Madalie came to me for a vintage wedding dress upcycle. She had her mother’s beautiful 1970’s wedding dress and she wanted to wear it, made anew, for her own wedding day. The dress Madalie brought to our consultation meeting wasn’t the right size or style for her modern wedding day. We agreed to unpick and...
Alice’s beautiful diamante belt wedding dress was made in layers of white chiffon with hand beaded detailing. I made Alice’s dress with a fitted and boned bodice. I designed a soft v-shaped neckline and invisible zip back closure. Her waistline is decorated with a double loop of hand beading in Swarovski diamante stones. Then we...
Eleanor commissioned a beautiful Victorian wedding dress in palest blue embroidered silk dupion. I designed Eleanor’s dress using a mixture of historical sources as inspiration. Tudor, 18th century and Victorian corsetry came together to create a dress that flattered her petite but curvy figure. I made Eleanor’s dress with a fitted and boned bodice and...
Gorgeous Ellie was married in Vegas on Halloween and her dress was a wonderful mixture of fifties shape, modern styling and subtle Halloween detail.
Keely commissioned a pale blue fairytale wedding dress. I made it in layered blue and ivory tulle over shot taffeta with ruched detailing and subtle sequin highlights. Official photographs by www.simonhooleyphotography.co.uk This dress is now for sale as a pre-loved dress as worn for this wedding and now available for re-sale. You can see details...
Gerry commissioned an elegant bespoke wedding dress with sleeves in ivory dupion with ruched bodice and off the shoulder sleeves. Official photographs by www.timelesspictures.co.uk Gerry’s dress was made with a fitted and boned bodice with ruched silk sweeping in a cross over design to one side. The sweetheart neckline flowed into the off the shoulder...
Vicki commissioned a chiffon cowl back wedding dress in ivory soft satin and Georgette with hand appliquéd lace. Official photographs by Vivien Woods A short video of Vikki’s dress being worn here: Vicki’s Dress The dress has and empire line bodice, lightly boned with a sweetheart neckline and shaped straps. The skirt was made of...
I made in Liz’s dress flamenco inspired wedding dress in teal blue shot silk. It has a boned bodice with ruching to the hip and a wide off the shoulder neckline. The skirt falls in graduated tiers of waterfall frills. Hand applique of teal lace adds sparkle and texture to the neckline and skirt. Liz...
Being an older bride does not mean you have to conform to anyone’s idea of how a ‘mature lady’ should dress and I love that Barbara lived her dream! I made an Edwardian lace wedding dress made from duchess satin and beaded Guipure lace. The dress is trimmed with gathered lace flounces and groups of...
Ailsa commissioned a sky blue bespoke wedding dress in silk satin. I designed it with proportions to flatter her petite figure. Official photographs by www.oxford-photography.co.uk I made the dress with a fitted and boned bodice with gentle sweetheart neckline and integral straps. I added ruching over the bust which is balanced above asymmetric draping on...
Posts from Felicity Westmacott
This outfit is such a vibe ✨️ I loved working on this vintage 90s two-piece.
If you want to see the adorable miniskirt I made to go with this wedding outfit, I`ll be posting about that next. Why not follow along for regular dose of whimsical alternative bridal inspiration for 2026?
Photography - @dillonkin
What should I do with my wedding dress once it`s served its purpose?
It`s a question a lot of brides ask themselves after their wedding day is done.
I`m a big fan of upcycling and repurposing, and I`ve had the chance to give second life to quite a few wedding dresses now. Including this conversion of a vintage wedding dress that had its first outing about 25 years ago.
With a big anniversary party coming up, this client wanted to be able to wear her dress, but transformed. Keeping it for the priceless sentimental value it holds, but also updating it to reflect who she is now.
So, with a few little changes, she had something completely new and very chic.
We took the bodice off completely and finished the waistline to make a lovely skirt, still with the details of the original dress. To make it more wearable for other events, we also brought the hem up and took train completely off.
I think she looks so stylish, and I hope she finds occasion to wear this little piece of her own history for years to come.
If your wedding dress has been left untouched for years (or decades even), and you would love to be able to honour it a new way, then get in touch and let me work my dressmaking alchemy.
#alteration #upcycling #weddingdressmaker #bespokeweddingdress #upcycle #vintageweddingdress #slowfashion #reuse #sustainablefashion
I`m continuing to celebrate @michele_and_graziella this week by featuring the photoshoot where I finally got to hire them for my own Strictly Ballroom wedding photoshoot.
Not only were they the perfect models for my vision, with a gorgeous mix of masc and femme, and so much natural chemistry, they were also so professional and lovely to work with. And although neither of them are dancers, they conveyed the spirit of the Latin dances we were paying homage to expertly.
