For this bespoke wedding dress photoshoot in Hampshire, we wanted to evoke the feeling of a fairy tale. Of a princess being whisked away by her prince, of magic, whimsy and romance. The colours we wanted to focus on were blush pink, various shades of green and deep burgundy. All inspired by the colours found...
For this Marie Antoinette wedding dress photoshoot, we took inspiration from the aesthetic of Bridgeton. I think we ended up with something slightly different, but equally wonderful, don’t you think? Our colour scheme was pastels; blush, pinks, coral, creamy ivory and hints of baby blue and gold. We wanted to evoke something romantic and ethereal...
Amanda came to me in 2009 to have a bespoke regency wedding dress made. I designed her a dress in pale gold silk satin with an ivory/gold beaded lace top layer. I created a lightly boned bodice with square neckline and high waistline seam with contrast band. The softly draping skirt spreads to a train...
I made a bespoke portrait collar jacket and wedding dress trimmed with chantilly lace for Angela. The dress and jacket were both made in opulent oyster pink duchess silk satin. Photography bywww.christellephoto.com Angela wanted a little old world glamour for her wedding so we created this vintage inspired ensemble in luxurious silk duchess satin and...
The theme for this bespoke wedding dress photoshoot in London can be summarised as “Nile Queen”. Whilst being inspired by things of the past, we still wanted to keep this wedding very modern and chic. I had the pleasure of designing the wedding dress for this shoot, and absolutely loved making something fit for a...
My favourite type of dress to make is an historically inspired wedding dresses. My whole career has stemmed but an interest in costume history. I began by colouring in photocopied pages from my mother’s fashion history books. This led an arts degree in costume design for the stage and screen. Making costumes is not only...
For this styled wedding shoot, the aim was to create an atmosphere that was dark, dramatic and regal. We used royal purple, lavender, deep burgundy and vibrant cerise as our colour palette, with plenty of gilded gold highlights. And no white! This was the inspiration for my dark fairytale feather wedding dress. My design was...
For her wedding day, Katie wanted a feminine and floaty dress in layers of tulle and floral lace. And what a dress it turned out to be! It’s such a romantic wedding look, fit for a fantasy princess.The dress was made from layered silk dupion (one of my favourite fabrics to work with), rose pink...
Rachel contacted me wanting a bespoke early 1910s inspired bridal look. Of all the brides I’ve worked with, she was the one who wanted the dress to be the most historically correct. Although not exact (for example, we didn’t include any corseting), she wanted a period accurate silhouette. During our chats, consultations and fittings I...
Rebecca wanted a Victorian-inspired wedding dress made in deep forest green and ivory silk dupion. We prioritised historical accuracy with this gown, from the custom-made corset underneath, to the embroidered bustle, all the way down to the layers of knife pleats around the skirt. Photography – Yuriy Nutsa Photograhy and Babb Photo Why wear that...
Posts from Felicity Westmacott
I love making wedding dresses, but a highlight of my month is always coming up with a new window display.
For this month, obviously I had to do something for Pride. You probably know by now, but Pride is important to me for lots of reasons. I feel it especially important as an individual, as well as a business, to show my support and my pride openly, so that others know that my shop is a safe space for all.
With that theme in mind for this bridal boutique window display, I chose my Nile Queen wedding dress, complete with golden corset, and this gorgeous gold leaf, dip dye train. For the other three looks, I chose the bases to be relatively simple, so that the pops of colour from the rainbow overskirts and veil could really shine through.
If you want to see how the window turned out, have a look at for Part 2!
For Zoe`s wedding dress alterations, I lifted the shoulders, reset and narrowed the sleeves, and made the cuffs smaller. I also added bust pads in the front for security and coverage.
It wasn`t that much compared to the work I do on some wedding dresses. Sometimes you just need to change a few things here and there, to feel comfortable and beautiful on your wedding day.
And, as a bonus, after working with Zoe on her alterations, her mum then also booked in for some bespoke work. It always feels especially lovely when I receive work through recommendations 🥰
If your wedding is coming up and your dress needs a little adjustment or a major change, drop me a DM and let me work my magic ✨️
Photography - Richard Galloway
#dressmaking #alterations #weddingdress #bridalalterations #surreybride #weddingdressalterations #bride #alteration #weddingalterations #dressmaker #sussexbride #weddingdressmaker
Come away to an intimate wedding in the countryside...
The wedding we wanted to evoke in this shoot is for a bride and groom who want to keep things simple and small.
