For beautiful bride Lisa, I created this romantic, off the shoulder balloon sleeve wedding dress. Features included layers of fluffy blush tulle, an elegant ruched neckline, and buttoned cuffs.
Photography: Eddy Fisher Photography
Elements of the Dress
The bodice was fully supportive with integral bust cups to provide shape without excessive cleavage (see below for how I constructed this). The hidden inner lacing cinched Lisa in, accentuating her classic hourglass figure. The neckline was a soft sweetheart with ruched wrap-over detail across the front. The back neckline was a gentle scoop.
Off the shoulder sleeves had a ruched panel wrapping just below her shoulder line, before flowing into balloon sleeves. These finished with wide statement cuffs, just below the elbow. The sleeves were sheer with layers of tulle to create volume. The dress closed with hidden inner lace-up panels, and a simple zip to finish.
The full skirt hung smoothly from Lisa’s natural waistline. Layers of ivory, pale yellow and pink tulle resulted in the overall colour being a lovely peachy blush. The skirt at the back extended into the medium length train which had a wrist loop and bustle button for hooking-up the train in the evening, allowing Lisa to dance the night away.
A Bride and a Lifelong Friend
Lisa and I have been friends for most of our lives – we met in our teens at stage school, and we spent a lot of time together camping and organising various events. It meant a lot that she chose me to make her wedding dress. It always feels particularly special when a friend asks me, even if it is slightly more pressure.
It meant even more when she handed me this note, along with a beautiful personalised compact mirror on the day of her wedding:
The Making of an Off The Shoulder Balloon Sleeve Wedding Dress
The original sketches. Lisa went through two different designs in the process of making her dress. She said she felt very self-conscious of messing me around and changing her mind, but that is completely par for the course. It’s exactly what I expect when I start a journey with a bride and it doesn’t bother me in the slightest.
The initial fitting with the toile. I always make a mock-up of the dress in cheaper materials before cutting into the more expensive fabrics I’ll be using for the actual dress.
More making – constructing the cupped bodice and making sure it fitted perfectly. Then building the sleeves and beginning to layer and ruche the tulle across the chest and shoulders.
The Finished Wedding Dress
If you love the colour of this dress, have a look at another wedding gown I made in the same shade.
