Ombre Wedding Dresses for UK Brides

Vintage 1950's wedding car with dipdye wedding dress

I love colour and making ombre wedding dresses for UK brides is one of my favourite types of commission. The first dipdye effect dress I created was for a photoshoot in 2016. Images of that dress went viral but it still took a few years before people began asking me to recreate the effect for their own weddings.

I mostly create the ombre colour using a spray technique but I also occasionally do a true ‘dip-dye’ using wet dyes. It’s a risky and difficult business to manage the sheer quantity of fabric in many wedding dresses. And even slimline or lightweight dresses still carry heavy emotional value and so I always take very great care when creating ombre wedding dresses for UK brides and brides from all over the world.

None of my dip dye techniques are reliably washable but they work well for a wedding day. You can find out more about the risks you must take into account when commissioning a dip dye dress here.

Examples from my archive of dip dye and ombre wedding dress work

This wedding dress is made in layers of soft tulle in pale ivory and blush. The design is called ‘aurora’ and the size 10 sample is for sale in my Etsy shop. For this dip dye, I coloured the hem in an ombre effect using deep burgundy, crimson and pink.

Brianna ordered one of my Phoenix dresses. I have first designed this dress in 2018, applying a vibrant sunset dipdye colour way to the hem and I have made versions for many brides since. Brianna’s wedding took place in the US, so her dress was made to her measurements and then shipped over for final fittings with a local seamstress. See more pictures of Brianna’s dress here.

Official wedding photography by Parker Jones Photography (located in Twin Falls, Idaho)

Another photoshoot example of the ‘Aurora’ dress. The skirt is made from three layers of soft tulle in ivory and blush, with a beautiful gradient from baby pink down to dark cerise.

Photography – Andrew Wilkinson Photography.

I call this particular combination my ‘Phoenix’ colour-way. It’s one of the most popular choices for brides looking to add colour to their wedding dress. It starts off fiery, with yellow, orange and red. Then it transitions into deep crimson and finally purple and blue. These colours together are just such a stunning combination.

Photography – Holly Mills Photography

I made this ombre periwinkle wedding dress from layers of tulle, in graduating shades of blue. I hand dyed some of the tulle to suit the periwinkle theme. The cupped bodice is appliquéd with 3D ribbon flowers cascading onto the skirt, and the train extends from the shoulders in soft drapes creating a beautiful sense of movement.

Photography – Chloe Martin Photography

bride groom wedding on beach in cornwall uk boho dip dye wedding dress

Sunset dipdye dres for Nicola Two of my favourite things in one commission! I made a modern bespoke wedding dress for Nicola in stretch crepe and chantilly lace. The slim fit fishtail tail skirt has a lower section made in full circle cut tulle. I cut and sewed three layers of soft tulle which I coloured with my famous dipdye spray technique.

Photography – Thomas Frost

Santorini greek grecian sky sea bright cerulean Blue Dipdye Wedding Dress for mature bride

I made this Santorini Blue ombre bespoke wedding dress for lovely mature bride Lisa. We perfected the particular shade of blue she wanted to reflect the popular colour for roofs in the sunlit Mediterranean town of Santorini. I used a wet-dye technique for this dress. Meaning big vats of hot liquid dye and dip-dyeing the prepared skirt panels before they were sewn into her made to measure dress.

Photography – Photocreations

snowflake fire bride ombre wedding dress

This is the Phoenix dipdye dress. The very first one I coloured using the spray technique. I made it for an autumn themed photoshoot called ‘Frost on the leaves’. I make this dress to order in your size. Enquire direct or head to my Etsy shop for current pricing.

Photography:JessicaJillPartridge,

For this bride, I created a Chinese fusion wedding dress with red dip dye. The result was a bold and beautiful bridal look, with lots of eye-catching details.

