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 wearing a hat

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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I have always loved working on cultural fusion wedding dresses, and I have been very lucky that many brides trust me with this process.

For Vidushi's bespoke wedding dress, we worked to combine her Indian heritage with her husband's Polish culture. She sourced the base dress and three beautiful red saris, and we began the process of discovering the kind of fusion she was looking for. 

The final result is the perfect blend of east and west ❤️

Wedding photography by @whiteframestorytellers_
Four years ago, I opened my bridal shop after working from home for the past 16 years. It was a huge decision and I had so many thoughts, so many pros and cons, and so many fears going round and round.

Here are just three of the doubts I had about buying the shop:

1.	The Commute
You know how sometimes the idea of something just feels bad, and then it turns out the reality of it is fine? That.
I worried about how long it would take, about traffic, about wasting time.

But the shop is just an 18-minute drive and I don't notice the time pass. I even cycle there occasionally, which is good for both my body and my mind. And it is so worth it for the separation between home life and work life. I can let my creativity lead me, instead of the distractions of a busy house.

2.	Premise Costs
My dad once told me, “The only person who makes money from small retail is the landlord", and I worried all my income would disappear into rent. But I was in the very privileged position to be able to buy my shop. This means the shop is an investment, as well as a workshop and a welcoming space for my brides.

3.	Self-Doubt
The loudest voice, with constant thoughts about whether the shop would be good enough, would anyone come in and would anyone like my work. 
But they do. Brides who see the dresses in the window, then visit the shop and often choose to work with me.

I am so grateful to my past self, and everyone who supported me in taking the leap. All the doubt was really worth it. 

Here’s to another four years, and hopefully many more 🤍
Imagine peeking into a bridal shop and seeing the designer doing a ballet challenge amongst the wedding dresses 🤭

I like to think the kind of bride who gets this, is the kind of bride I would work perfectly with 💖
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