“Frost on the leaves” Autumn Bridal Photoshoot

falling leaves autumn bride

I made three bespoke wedding dresses for this frost themed Autumn bridal photoshoot.

From time to time I collaborate with other wedding professionals on styled wedding photoshoots. This one took place in November 2016 in leafy Surrey with the theme “Frost on the Leaves”. We wanted to explore the underrated beauty of the late English Autumn, a magical time of coloured leaves and silver frost. You can see photos of the making process and behind the scenes pictures from the shoot in my blog entries about this shoot.

Photography:JessicaJillPartridge,
Dresses made & designed by Felicity Westmacott
Styling by Jessica of www.foxandpartridge.com
Models: Katja Cemic, Keely Simeoni and Isabella Crighton
Hair styling by Very Bettie
Make up by www.charlottemuapro.com,
Bespoke Shoes by Marsha Hall
Jewellery by Vicky Forrester
Veil and headpieces by Jen Levet
Floristry by Michelle Knibbs of Muscari Whites
Garden wreath by The Girl who Gardens

I designed three dresses for this shoot, a white and silver dress layered that could be worn in three different ways. Plain underdress only, both layers, or for the daring, the lace layer alone! I also created a dip-dye dress that soaks up the colours of autumn in the hem and a flower-girl dress to compliment them both, in rose-gold silk lame and georgette.

styled shoot with gold leaves red hair bridal inspiration

‘Sylphide’ Frosty silver sheer lace dress

I designed a sheer lace dress with antique silver floral accents and silk georgette flutter sleeves. It can be worn alone as below, with with the custom underdress or that was made to go with it.

low back mermaid beaded lace wedding dress bespoke waterfall train
flutter sleeve waterfall wedding dressy scallop edge lace neckline

Here is the lace dress, for the daring only, worn without the lining!

winter sun on shear metallic wedding gown silver beaded slim
flutter waterfall sleeve modest wedding gown
Juliette cap vintage veil custom to order by Jen Levet

This lace cap veil was created especially for our shoot by Jen Levet and compliments the dress perfectly.

vneck wedding dress matt satin straps winter sun

The under dress or lining layer in pale ivory duchess satin makes an understatedly elegant dress all on it’s own.

Here is the silver lace dress, worn with all it’s layers. The main dress is beaded antique-silver lace and the lower skirt is silk chiffon.

heart cut out wedding shoes custom

Romantic Ivory shoes with lace and heart shape peep-toe, by www.marshahall.com

Lace edged veil by Jen Levet

ivory mermaid v neck chiffon lace custom gown in the woods

This dress was used for another photoshoot a few years later. Seeing how the same dress works differently for different figures and wedding themes can be very interesting. See the Tuscany wedding photoshoot here.

slimline wedding dress bespoke to order winter bride
peeptoe lace shoes autumn winter bride

flowergirl with bride holding train rosegold chiffon and beaded lace

This dress is for sale, made to measure for each bride from my Etsy shop, or direct from me for the full bespoke experience.

blush and copper make-up for wedding with hair garland

Make-up by www.charlottemuapro.com

Rose gold Flower Girl Dress

child bridesmaid dress custom made with long sleeves for winter

I made a flower girl dress in layered silk georgette in shades of rose-gold with beaded lace detail and long sleeves.

Silk Lily band headdress by Jen Levet

Hair garland by Muscari Whites

mix metallic lace and beading custom dress design

Make-up by www.charlottemuapro.com

Hair styling by Very Bettie

Ombre fire Dipdye Dress for Autumn Bridal Photoshoot

Model Keely Simeoni wears ‘Phoenix’ a silk dupion and tulle dress dip-dyed with the colours of autumn as if the season is creeping up her skirt. Creating this dress, took 7 hours on the colours alone, see more detail of how this was done in my blog entry on the shoot.

ombre bridal gown red yellow orange and ivory train
bespoke ivory tulle wedding dress silk roses corset laceup back

Hair by Alex Sadler of Very Bettie

Silk Lily band headdress by Jen Levet

This dress is for sale, made to measure for each bride from my Etsy shop, or direct from me for the full bespoke experience.

phoenix dip dye wedding dress made to order
velvet wedding boots autumn winter wedding

Autumn red shoe-boots by www.marshahall.com

bespoke velvet wedding boots stilettos roses on bed of leave
ombre bouquet pussy willow rainbow roses

Rainbow rose bouquet by Muscari Whites designed to compliment the phoenix dress.

