Enquiries for weddings in 2026 and 2027 are welcome.
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I start just one dress per month, and each dress takes 6-12 weeks to complete.
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Bespoke wedding dresses:
Bookings for 2026 and 2027 weddings are now open. At present I have bespoke commission start dates available from June 2026 onwards.
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Bridal Alterations:
I take on a limited number of bridal alterations per month. I am now fully booked until the end of May with spaces in June and beyond.
A free design consultation appointment begins the process where we will discuss what you require covering elements such as style, materials, the budget and time-scale. A design sketch and cost quotation will then be posted or emailed to you for your consideration.
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An individual pattern will be drafted to your measurements and series of private fittings will ensure a perfect fit and finish. The process of a bespoke bridal dress starts with the making of a toile, which is a mock-up of the design in cheaper materials, allowing the maker to perfect the cut and the wearer to check the style.
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All consultations and fittings take place in my shop-studio and so will be completely private and you will have my full attention during your appointment.
A free design consultation appointment begins the process where we will discuss what you require covering elements such as style, materials, the budget and time-scale. A design sketch and cost quotation will then be posted or emailed to you for your consideration.
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An individual pattern will be drafted to your measurements and series of private fittings will ensure a perfect fit and finish. The process of a bespoke bridal dress starts with the making of a toile, which is a mock-up of the design in cheaper materials, allowing the maker to perfect the cut and the wearer to check the style.
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All consultations and fittings take place in my shop-studio and so will be completely private and you will have my full attention during your appointment.
Four to six months notice is usually required for bridal work though I do get booked up for the summer more quickly than the winter months. Once your booking-in fee is paid your sewing time is booked into my schedule and your dress will be made in the time we have reserved for you.
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Most wedding dresses take me between 30 and 70 hours of sewing to create. The actual timescale is very flexible, we can spread the work over many months or begin and finish inside a few weeks.
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I have made dresses with less than 3 weeks notice on occasion, please ring or email to see if I have space for your rush order.
This should not be a problem, though ideally you have reached your target weight before we begin work. The final fitting would normally be in the last few weeks before the wedding anyway to ensure a perfect finish.
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If you lose more weight or gain after we have started, the dress can be altered to fit, within reason, as we go along. However if the change is more than 2 inches (a whole dress size) in either direction I cannot make the same promises about perfection that I can when I am able to measure and make for a stable body size. If you know you are likely to change size let me know at your consultation and we can plan our timetable to suit.
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Maternity: I have also made dresses for expectant mothers and new mothers without any problems. We can make plans to measure you and create the dress at appropriate points in your pregnancy or after the birth. Having worked with such body shapes before (and having had a few kids myself) I know roughly what to expect and will make sure the dress allows for your changing shape.
Yes, I can, but no I donโt. I would usually be capable of re-creating a dress for you but if it is a design that is still available from the actual designer it is illegal (and immoral) for me to copy it. I am happy to use other peopleโs designs as inspiration and I actually encourage you to bring along pictures from magazines or the internet which we can use as a basis for designing your dress. Itโs useful to have some idea of the kind of thing you would like.
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I have made people near copies where the original was nearly right but not quite, with changes to the style, detail or colour to create the exact dress they wanted. If you really love a dress exactly as it is by another designer itโs best to buy it from the original source.
I will sometimes undertake alterations on off the peg dresses if I have space in my schedule. I usually advise that wedding-dress alterations are made about 6-8 weeks before the big day but you can visit much earlier for a quote and then reserve time by paying a booking deposit.
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I have altered more than 1000 wedding dresses during my sewing life and there is very little I cannot manage. If you are unsure whether your dress can be altered the way you would like I am happy to offer advice and help at a consultation appointment.
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Most dresses cost ยฃ300-ยฃ600 to alter depending on what needs doing and how the dress is made.
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For more information visit my alterations FAQ page.
The start of the bespoke process is a personal consultation.
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We look at fabrics, sketch out ideas and talk about timescales & budgets
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Bookings for 2026 and 2027 weddings are now open. At present I have bespoke commission start dates available from June onwards, suitable for weddings in Autumn 2026 and beyond.
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Just me escaping the world for a bit to go and live in the woods and hang out with the birds.