The venue, Chafford Park, has just been newly renovated and is available for dry hire. Personally, I love a dry hire because it means you can treat it like a blank canvas, making it into whatever you want.
The wedding dress I provided is made of ivory silk georgette (or chiffon) and lace. The style feels both modern and vintage, with lots of lovely textures and a lace up corset bodice. Simple, yet effortlessly elegant. I also made a lace and tulle overskirt, to give more options when frolicking.
(top tip: make sure you scroll through to the hand-painted macaroons - I`m obsessed!)
Would you use a dry hire for your wedding?
Photography: @isobelwnphotography
Stylist: @halo_beautiful.xo
Venue: @chaffordpark
Dress: @felicitywestmacott
Celebrant: @madewithlovecelebrations
Food: @vinedinecatering
Cake & macarons: @bluebellkitchen
Jewellery @oliveandedenvintagejewellery
Stationery @simply.laura.calligraphy
Flowers: @baileyandblossom
When I signed up to do this Surrey based wedding photoshoot, I wasn`t expecting to find two of my dear theatre friends there as well! In fact, we had been having dinner together a few weeks before, and they mentioned they were modelling for a photoshoot, and I mentioned I was supplying a wedding dress for a shoot, and neither of us realised it was the same one! So it was extra lovely to spend some unexpected time with them.
It was also lovely to connect with other local wedding suppliers. Working in this industry as a wedding dress maker can be quite a solitary existence, so part of the reason I do shoots like these is to network with others, and also to revel in their creativity! There were so many gorgeous little details from this shoot, but those will be in my next post...
Follow along for more pretty wedding dress content!
Photography: @isobelwnphotography
Stylist: @halo_beautiful.xo
Venue: @chaffordpark
Dress: @felicitywestmacott
Celebrant: @madewithlovecelebrations
Food: @vinedinecatering
Cake & macarons: @bluebellkitchen
Jewellery @oliveandedenvintagejewellery
Stationery @simply.laura.calligraphy
Flowers: @baileyandblossom
#weddingdress #ukwedding #ukbride #bride2025 #bridetobe #bespokeweddingdress #surreyweddingdress #sussexweddingdress #englishwedding #barnwedding #surreybride #surreywedding #customweddingdress
I`ve been nominated for the 2026 Wedding Industry Awards 🥳
Recently I was looking through my emails, as you do, when I see one that looks a little bit more exciting than the usual spam. It was from the Wedding Industry Awards letting me know that one of my clients has put me forward for the "Independent Dressmaker/Designer" category. It was such a lovely surprise!
I previously entered these awards in 2016 and 2018. Both times I made it to the regional finals, but I never came away having won. So I thought this year I`d give it another try, spurred on by the kindness of a client 🥰
Which leads me to asking you all for a favour. If you used my services between Oct 1st 2024 up until now (all that way until Sept 29th 2025) then you are eligible to vote for me. Unfortunately, anyone I`ve made a wedding outfit for before this can`t vote.
Winning an award voted for by the people I work for is such a gorgeous feeling, so if you have a few minutes to spare, you can find the voting link in my bio 💜
If you do vote for me, let me know so I can give you a big virtual hug!
The second shoot I`m featuring for this week`s Pride celebrations includes a real queer couple and a dress with a rainbow on it - you can`t get more Pride than that!
Our two brides are looking absolutely gorgeous and absolutely in love in this slightly more subtly rainbow themed shoot. What else can I say? They just look so perfect together.
If you`re looking for a friendly, welcoming and open-minded seamstress for your dress, then look no further. I want to celebrate everything that you are on your big day - including making you the perfect outfit. Just drop me a DM, I`d love to hear from you 💜
Venue - @skitbyhouse
Photographer - @lucyalexandra_photography
Dresses - @felicitywestmacott
Hair & Makeup - @Clairealexandrahairandmakeup
Celebrant & Organiser - @ribeiroceremonies
Hair accessories - @nujewellery_byemma
Butterflies - @flutter2me
Jackets - @niamhdesigns
Florals - @fioredoratoflowers
Ribbons - @_lkdesigns
Model - @missjenaroo
~
#lesbianwedding #queerlove #queerwedding #wlw #dipdyeweddingdress #sapphicwedding #rainbowwedding #leatherjacket #bridaljacket #romanticwedding #londonbridaldesigner #surreybridaldesigner #surreydressmaker #londondressmaker