Flame Fantasy Styling

snowflake fire bride ombre wedding dress

Lastly some images of the dip-dye dress with a little Bowie-homage: daring make-up and fairytale styling.

Hair styling by Very Bettie

Make-up by www.charlottemuapro.com

sleeping princess bride ivy autumn flowers


The Leaf Pendant is an ideal choice for an Autumn wedding. The green stone is a piece of Moldavite. The rippled texture that gives the leafy appearance is entirely natural. It’s a type of tectonic glass, created in an explosion of energy over 14 million years ago, when an asteroid collided into Earth. This notion of ‘heaven-and-earth’ makes it a perfect symbol for the magic that marriage inspires.

bespoke wedding dress ombre hem tulle silk ivory veil

Styling for an Autumn Bridal Photoshoot

gold cobweb cuff and jewellery custom to order

Bespoke jewellery by www.vicky-forrester.com

autumn photoshoot table setting inspo gold flowers and candles

Styling by Jessica Jill Partridge of www.foxandpartridge.com

Flowers by Muscari Whites

winter inspiration crockery gold cups leaf plate and tea set
bridal bouquet rosegold and orange vase arrangement
wedding garland november wedding leaves and berries

Garden Wreath by The Girl who Gardens

gold leaf bridal peeptoe shoes handmade with love
gilded bouquet autumn wedding inspiration

bespoke wedding rings with leaves

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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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You might’ve noticed that I can get quite particular about language. I think it’s important, especially when that word can carry a lot of meaning. When words get misused, you as a consumer might get mis-sold something.

An example of this is the word ‘vintage’, which now gets tacked onto the description of any garment, whether or not it actually is vintage. Often the item just looks like it’s from an older period of fashion, and for many sellers now, that’s good enough to warrant the label ‘vintage’ (which it’s not).

‘Bespoke’ is another of those words. The word comes from ‘to bespeak’, which means, to ask for. Like someone walking into carpentry workshop and asking for something completely new to be made to their exact specifications.

Anything can be bespoke, if it has been asked for, to be made especially to your requirements and preferences. You often hear it in the context of bespoke suits, but the term doesn’t belong to any one industry.

When it comes to wedding dresses, you have a few options. Off-the-peg, which is what it sounds like. Then there’s custom or made-to-measure, which both describe when something is adjusted or changed. You might order a dress where there are options to customise the length, the sleeves, the neckline etc. 

But true bespoke is something different. It’s a dress that’s been designed and made completely from scratch. Completely to your measurements and your ideas. With several stages of fittings and adjustments, to ensure it’s exactly how you want it. It’s an entirely unique garment, and this is why the price of a bespoke dress can be so much more than something off-the-peg or made-to-measure.

So, next time something online claims to be ‘bespoke’, now you know what to look for to make sure you’re not being tricked into pay more for less.
Tonight is the Wedding Industry Awards! I'm in the running for two awards, which is all very exciting! 🏆

Since it's such a special occasion, I decided to design and make myself a dress. That way, regardless of the outcome, I'll feel like a winner. I rarely have time to make myself anything, so this felt rather lovely.

I used some gorgeous pink coloured silk chiffon, lined with pale gold silk satin, finished off with velvet ribbon. I started making the dress at 11am yesterday, and I finished it at 3pm today. Now I just have to finish making the bolero to go with it as well. I think we're gonna make it! 🏃🏻‍♀️
Just to be extra clear 💜

#seamstress #dressmaker #historicalfashion #weddingdressmaker #weddingdressdesigner
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