Photography – Belle Photo Journey

felicity westmacott bespoke custom wedding dress maker seamstress uk sussex surrey

My woodland wedding dress included a dipdye layer in shades of yellow green and gold. The mix and match ensemble included a satin dress, dipdye skirt and a tulle over dress with wildflower embroidery and ethereal sleeves. All these elements are for sale in my Etsy shop. I can make them for you bespoke to order, or the photoshoots samples are still available at a reduced price.

Photography Lucy King Photography

I designed a simple sleeveless ivory tea-length gown. Tea-length dresses, finishing below the knee, were a really popular feature of 1940s and 50s fashion. This navy and pink dip dye overskirt is entirely removable, so you can keep it simple for the ceremony and then add a splash of colour to the first dance.

Photographer: Steve Mulvey

The Aurora dress is made of layers and layers of blush organza and ivory tulle, creating this beautiful silhouette. The bodice is covered in sparkling metallic lace, with a sweetheart neckline glittering with sequins and beading. Then there are the balloon sleeves, made of featherlight tulle. And finally, the dip dye skirt. Going from lightest pink, through cerise, into deep burgundy. What a stunning colour gradient.

Photographer – Magpie Eye Weddings

For this Northern lights ombre colour wedding dress, the bride, Sofz, wanted it to match the beautiful sunsets in Lapland, which was the main inspiration she sent me. We went for my ever-popular Phoenix colourway. The colours start from pale yellow, to bright buttercup, tangerine orange, blending into red, fuchsia, cerise and finally into purple. I think Sofz had a stroke of genius. These vibrant colours stand out perfectly against the pristine white of the snow.

Photography (Lapland) – Hylsy from Mikko

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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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Story time! 

Remember the Swan Lake themed wedding photoshoot I featured a few days' ago?

When the day came for the shoot, we were blessed with one of the sunniest days of the year so far (and this was March), but the ground was still very wet. We really wanted to get some photos amongst the trees for that real fairy tale feeling, but our beautiful bride, @alicia.modelling_x⁠ didn't want to risk ruining the outfit.

And that's when I stepped in!

You may think that a seamstress is only on set to help with the dress. But I'm here to do anything that might be useful to the shoot, and if that means carrying Alicia across the boggy ground, then that's what I'll do! 😂
(I was quite pleased that all my work on strength with @mybodyrocksstudio is paying off!)

If you want a seamstress who will not only make the perfect bespoke wedding dress for you, but will also go the extra mile for you, I think you know who to call 😉

(shout to @hair_by_tel ⁠for capturing this moment)
Today is my birthday, so I wanted to share something I've been grateful for almost every year of my life.

I started ballet lessons when I was four, moving on to the Lewiston School of Dance until 18 (I even won the Pointe Work cup with them once). My grandmother had been a professional dancer and my mum also took ballet lessons (and still does, at over 70!), so there has always been a lot of ballet in my family.

When I went to uni, I stopped dancing, then came back to it in the form of adult ballet lessons with my mum, and then got pregnant. After that I found aerial hoop, which replaced dancing as my active hobby. However, my ballet training has really helped my progress in hoop, and I'm very grateful for the skills I continue to draw upon for both hoop and acting.

What's a hobby you're grateful to have started, no matter what stage in life?

(and shout out to @hair_by_tel ⁠for capturing this video of me playing around during a recent bridal photoshoot)

#ballet #passion #dancing
The main inspiration for this wedding dress was this blue and white gown, worn by Emily Blunt for Vanity Fair. Claire, the bride, added photos of the infamous Mr Pearl's beautifully ornate corsets to her mood board as well.

As a bride, talking in images is one of the easiest ways for me to understand your vision and aesthetic. If someone says to me 'dreamy' or 'classic', that can mean very different things to different people. But this gorgeous reference photo of a Dior gown gave me everything I needed to know to start sketching.

What images are on your dream wedding mood board right now?

~
#weddingdress #bespokeweddingdress #blueweddingdress #hautecouturewedding #weddinginspiration
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