Edwardian Inspired Wedding Dress

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 discovered that Rachel works at university teaching adjacent to history of dress and costume. Considering my own, similar background, I felt so honoured she chose me to make her wedding dress! Birds of a feather!

I had such a wonderful time working with Rachel, and the end result is this beautiful Edwardian inspired wedding dress.

Photography – Darren Kirwan⁠

I’m not sure if ‘alchemist’ or even ‘genius’ cuts it. More like ‘wonderful wizard of beautiful stuffs’. What a dress. What talent. So beautiful. You cut it out and stitched it straight from my dreams.

Real bride, Rachel

Designing an Edwardian Inspired Wedding Dress

The inspiration for Rachel’s wedding dress was the late Edwardian era, around the 1910s. Common features from that period were empire waistlines and square necklines, although as with all epochs of fashion, there was still a lot of variation to be found. This particular era was a lot more relaxed and bohemian compared to previous decades, which had been much more restrictive.

Rachel could have opted for other era-accurate details, like the structured undergarments that would have been common then. But she decided that comfort was far more important (and I’m inclined to agree)! If you plan on wearing your dress all day, considering comfort can be a big factor in the design process.

The Making Of An Edwardian Inspired Wedding Dress

Rachel is from Ireland, so in order to save time and money travelling, she would book a hotel in Surrey for two or three days at a time. In that space we booked multiple fittings, then she would fly home again.

In the first few fittings she tried on the toile (the test run of the dress, but in a cheap material), and I would make note of any adjustments needed. During this process the top layer of skirt changed from the original design. Rachel felt there were too many layers, so we reduced them, no problem.

Irish lace

Being Irish, Rachel wanted to include antique Irish Limerick lace, so she sourced two vintage lace stoles (like a shawl but smaller and usually rectangular). We decided to wait until she had found them to decide exactly what we wanted to do with them. Opting to work with the pieces, rather than make the pieces work for us. Once she had them we experimented with what would be best to show off the lace, playing around with placement.

We decided on the following: over the main dress shell, I added one stole barely cut (just a gap for the zip) with sleeves and a cross-over front. The other stole was cut up and used as a source of lace motifs. I cut the edging and the floral designs, appliquéing them onto the draping and train at the back.

1920s art deco mustard umber burnt orange velvet cocoon coat

When Rachel was at my shop for a fitting, she spotted a 1920s art deco style cocoon coat I had made for a styled wedding shoot. She tried it on and bought it that day. It was never intended to go with dress – it was just a spur of the moment purchase. I’m so happy it found a good home. I often put garments made for photoshoots for sale on my Etsy shop once the shoot is done.

The Final Result

It was such a pleasure to geek out with Rachel during this making process. I think I’m safe is saying she was happy with the end result – a completely custom made Edwardian inspired wedding dress, featuring antique lace to represent her Irish heritage.

If you’re looking for more Edwardian inspiration, you can find others I’ve made here (with a Downton Abbey theme) and here for a mature bride.

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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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There's just one week left of voting for the Wedding Industry Awards (@twia_official).⁠
⁠
In case you didn't know, here's a quick summary of what's going:⁠
◽️a lovely client of mine nominated me for the awards⁠
◽️I'm now competing in both the Bespoke Bridal and Bridal Alterations categories⁠
◽️You can only vote for me if you've used either of these services with me between Oct 1st 2024 -Sept 29th 2025⁠
◽️You've got until September 29th to vote!⁠
◽️Voting links are in the link in my bio⁠
⁠
Such a big thank you to everyone who already voted for me - it means a lot. But I also wanted to thank everyone showing up in the comments and saying lovely things about my work. I've had so many people tell me they would vote for me if they could, and that feels like a win all of its own 💜⁠
⁠
Now it's time to cross our fingers and see what happens 🤞⁠
⁠
Photo by @altweddingco
I designed the Celeste wedding dress to feel dreamy, like a goddess in disguise in the 1930s ✨ The sparkling underdress is perfect for an evening party while the flowing overdress transforms the look for a more ethereal vibe. 

Made from pale ivory soft tulle that cascades in two layers from the shoulders, nipped in at the waist by a grosgrain ribbon belt.⁠ The back is probably one of my favourite features: a decadent layered necklace glistening with jewels. 

If you're looking for a wedding dress, designed for you and inspired by an art movement, or a period of history, or anything else, then get in touch 💜

~
Suppliers:⁠
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Dress & Veil @felicitywestmacott⁠
On the day coordinator @misscarlysleandco_events⁠
HMUA @ema.bridal⁠
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Just leaving this here...

It's a passage from a book of interviews with Germans who lived through World War II.
I often describe what I do as Dress Alchemy. But have you ever wondered what I mean when I say that? You might even be a dress alchemist yourself...

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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