The bespoke dressmaking process
Making your bespoke wedding dress is a labour of love in four stages; consultation, design, creation and collection. Let me guide you through the process in detail.
Initial enquiry
Your first enquiry could be through my web-form, by e-mail or telephone. I will ask about your wedding date and a what sort of dress or ensemble you would like. I am happy to answer any questions specific to your design. Then, if I have availability and think I might be able to fulfil your needs, we will make a date for a design consultation.
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Design Consultation
The design consultation usually takes place at my home-studio though some people opt for a video chat. In person meetings are ideal for looking at all the fabric sample books. If meeting online I can screen-share from my supplier's websites and send you samples after the meeting. You should allow a minimum of an hour for your first consultation; sometimes it may take a little longer
During the consultation we will discuss what you require and I will make notes and create quick sketches of ideas. I will be able to provide a reasonable idea of the cost of any ideas we discuss but a firm quote will be posted or emailed to you afterwards.
To book a consultation click here
Fabrics and Materials
I will advise on fabrics and materials at your consultation. I have sample books with hundreds of colours and types of fabrics to which we can refer. You can order fabrics through me or I can recommend suppliers and shops for you to visit. If you decide to purchase all or part of your materials elsewhere I can provide guidance on fabrics, weights and quantities required. I can also accompany you on a fabric shopping expedition, see the end of this page for more details.
I normally send you fabric samples and options alongside the quote letter. And once you are booked-in samples of anything missing will be provided so you can match shoes and accessories etc.
I can order extra fabric for you if you need it, perhaps for the florist, the invitations or venue decoration. I am happy to sell you fabric from my sample books even if you decide to have your order made up elsewhere!
Designing your bespoke wedding dress
If we are designing from scratch, any pictures or reference material you can bring with you to give me the flavour of what you want is immensely helpful. Sending me a pinterest board, links or attaching images to your enquiry email are all encouraged! References might be from history, bridal magazines, films, a picture of your venue, the colours of a landscape or anything that has some element of what you require. Before creating a new design for a photoshoot or for a costume I often put together a "mood board". A mood board is a collection of images that pulls together all the elements desired and conjures up an atmosphere to inspire the final design.
Pictures are especially helpful if you (like most people) are not sure of the technical or design terms for the style or details you require. Designing for someone who has no real idea or cannot explain what they want is very difficult but not impossible. It will just take me a little longer to narrow down the specifics.
Design consultations and quotes are free. Very occasionally I will ask a small fee if the design process requested goes above and beyond my usual offering.
Finalising your design and the Quotation:
After your appointment I will provide a line drawing of your design with a quotation for you to approve. There will be with notes on any styling or fabrics discussed. My quote for your bespoke wedding dress will list the materials and the making costs separately so you can easily understand which elements are costing how much. Some people get to the stage of finalising a design and putting down a deposit at the first consultation. For others it takes longer to define exactly what is required.
I will include options for any details not finalised during the consultation, for example, different sleeves, necklines or fabric choices for you to consider. I may mark some parts of the quote as only an estimate if the exact details of a design have not been finalised. Sometimes the amount of work involved (for example lots of embroidery) is not clear and a budget is allowed for that part of the work.
Below: quote letter and samples for Faye's wedding dress
Making your bespoke wedding dress
All consultations and fittings take place in my home-studio so you will be completely private and you will have my full attention during your appointment. Mum's, children, bridesmaids and friends are welcome at your fittings, but please do check beforehand as space is not infinite!
I normally carry out work with reference to the line drawing that we have agreed is the final design. But we will often confirm some elements during the fittings when it's easily to visualise the real thing! For example, neckline depth, the placement of beading detail or the length of a hanging sleeve. I will charge for any extra time or materials needed if you change your mind during the bespoke making process.
measuring
Every bespoke commission will have a pattern drafted especially to fit your figure. The first step is to take your measurements. I may also take a few digital photographs of you (clothed) for my own reference.
I always prefer to take the measurements myself; this means that I can make allowances for the type of figure you have, such as a short waist, low bust or rounded shoulders. If I am making items for anyone who lives too far away to attend a measuring appointment I will supply a guide to the measurements I require. I will always suggest that an experienced dressmaker takes the measurements. And I will ask you to sign a disclaimer absolving me from any problems arising from inaccurate measurements.
Small size alterations are normal during the making process for your bespoke wedding dress. I usually leave at least 2 inches of seam allowance inside the garment to allow for changes. And I always cut the hem long to allow for shoe heels. I can take no responsibility for a garment fitting if you lose or gain a lot of weight. If you plan to diet please inform me early on and we will plan the making process accordingly.
The First fitting with your bespoke wedding dress
You will need your shoes and the underwear you plan to wear on the day as early as possible in the fitting process. This is important as the shape of what goes underneath will obviously affect the clothes above! I may also ask you to attend early fittings for any corsets or petticoats for historical (and sometimes contemporary or spectacular) dresses. These foundations need to be correct before further work can be carried out.
For most wedding dresses I will make a "toile" (pronounced 'twa:l'), which is a mock up of the basic elements of your design. It is made in cheaper but comparable fabric in order to check certain aspects of style and fit before using the final materials. A toile can be helpful to prevent costly mistakes. For example, if I am working with particularly expensive fabrics, to confirm ideas on sleeve length or if you have more unusual body shape.
