Hand made wedding dress Surrey

vneck back wedding dress countryside wedding

Reeta commissioned a hand made wedding dress surrey wedding day. I made her a plunge back dress in buttermilk silk satin and ivory lace.

Official photographs by www.photofactorysite.com

I designed a fitted bodice, softly boned with a sweet-heart neckline. The lace extends higher to just below the collar-bone with narrow straps set wide on the shoulders. I made the back of the dress plunge in a deep v-neck of shear lace. The pretty scalloped edge from the lace has been used to edge and soften the neckline at front and all down the back. I emphasised the underbust line with a band of exquisite diamante trim, finished by hand at the sides and back to fade away to nothing. The dress was very fitted to the waist and hips before flaring very gently to the floor. The satin under-layer had only a puddle train while the lace will extended longer so there was a wide band of shear lace beyond the satin. The lace hem was also all edged with the same pretty scalloped edging as the neckline.

bride and groom on grass cream lace dress

Reeta wrote: “Everyone was blown away by the dress! I did not want to take it off!!! I look at her (the dress) hanging and I want to wear her again! Hope you like the pics. I tried choosing pics that would show the dress off as much as possible but the pictures sometimes don’t do her justice!

Wedding Dress by Felicity Westmacott, buttermilk silk and ivory corded lace, backless with diamante detail at underbust, design sketch

Original design sketch. The narrow underbust ribbon was later changed to the beaded trim you see in the official pictures

happy couple civil ceremony slimline lace wedding dress
round lace train spread out

I made lining of the wide, round train shorter than the lace. This allows the beautiful lace pattern to show up against the floor.

Indian bride in western wedding dress dancing

Detail of the underbust beading: We used a bought trim in Swarovski crystal diamante stones for the front. This was finished by hand at the sides and back to fade the design away to nothing.

corded lace and silk finished dress hanging up before wedding

Making Reeta’s Hand made wedding dress Surrey

Toile fitting pictures, the practice run in cheap fabrics.

Intermediate fitting pictures. Reeta’s hand made wedding dress Surrey took many fittings to get just right. I like to ensure we end up with everything smooth and sitting correctly, backless dresses are always tricky.

something blue wrist loop

Wrist loop and a hidden ‘something blue’

Pictures from the final fitting in the finished hand made wedding dress Surrey. Above shows the back of the dress with it’s lace plunge. The train held up on the wrist loop with the little ‘something blue’ peeking out.

The back of the dress with the train spread out and bustled up for dancing

If you’d like to talk to me about having your own wedding dress custom made you can read my FAQ here Or just get in touch to book a time to visit.

And you can find more pictures of lace wedding dresses in this blog post

My wonderful supplier, Michael’s Bridal fabrics, has a wide range of lace fabrics to choose from. I have their sample books in my studio to look through at our consultation.

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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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Sumptuous sky-blue silk. 
A figure-hugging silhouette.
Corseted with lilac ribbon. 
And sparkling lace accents.

This is the kind of bridal outfit that makes me excited to get into my workshop every day. Colourful, confident and completely Caroline.

Originally Caroline wanted a cocktail-style dress, but eventually changed her mind to a bodice and skirt ensemble. That’s part of the joy of having your wedding dress made specifically for you – you can explore options and try different things out. It’s all part of the bespoke process. When a bride tells me she’s not sure about something, that helps me to get her one step closer to her dream dress. And that’s what we both want!

This is only half of what I made for Caroline – I can’t wait to show you the other half properly (you may have already glimpsed it in the video). I’ll be posting about that next, and trust me, it’s worth the wait.

Photography - Phil Carr - @phil_carr_photography
Hair - Kelly Dingle
“Felicity listened to what I wanted, gave a clear quote and completed the alterations so nobody could see them. Clear booking system as well. Would recommend.”⁠
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Sometimes it takes a little adjustment here and there to make a wedding dress feel like it was made for you, and sometimes a dress needs a more dramatic transformation. Either way, I'm here to help.⁠
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If you're interested in getting your dress altered for this year, I'm currently booked up until the beginning of October. So if your wedding is November onwards and your dress doesn't feel quite right yet, drop me a message. But don't wait too long - spaces are filling up fast.⁠
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You can always book in a no-obligation consultation with me, to see if I would be the right fit for you and your dress - link in bio.⁠
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Photography - Birdseye Photography
Sure, my usual role is a bespoke wedding dress maker, creating beautiful and unique garments for brides looking for something a little different. 

But sometimes I'm also a lighting assistant, a caterer, a last-minute-rush-to-the-shopper. That's the fun of being a creative, working with other creatives. 

This was from a styled photoshoot I organised, based on the iconic 90s film, Strictly Ballroom. I made these dazzling neon bridesmaids outfits based around the stunning costumes of Latin ballroom dancers. Our photographer really wanted the colours to pop in the atmospheric darkness of our location, so of course I volunteered myself as floor level tripod 😂

The photos turned out amazing, so it was definitely worth it!

Have you ever found yourself doing a job you never expected?

Dresses @felicitywestmacott
Photography @jessicajillphoto
Video/content @weddingstorytellerco
Venues @theoldtimberstore_se1 @malt.maltby
Florals @jemimainthewoods
Event Equipment Hire @cohire
Bridesmaid models @Lisaeggy3 @Boobzylou @oleksanacoaching
Choreography @oleksanacoaching
Hair and Make-up lead @melindabridal @melinda_grant
Hair and Make-up @beccibrushes
Jewellery @CatherineMarche
Neon Sign @thisisasignuk
Shoes @shoesbylarisa
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