Emma came to me wanting a dress that would look perfect framed by the rolling hills of Tuscany, at the gorgeous Borgo Corsignano, in Italy. She was looking for an elegant, bespoke wedding dress with a long, dramatic lace train and a plunging low back. Something figure-hugging, elegant and opulent.
The dress I designed for her had a bodice made entirely from nude illusion mesh with a sweetheart neckline, with the back cut as low as possible. I used stretch silk satin for the body of the dress, which really hugged Emma’s curves in a gorgeous way.
But I think the skirt is the real showstopper of this look. Starting with one piece of satin at the top, which flared out into petal shaped pieces from a central point. All these flowed into the impressive 7ft train. Corded lace was hand cut and appliqued in a symmetrical pattern, not just to the skirt, but to the bodice as well.
Keep scrolling for more photos, as well as a look into how I made this stunning bespoke wedding dress.
Photography – Jessica Lily Photography
Making a Bespoke Wedding Dress with Lace Train
First is always the design. The inspiration photos that Emma shared with me all had a few elements in common. These included a low back, a bodycon silhouette and a lot of lace.
Next comes the toile. This is a rough draft of the dress, where I take the first steps of transforming the 2D design on paper into a 3D design in fabric. I used skin colour bust cups as a base for the bodice, for modesty and support. Once the toile was made, Emma visited me and tried on it and we made adjustments so that the fit was as perfect as it could be.
Then I got to work on the actual materials; a stretch satin, tulle and yards and yards of lace. For Emma’s dress I used luxury corded Alençon lace, which I spent almost a full week hand sewing! From the bodice, all the way to the tips of the 7ft train! It started with Emma choosing the lace she liked best out of the samples I provided for her. Once it arrived, I went about cutting out the individual pieces, playing around with placement, pinning them into place, followed by five days of hand sewing!
Emma also had some cosmetic surgeries during the period that I was working on the dress. These significantly changed her measurements, which meant that I was working until the very last minute with adjustments, to ensure the dress fit perfectly on her new body.
And it was so worth it – this dress just oozes glamour and elegance.
Below you can see the final dress in its full glory. I added a bustle loop for when Emma wanted to dance. This neatly folds the train in, making the dress much easier to move in.
The final, finishing touch was making three strings of Swarovski pearls and beads. These fell at the back of the dress, in a beautifully opulent back necklace.
More Lace Wedding Dress Inspiration
If you love this bespoke wedding dress with lace train, and you’re looking for more inspo, I’ve got a few suggestions. How about another illusion back lace wedding dress, or another corded lace wedding dress.
In fact, here you can find a huge range of different style lace wedding dresses I’ve made.
If you feel like you’re ready to make the next step on your bespoke wedding dress journey, you can book a no-obligation consultation with me. I can’t wait to hear your ideas!
