Cocktail wedding dress in pale blue and lace for Isabelle

pale blue cocktail wedding dress with layered skirt

I am a huge fan of wearing a bit of colour for your wedding, so this pale blue cocktail wedding dress hits all the right buttons! The dress has a cute, vintage, 1950’s wiggle dress vibe and suited Isabelle perfectly.

Simple and sweet bridal mini-dress with tiered ivory lace skirt. Pale blue silk satin shows through the lace with a lightly boned bodice giving support and shape. The final length for the cocktail wedding dress was mid-knee but the pale blue silk finished above the knee for a glimpse more leg. The lace over dress has a high round neckline and short sleeves. I highlighted the waist with a delicate scalloped lace trim to compliment the edge on the skirt tiers and sleeves. The wedding dress closed with a concealed zip at centre back with a keyhole opening in the lace above and single button closure.

chantilly lace bespoke wedding dress exchanging rings
short cocktail wedding dress london made to measure bride and groom
simple wedding dress with lace surrey with bouquet
laughing bride something blue bespoke wedding dress pale blue silk

I loved seeing the pictures with Isabelle’s bouquet. I remember talking to her at the fittings about flowers and colours that would compliment her pale blue wedding dress. I suggested using eucalyptus leaves as they have a lovely soft grey-green colour. I was really pleased to see her florist agreed with me, as there they are!

How we designed Isabelle’s cocktail wedding dress

Isabelle came to see me with an off-the-peg dress she had found, which she loved but it wasn’t quite right. Isabelle’s mum came to the consultation too and she was pleased at the idea Isabelle might end up wearing something a little more special than an off-the-peg dress.

inspiration dress off the peg hanging up

Isabelle knew from the start she wanted some colour . She was weighing up between a pale pink and a pale blue for the cocktail wedding dress. It was easy for us to choose the lace as by a huge coincidence my usual fabric supplier had exactly the same lace available as the inspiration dress! I have sample books with hundreds of lace fabrics (and other fabrics) to choose from.

Although I don’t make copies I do encourage brides to share any images or ideas they have found elsewhere. In this case although most of my design work was guided by the inspiration dress. Isabelle wanted enough changes from the original design for me to feel comfortable. She preferred a straight across neckline for the underdress and we reduced the sleeve length during the fitting process to just a cap sleeve.

original design sketch for cocktail wedding dress by felicity westmacott

Making Isabelle’s Wedding Dress

Working with lace always presents a few challenges. For this cocktail wedding dress I had to make sure I was lining up the cascading tiers and scallops. I also wanted to ensure a balanced placement of the motifs in the bodice area. I used a concealed zip to ensure a couture level invisible finish for the back fastening.

With thanks to Miranda Virgo who took Isabelle’s professional wedding pictures

pale blue cocktail wedding dress with scalloped lace overlay

If you’d like to talk about your own bespoke wedding dress ideas, for a cocktail wedding dress or another style just get in touch.

If the colour is what drew you in have a peek at some of my other blue wedding dresses, they are very varied!

Victorian pale blue wedding dress

Teal flamenco inspired wedding dress

Fairytale pale blue tulle and sparkle

Aqua blue ruched satin

or a another chantilly lace dress

or another short dress

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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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Here’s my handy guide to bridal veil lengths! When it comes to your wedding, a veil is such a lovely accessory to have – it can really elevate a bridal look. Some veil lengths have different names for the same thing, so let's clarify the different lengths can be called: 

Shoulder - 16" 
This one is two tiers, bubble style, in vintage tulle. Cute and fun, it has a retro vibe to it. 

Elbow length - 28" 
I chose a 3-tier style, giving this veil a bit more volume. Again, made in vintage tulle with a cut edge.

Fingertip length - 36" 
I’ve notice this length is one of the most popular for brides, so I’m showing a few versions. The first is a single tier with a corded edge, and the second has a lace edge instead. (dipdye, cut edge, with blusher ) 

Waltz (or calf) length – 58”
I made this wedding veil from vintage tulle with a diamante sparkle. This is a good choice is you want something long, but you’re a little clumsy. 

Floor (or puddle) length - 72" 
For this video I went with a floor length veil with a blusher (2-tier) and a cut edge. This one is extra wide as well, for extra drama.

Chapel length - 90" 
This one is in a cowl (or draped) style, meaning it’s placed on the head in a different way to a usual veil. I made this one from a super soft English tulle, which floats so beautifully.

Cathedral - 115" 
If you’re looking for maximum drama, then this is the length for you. This is the length used in the weddings of royalty. With a metallic corded edge, I also made this one extra wide, because if you’re going to go big, you might as well go all the way.

Which is your favourite length of wedding veil? Do you plan on having one for your wedding?

#2025bride #2026bride #bespokebridal #bridalboutique #weddingveil
Let’s appreciate some of the details of this dress together…

This bohemian wedding dress was made for a vintage Romani Gypsy inspired wedding shoot, and since then it has been used for a few Edwardian and Titanic inspired shoots as well.

For this look, I chose beautifully lightweight ivory silk georgette (or chiffon) and lace, trimmed with ribbons. I spent a lot of time embellishing with hand sewn lace appliqué and tiny glass beads, to make the dress truly unique.

I always like to add versatility to my designs, and for this one I created a lace overskirt, decorated with red and black floral lace and a bold red sash around the waist. Then I made a ¾ length sleeve bolero in black velvet, lined with red satin for the chill nights.

This dress makes me want to dance around a fire, singing folk songs to the stars!

If this dress feels like the one for you, you can find it, ready to order, on my Etsy (link in the bio). Or, you can order it any size you like, completely bespoke to your body and taste. 

#weddingdress #vintageweddingdress #modernvintage #2025bride #2026bride #customweddingdress #bridalboutique #ukbride
Have you ever watched Strictly and thought "I would love to wear that"?

Alison wanted a wedding dress inspired by a gown she saw on Strictly Come Dancing. I love ballroom dancing - my grandmother was a famous dancer in her time, and as a result, I feel a real affinity with the culture of ballroom. So it was really exciting for me to work with Alison in creating her dream dress.

As with all my brides, before I started to cut into the beautiful guipure lace Alison had chosen, I made a toile. The toile is a rough draft of the dress, made in cheaper fabrics. It's a really useful way of checking the fit of the pattern is right, and it also gives the bride a chance to ask for any changes they might want. It's an invaluable part of my process!

The smile on her face during her final fitting says it all ☺️

I think this dress is perfect for Alison, who could easily dance the night away in this gorgeous, floaty frock 💃

#bespokeweddingdress #surreybride #sussexbride #kentbride #londonbride #ukweddingdress #maturebride #modestbride
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