Custom Wedding Dress Sussex

slim fit wedding gown in a grand hotel room

Custom Wedding Dress Sussex: Karen commissioned a beautiful dress in layers of ivory lace and satin.

The dress has a boned and fitted bodice with sweet heart neckline, where the satin underlayer is just revealed inside the pretty, beaded scalloped lace edge. Half-sleeves also made from the beaded lace covered the tops of Karen’s arms. The empire-line waist is highlighted with a ruched sash in silk dupion which finishes on the natural waistline. The skirt is softly fitted to the top hip before flaring gently in a slight fish-tail. The scalloped edge of the lace is used to trim the hem and the skirt flows out into a small train at the back which came with both a wrist loop and hook-up bustle for the evening.

satin and lace wedding dress bride with father

custom lace wedding dress surrey dip the bride

Wedding dress by Felicity Westmacott, vintage styling, satin and lace with beaded edging and silk sash, thank you letter

Karen Wrote: Thank you for the amazing job you did in creating the perfect dress for me. It ticked all the boxes and had everyone commenting on how lovely I looked and what a gorgeous dress I had. We had the most fantastic day. Thank you! Love Karen

lace hem wedding dress bride dancing train loop

I added a wrist loop to Karens’ dress for holding the train up off wet grass or gravel – or for dancing!

traditional wedding gown sussex bride with blue bridesmaids
Wedding dress by Felicity Westmacott, vintage styling, satin and lace with beaded edging and silk sash, original design sketch

Original design sketch for a Custom Wedding Dress Sussex

Wedding dress by Felicity Westmacott, vintage styling, satin and lace with beaded edging and silk sash, samples of the lace and beaded edging we used

Fabrics for a Custom Wedding Dress Sussex

Pages from my sample books showing the lace and beaded edging Karen chose.

scallop lace hem against the tile floor
bride and groom with landscape
beaded trim neckline with ruched sash

Detail from a fitting of the bodice with beaded edging and satin under layer revealed at the neckline. Karen chose her fabrics from my sample books. I stock samples from quite a few suppliers including Michael’s Bridal fabrics and Bennet Silks

floral lace wedding dress neckline detail

I designed the back of the dress with just the lace layer above the opaque neckline below. There was an opening all down the back of the lace from a higher round neckline.

something blue bustle loop and scallop lace hem

Making a Karen’s wedding dress

A hidden ‘something blue’ sewn next to the wrist loop inside the train layer of Karen’s dress.

Pictures from Karen’s final fitting, the finished dress with the train shown hooked up for dancing and spread out.

If you would like to commission a bespoke wedding dress you can see my FAQ for how it works here.

I have made many classic dresses (see another one here) with lace work being a speciality.

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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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One of the pleasures of having my own shop, is I also get some alone time.
If you have a busy life you know the rare joy of getting to hang out with just yourself sometimes.

Which isn't to say I don't love welcoming brides into my shop - I absolutely do.
But I don't think I could ever have a colleague in the shop with me (not full time, anyway). 
Not after working for myself for 25 years, and being used to how I like to to do things. 

Isn't that the difference between being alone and lonely. I am alone, but very much not lonely.

Hands up all my introverts! 🙌🏻
"I am so grateful for your contribution to my dress. Everybody loved it."⁠
⁠
This custom dip dye overskirt was the perfect pop of colour for Tanja's wedding dress. ⁠And with autumn well and truly here, I wanted to celebrate those beautiful colours.⁠
⁠
Her floor length skirt included:⁠
💛a graduated hi-low hem to match the dress underneath⁠
🧡two layers of soft tulle⁠
🩷hand dyed with four vibrant colours; yellow, orange, red and burgundy⁠
❤️snaps along the waist for easy attachment and removal to the wedding dress⁠
⁠
My bespoke ombre overskirts have so many other customisation options as well. From extra layers of tulle or lining fabric, to finishing off the waistband with ribbon or a pretty beaded belt. And I have over 30 colours to choose from, so there are almost limitless options.⁠
⁠
There are so many other customisation options as well. From extra layers of tulle or lining fabric, to finishing off the waistband with ribbon or a pretty beaded belt. And I have over 30 colours to choose from, so there are almost limitless options!⁠
⁠
You can find more examples of my dip dye work on my website.⁠
Or drop me a DM, and let's talk colour!
l've always wanted to see inside this chapel, ever since I was a child. So getting to be on set for this gothic romance wedding shoot and seeing my dress amongst the old stonework was a dream come true 🖤 

Planner/stylist @the_luxury_wedding_co⁠
Photographer ⁠
@sarah.lauren.photography⁠
Photographer @forrestwildejpg 
Content Creators @thesocialsocketweddings⁠
Table draping @foldandflowstudio⁠
Table decor @sparkleeventstyling⁠
Glassware @milliemileseventhire⁠
Ribbon @norfolksilk⁠
Stationary @two.hearts.club⁠
Florists @baileyandblossom ⁠
MUA and Hair stylist @abbigailrichardsstudio⁠
Wedding dress designer @felicitywestmacott⁠
Celebrant @pitchperfectceremonies⁠
Wedding cake designer @gwynethjohnsoncakedesign⁠
Models @allie.and.max⁠
Jewellery @coralie.jewellery⁠
Venue @maverickprojects⁠

#alternativebride #weddingdress
#bespokeweddingdress #wutheringheights
#gothicwedding
I love autumn 🍂🍁

And this custom dip dye wedding skirt feels perfect for the changing of the seasons. All those beautiful colours of falling leaves, from bright yellow, through to deep burgundy.

As always, nature provides such a perfect source of inspiration 🍁

If you're looking to capture the colours you love on your wedding day, my custom dip dye skirts are such a lovely touch. You can choose up to five shades, and there are a whole bunch of customisation options. Just check out my shop (link in bio).
For this elegant, forest green wedding dress, I spent a lot of hours working on the main focus of the dress; the beaded collar. 

Sometimes doing things over and over again can be strangely peaceful, and sometimes it can be utterly mind-numbing. And sometimes it's a bit of column A and a bit of column B! 😂

The rest of the dress was kept classic and simple, so this design element would really shine (literally)! I used a whole range of beads in peacock colours - blood red, deep garnet, teal, vibrant purple and sparkling gold. I played with design ideas, taking inspiration from the art deco era, using a lot of symmetry and geometry. 

It's always a relief when I'm finally finished with a project like this, to be able to step back and see the result and think "ah, that was completely worth it." 😌

If you want to see what this dress looked like on the day of the wedding, have a look at my previous post 🌿

#weddingdress #greenweddingdress #bespokeweddingdress #weddinginspiration #2027bride 2026bride
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