Made To Measure Wedding Dress in London

Made To Measure Wedding Dress in London bespoke custom south uk seamstress maker

For this made to measure wedding dress in London, bride Karah approached me looking to commission a layered gown in scrolling ivory floral lace, with a corset inspired by the late (and very great) Vivienne Westwood.⁠

The base layer is a floor length strapless column dress made of champagne-coloured silk dupion. I made the top layer from ivory lace, including the high collared neckline and long, slim fitting sleeves.

There are so many details of this dress I love; the lace up back, the visible boning channels of the corset, the buttons on the sleeves and of course that big, dramatic veil.

How effortlessly gorgeous is Karah? She looks like if Wednesday Adams grew up and decided to wear white to her wedding. And her husband looks like the perfect modern Gomez. This wedding dress is chic and gothic. Whilst taking inspiration from the Victorian era, but also keeping it thoroughly modern.

Photography – Story In Time⁠

“Everything was amazing and I can’t thank you enough.”

– Karah, the bride

Making a Made To Measure Wedding Dress in London

Step 1: Designing the dress (and getting the bride’s approval)

Step 2: Fabric selection (and getting the bride’s approval)

Step 3: The toile – the rough draft of the dress (and getting the bride’s approval)

Step 4: Fitting the toile (and getting the bride’s approval)

Step 5: Cutting into the actual fabric, followed by lots of fittings to perfect the fit of the dress (and, of course, getting the bride’s approval!)

After lots more steps, you can finally bask in the glow of the completed dress and a happy bride!

As you can see, it’s very important to me that the bride involved with every step of the process. Communication is so important in a process like this. It’s why, when Karah said she wanted to change up the design from the initial idea, I was more than happy to come up with new ideas.

If you’re for more inspo, here is another historically inspired wedding dress, this time using Edwardian era details. Or, if you like the classic column shape of this dress, have a look at another one I made, based on the art deco style of the 1920s and 30s.

If you’re looking for a made to measure wedding dress in London, then I might be your perfect solution. My shop is based in Dorking, Surrey, which is a short train ride (or drive) from London. I’ve made wedding outfits for plenty of London brides, as well as mothers of the bride/groom, bridesmaids and guests.

If you want to have a no-obligation chat, just get in touch. I would love to hear your ideas!

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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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I'm a regional finalist for the Wedding Industry Awards! ⁠
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Not only that, but in both my categories; Best Designer/Independent Dressmaker and Best Seamstress/Tailor. So thank you to everyone who voted for me. Your time and effort is not only appreciated, but has also paid off 💜⁠
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And well done to my fellow regional finalists; @alexandersharpebridal, @harrietchristelow, @shell_stitches_kent, @stitchesbykristine, @nicolaleverington.⁠
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There are a few finalists outside of my categories that I wanted to give an especially loud shout out to - well done @alexjaggermua and @lushcurvebridal!⁠

Thank you to the organisers and Damien at @twia_official
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Wishing everyone the best of luck! 🪡✨️⁠

Photo by @altweddingco
This is what a bespoke veil with almost 400 flowers looks like.

On top of some other alterations, @katiepigden wanted a chic, modern bridal veil. We chose a length a little longer than her dress and I got to work.
Her wedding dress already had these beautifully delicate 3D flowers on the bodice, so we echoed this design element in the veil. I hand embellished almost 400 satin flowers, selectively scattered at the hem of the veil and gently creeping up. I wanted it to look as though Katie had been standing underneath a blossoming tree and some had happened to fall onto her veil.

A veil is such a perfect way of finishing off a bridal look, and I think Katie looks stunning. If you're looking for something completely custom for your wedding day, then get in touch 💜
Spooky season has arrived!

I love Halloween, but maybe not for the reasons you might think. For me, Halloween gives people permission to be a little more wild, a little more 'out there' with their bridal choices. And as a seamstress who loves to makes bold and beautiful wedding dresses, there's nothing wrong with a little more wild!

Take these three wedding photoshoots, for example. The first one was inspired by Morticia Addams. It's a black wedding dress! You can't get less traditional than that. And it's now one of my most popular designs. Although all these dress designs are based around a fictional character, they're still the furthest thing from a costume. They're pieces of haute couture art, taking the essence of the character and then elevating it to something truly unique.

The second dress used the designs from the live action Cruella, and I love how the model nailed her character. The final dress used Jim Henson's Labyrinth as a starting point, in particular that iconic ballroom scene (*swoon*). They were all such fun projects. So if you're looking for a wedding dress maker to embrace your wild side, I might be the perfect choice.

If you could base your wedding dress on a fictional character, who would it be?

~
Photography - @lexflemingphoto⁠
Sometimes it can be difficult to be true to yourself. The world can feel really judgemental (even if it's just the voices in the back of your head saying it). But, you might be worried about being 'too much' or worried of what people might think if they saw how vibrant and colourful you really are on the inside. How big and sparkly your thoughts and feelings are!

Well, guess what? There's no such thing as 'too much'. Not in my books! As a wedding dress maker (and honestly, a fellow big, sparkly person) I'm here to encourage you to listen to what your heart is telling you. Ignore those voices telling you should be anything less than 100% yourself, especially on your wedding day.

There is nothing that makes me happier than a bride bringing me their ideas - the crazy ones they've barely voiced to anyone else. The ones they shyly mention, usually followed by "but if that's not possible, then don't worry about it". And there's nothing more exciting than seeing the face of that bride when they realise that I am absolutely on this journey with them, that we will make it happen and that I cannot wait to get started!

Anyway, I love my job 😉

#weddingdress #fantasyweddingdress #fantasybride #historicalweddingdress #dramaticweddingdress #bespokeweddingdress
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