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!

Add a comment...

Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

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.

pinterest icon
instagram icon
pinterest icon

Recent Portfolio entries

Read More
follow me on instagram@felicitywestmacott

Especially if it's the bride's mother's wedding dress from the 80s, hand dyed to the perfect shade of warm pink, and restyled to evoke the iconic Vivienne Westwood. 

There's definitely a lot of happiness in that. 

#bespokeweddingdress #vintageweddingdress #weddingdressalterations #weddingdressrestyle  #bride2026
This wedding dress took the most paint I've ever used for one of my dip-dye creations. 

Victoria's wedding dress is beautiful in part because it's so full, and that fullness comes from layers. So before I could even get to the main event, I had two underlayers to spray, both with long trains.

When it comes to spraying, the best setup is one where you're away from everything else, with good ventilation. Where better than outside? That does mean dressing to keep warm, and in clothes you don't mind getting a bit painty.

But all that effort was so worth it. Victoria chose such a gorgeously unusual colour palette - deepening from lilac, through purple, into black. It's regal, gothic, and has a real fantasy feel. And I think dyeing the full-length lace sleeves to match really finishes off the look.

What do you think of this colour combination?
A bustle this pretty deserves a pretty name 🌸

If your wedding dress is floor length or longer, a bustle is not only a really practical feature to add, it can also transform your gown.

For Emily I did an overbustle with five points. These kinds of bustle usually go up to the waistline, but we brought it down, so if you want a 'proper' term, it would be a low five-point overbustle (or American bustle). 

But I like to simply call it a petal bustle - a much prettier name, and it's what it looks like.

You can tell it's going to move amazingly on the dancefloor 🪩 ✨ 

if you'd like to find out more about what's possible with your dress, the link to book a consultation is in my bio.
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