I`ll be back later...(maybe) ๐ฟ
#weddingdress #bespokeweddingdress #alternativeweddingdress
"Everyone at the wedding said my dress looked amazing, I had so many lovely comments! Thank you again for making my dress fit so perfectly!"โ
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What more can I say? Another successful alteration, another happy bride - job done!โ
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If you`re interested in getting your dress altered for this year, you better hurry since my slots for 2026 are filling up fast! For more info, visit my website (link in bio).โ
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Photography - @dandjweddingphotography
A few days` ago I shared with you some of the adorable christening gowns I`ve made, but let`s not forget the sweet little suits and waistcoats too!โ
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Like with the christening gowns and dresses, I try to incorporate some elements of baby`s mum`s wedding dress or dad`s suit. For example, in the 3rd photo, baby G has a mini-me waist that is an exact copy of his daddy`s.โ
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For the little suit in the 5th photo, I used fabrics left over from mummyโs wedding dress to create an 18th century style waistcoat, cravat and trousers for their little boy. Doesn`t he look so dapper?โ
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I think it`s wonderful when a wedding gown can live past its big day, whether that be re-purposing, upcycling, passing it on to someone else or as a christening outfit. The possibilities are endless!โ
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If you`d never thought about upcycling your wedding dress before, maybe now you might consider it. And as always, my door is always open if you want to have a chat about how you might go about doing that.โ
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Photography (#1 and #2) - @charlottelouisephotography
It`s spring! And spring is about fresh starts and new life! So I wanted to focus on a very cute part of my job - creating dresses for babies out of their mothers` wedding gowns.โ
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In the first two photo we have Eleanor, whose dress I made in 2010 and then six years later I made a christening gown out of the spare material for little Baby A. I always try to keep as many of the details from the original dress in the new design - here I kept the box pleated frills from the bottom of Eleanor`s dress, as well as that beautiful embroidered silk. Seeing baby and mother, both in their gowns is just too adorable! ๐โ
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In the 4th photo you can see another wedding dress next to the christening gown I made from it. And in the following photo, where I made two outfits from one dress (that little romper is one of my faves).โ
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I don`t always make christening outfits by upcycling wedding dresses, but when I do I really enjoy the challenge of interpreting the design for little bodies, whether the original design is mine or not. I think it`s a lovely way of respecting the original designer and also as a way of linking a big day in their mother`s life, to a big day in theirs.โ
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Let me know in the comments; would you ever re-purpose your wedding dress?โ
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Photography (#8 and #9) - @charlottelouisephotography
This Bridgerton-inspired wedding dress is so versatile!
Of course, underneath everything there first needs to be the proper shapewear to give that Regency pillar silhouette, in the form of stays and a petticoat.
Then along comes this beautiful white and gold duchess satin dress.
And this is where the fun begins...
I created some many different accessories and options for this outfit:
You can add something deeply dramatic, with a period-accurate presentation train. This one is super long and gilded in gold lace.
Or you could go for some detachable puff sleeves, finished with an ornate pearl trim.
Then there`s the bow, which can be added on top of the train, or just straight onto the dress, with the long sash-tends working as a sort of mini train.
And of course, the final, and most essential accessory for a look like this: fun, whimsy and a love for the dramatic. It also helps if you`re obsessed with this current season of Bridgerton, of course...
Which Bridgerton character can you imagine wearing this bridal look?
If you think this might be the dress for you, it`s currently for sale on my Etsy page (๐ in bio) - it`s heavily discounted compared to my usual bespoke orders, so claim her whilst you can!
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The hair matches the wedding dress! The hair matches the wedding dress! How many brides can say they had a rainbow dress and rainbow hair for their wedding day? Honestly, looking at all this colour brings me so much joy!โ
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Bryony is a gorgeous alternative woman, with tattoos, piercings and a wicked sense of humour, so she needed a dress that could match her. She had already chosen this beautiful gown when she contacted me, but that was only the start of its journey to the aisle. โ
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Along with a few alterations, I dip dyed her dress, along with the tulle shoulder bows, to make this feast for the eyes - bright, vibrant colours to match Bryony`s bright, vibrant soul.โ
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And if you`re asking yourself, "well, if it`s a rainbow, where`s the green?", I think the greenness of their outdoor wedding finishes off the rainbow perfect.โ
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If you can`t stop staring at this dress, drop me and DM, and bring some colour to your wedding this year. โ
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Photography - @alexandra_weddingsโ
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#altbride #ukbride #2026bride #dipdyeweddingdress
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Now Booking (left): terry li photography
(right) Ellen J Photography
black and white with veil: adam hollingworth
bride in blush jacket: christellephoto
buttons and shoes: greg benji
Book a consult: linaandtom