dress, you can order it directly from my Etsy shop.

And if you’re looking for a bespoke wedding dress in Guildford or the rest of Surrey and Sussex, then have a look at my portfolio. I have a brick and mortar shop in Dorking, if you want to pop in for a no-obligation consultation.

Suppliers

Photographer: Dina Ward Photography

Hair and MUA: Blush by Megan

Dress Designer – Felicity Westmacott

Prep gown: Okiya Studio

Stationery: Adaelle Design

Model: Becky Leigh

Venue: White Horse, Dorking

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Felicity Westmacott

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

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As a seamstress there are certain things that give me the ick. Usually they're pretty specific and unless you're also a dressmaker it might be something you're completely unaware of.

I've always had a ‘thing’ about language generally. I find it really interesting. I've noticed how strong a reaction I can have to people using language differently to what I’m used to. And when I notice that I often go on a bit of a deep dive to understand where that difference stems from. I think coming from a historical costuming background also means I love to know the history of things (and despite my instinctive language-conservative leanings, I do actively work on being accepting and open minded, trying celebrate the differences).

That said, please don’t say your dress has a trail!

Snails have trails - dresses have trains! 🐌
I found this sheet music in my house, and I was so surprised by what it was 🎹🎵

There’s a music stand in my childhood home, and when I was having a look, I found this: “Three Songs composed by Ethel M. Lightfoot”. And my curiosity was peaked. So I sat down at the piano.

When it comes to reading music, I can play piano and sing a little. Nothing outstanding but enough that I could put the music in front of me and have a go at playing it. And I was surprised to discover that I found it was really easy to sightread and sing. Ethel liked the same key signatures, melodies and intervals as me. The things I wrote in my teens (usually quite a bit more angsty) were really similar in terms of structure. Her themes were different, of course, like “Cradle Song”, where a mother sings to her child about their father being away at war.

Ethel, as it turns out, is my great grandmother. Ethel was a musician, and it was so wonderful to find some of her published work, play it and somehow feel connected to her through our similarities. Somewhere in my blood is Ethel’s love for music, and it was so special to find her sheet music flowing so easily from my fingertips.

I love learning about history generally, but there’s something extra special about learning about your own personal history 💜

Is there something from your family history that you’re particularly proud of?
With leaves starting to change to colour, my thoughts have turned to autumn. So I'm sharing my process for this autumn inspired dip dye wedding outfit;
🍁 deciding I wanted to layer a dip dye overskirt on top of the bridal playsuit
🍁choosing lots of warm, rich colours that make me think of autumn leaves carpeting a forest floor
🍁 cutting the tulle of the skirt to the right length 
🍁 gradually blending each layer of colour, using an ombre of yellow, orange, brown and just a little bit of gold at the end
…and then the finished product!

Doesn't this bridal outfit look right at some in the woods?

If you love the idea of an overskirt for your wedding dress, drop me a DM and let’s talk colour palettes!

~
Photographer: @charlymaephotography
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