They are both so experienced and talented that every photograph they`re in is just stunning. It is such a pleasure to see my bespoke designs modelled by them. Hopefully our paths will cross again in the future 🤞🏻
Dresses @felicitywestmacott
Photography @jessicajillphoto
Video/content @weddingstorytellerco
Venues @theoldtimberstore_se1 @malt.maltby
Florals @jemimainthewoods
Event Equipment Hire @cohire
Bride Models @michele_and_graziella
Bridesmaid models @Lisaeggy3 @Boobzylou @oleksanacoaching
Choreography @oleksanacoaching
Hair and Make-up lead @melindabridal @melinda_grant
Hair and Make-up @beccibrushes
Celebrant dave_the_celebrant
Guitar @shanetheojoseph
Stationery @theinkmoth
Jewellery @CatherineMarche
Cake @gwynethjohnsoncakedesign
Neon Sign @thisisasignuk
Headdress @Creationsbylivfree
Millinery @beverleyedmondsonmillinery
Shoes @shoesbylarisa
Confetti @proper.confetti
So far, as part of my celebration for Pride, I`ve featured queer wedding inspiration and queer clients, but I want to amplify real LGBTQ+ talent too.
@michele_and_graziella are a real couple and also a model couple, who I met during a cabaret-themed wedding shoot. Then, a few month`s later, they happened to be the models hired for a completely different shoot I was involved in. It was so lovely to see them again, and hear their excitement about wearing more of my designs.
I was so impressed with how well they managed to nail the vibes of two such contrasting wedding set ups. One bold, loud and full of attitude, and the other soft and gentle.
When it came time for me to pick models for my own Strictly Ballroom-inspired wedding shoot, asking Michele and Graziella was a no-brainer. But that`s for another post...
Which of these two photoshoots is more your vibe?
Cabaret shoot:
Organiser & hairstylist @bighair.energy
Model couple @michele_and_graziella
Bridal party models @isabella_posenato @nnastia.photography @kelly_marie_wheeler.model
Wedding dress @felicitywestmacott
Celebrant @jessmayspecialdays
Stationery @theamyverseweddings
Photographer @magpie.eye.weddings
MUA @joannehook_mua
Videographer @richieashwinuk
Cake @theblueboxcakecompany
Accessories @thelucky6pence
Styling/floristry @ashdownevents
Streamers @streamadelica_uk
Coordinator @dani.singam
Periwinkle shoot:
Concept, Planning and Styling: @lucywellsweddings
Venue: @thebarnatsomersbury
Floral design: @helleboreandrose
Floral assistant: @intothewildflowerfarm
Photographer: @chloemartin_photography_
Videographer: @molehillmedia
Models:@michele_and_graziella
Celebrant: @celebratewithverity
Hair and makeup:@idomakeupandhair_
Cakes: @lauraspantry
Bridal wear:@felicitywestmacott
Stationery: @theamyverseweddings
Ribbons: @laikstyle
Table linen: @theknottednapkinco
Decor, props and styling assistance: @surreyweddingcompany
Bridal shoes: @theprettyweddingshoecompany
Tableware: @crystalhireltd
Jemma had her wedding anniversary party coming up and wanted to restyle her wedding dress into something new and fun.
She brought in her wedding dress and told me about her planned party outfit being a gorgeous magenta jumpsuit. So my challenge was to figure out how to blend these two, quite contrasting styles, into one look.
As we talked through her options, we landed on a custom dipdye overskirt with an open front. This would mean she could keep the drama of the dress train, and the beauty of the sequined lace, whilst also being able to dance to her heart’s content.
For the dipdye, she chose to reverse the usual order of colours, going from darkest at the top, to lightest travelling down, in purples and pinks to compliment the jumpsuit.
I unpicked the lace layer from the original dress, hand dyed the tulle, and added it underneath the skirt. For a final touch, I sewed on some pretty scalloped lace around the waistline to create the join with Jemma’s jumpsuit.
I love seeing a wedding dress continuing its life beyond its wedding day. This was such a brilliant idea, and the result is so vibrant and playful.
Has your wedding dress had a second life since the big day?
#dipdyeweddingdress #upcycledweddingdress #colourfulweddingdress #weddingdressrestyle
Gemma and Vikkie were married in a venue steeped in family tradition and history. They were wed in The Guild Hall in Windsor, and the reception was in a local pub, The George, which is one of their favourites.
I love personal details like that. In the same way that getting a bespoke wedding outfit it such an amazing way of reflecting who you truly are.
There`s something very satisfying about the simplicity of the wedding ensemble I made for Gemma. When the star of the show is that beautiful lace, there`s no need to go crazy with design or embellishment - the fabric does all the work (with a little help from me, of course!).
Not only that, but Gemma and Vickie managed to co-ordinate their wedding looks perfectly, as though the two outfits had been made together. Perfect!
I am honoured to have created this outfit for Gemma, and been a small part of adding their wedding to the family tradition.
~
Photographer: @ragdollphotography
#bridetobe #modernbride #bridestyle #bespokebride #alternativebride #realbride #plussizebride #weddingtrousers #weddingtop #weddingseparates #windsorwedding