Left: toile fitting for Sara, below, on her wedding day
The second/third/final fittings
Most bespoke commissions will need at least two fittings, and up to four or five is normal. Your final fitting will usually be about 10-14 days before your wedding to allow for any last minute weight loss/gain. I can usually accommodate earlier or later final fittings if you let me know at the design consultation.
pictures: Vanessa's toile and third fittings
(still the hem to pin and sew)
preparation
I will prepare and steam your dress so it is in perfect condition and ready to wear. I usually advocate for separate final fitting and collection dates. It is best for your bespoke wedding dress to be taken home unworn to be ready for the big day. Your commission will be ready to transport inside a suitable length gown bag on a padded hanger.
Collecting your wedding dress
I will prepare and steam your dress so it is in perfect condition and ready to wear. I usually advocate for separate final fitting and collection dates. It is best for your bespoke wedding dress to be taken home unworn to be ready for the big day. Your commission will be ready to transport inside a suitable length gown bag on a padded hanger.
We will make a 'pencilled in' picking up date at the time you first commission your order. A final date and time can be confirmed at a later fitting. When I have finished your dress you can choose to collect right away or leave it with me for storage if there are still some weeks or months until the wedding day.
Most people collect their order in person but I can also send it by secure courier. Postal prices with insurance depend on the value and weight of your order and on your location. When posted your order may need steaming upon arrival. If you are travelling overseas
"I’ve had so many people say the dress was amazing, and the best dress they’ve ever seen, so thank you!"
For her wedding day, Katie wanted a feminine and floaty wedding dress in layered tulle and floral lace. And what a dress it turned out to be!
The dress was made from layered silk dupion (one of my favourite fabrics to work with), rose pink tulle and embroidered floral tulle. We choose a wide neckline and the classic princess puff sleeves, decorated with an adorably tiny tulle frill. And the back had gorgeous lace up detailing, along with a big, dramatic bow.
The skirt was cut very full in layers of tulle over silk dupion and it has pockets!
And the final touch, was the embroidered tulle - hand appliqued to create a fade up the body.
This is the kind of wedding dress I love to make. It says so much about Katie - about her whimsy, her love for colour and flowers. You can see that she likes fantasy and romance and history.
Photography: @zaradavisphoto
Venue: @pauntley_court
Stylist/Florist: @laraparnellweddings
#weddingdress #bridgerton #princessweddingdress #bride #plussizebride #weddinggown #pinkweddingdress #bridgertonfashion
It`s giving bridal Sun Goddess 🌞 Just look at that colour!
One of my favourite bespoke wedding dresses to date. I made this opulent bronze gold look for an equally gorgeous bride who wanted something a little different for her wedding day.
My favourite features have got to be the statement bow on the shoulder and the cartridge pleats around the waist. This style of pleating helped add volume to this unbelievable iridescent dupion silk. Cartridge pleating was popular in the first Elizabethan era and always gives a touch of the historical to any garment on which it`s included.
I also included a bustle hook (you can see what the dress looks like up in the last clip), which totally transforms the dress and makes it much easier to move in when it`s time to dance!
This is bride was a dream client - elegant and adventurous, with a touch of the dramatic 😉 drop me a DM if you`ve got wedding dress dreams that you`re dying to bring to life!
#weddingdress #ukbride #bespokeweddingdress #bridetobe
I thought it would be fun to see the differences between various bridal petticoats and hoop skirts. Meet the Aurora wedding dress, she`s one of my favourites, especially because of the excellent dramatic vibes she gives. So she felt like the perfect dress to experiment with.
The Aurora dress already has some layers of netting built into the dress, so she`s already got a bit of volume from the get go. But I wanted to see what difference adding more underlayers would have.
The first addition was a single hoop skirt. Hoop skirts come in all sorts of variations - the single hoop is pretty much what it sounds like. There`s a single hoop at the bottom of the skirt, translating into more width at the bottom of the dress.
Then I took off the hoop skirt, and put on a 5-layer petticoat. This thing is a monster! But adds so much more airy, fluffy volume.
The second hoop skirt I tried was a bell hoop skirt. This one has hoops built in all the way up the skirt, creating more of a...you guessed it...bell shape.
And then finally, for the ultimate princess vibes, I tried both the 5-layer petticoat and the bell hoop skirt together. It`s giving fairy tale bride, for sure. Perfect for twirling in whilst you dance with your prince, princess or princep.
When ordering a dress from me, talking about what kind of silhouette you want is really useful. And I`ve got loads of seamstress secrets to achieve pretty much anything you can imagine!
#weddingdress #dipdyeweddingdress #seamstress #pinkweddingdress #princessweddingdress #balloonsleeves
"I cannot begin to put into words how thankful I am that I found you to make my wedding dress of my dreams. The dress was perfect in every way and the colours looked glorious in the Cornish sunshine. Everyone fell in love with the dress and I even got likened to the Porthleven mermaid! It even stood up to rambling down cliffs. You truly are a genius and I can never thank you enough."
Nicola wanted an elegant and figure-hugging mermaid wedding dress made in pale ivory lace. To add colour to her look, she chose a vibrant yellow, orange, red and purple dip dye skirt.
If you want to see how the dress looked on the day of Nicola`s wedding, have a look at my previous post. I love how the colours of the dress really stand out against the dramatic setting of the Cornish coast.
If you`re also looking for a completely unique wedding dress, then you`ve come to the right place. Starting with your ideas and working together during the entire process, I`ll design and make your dream wedding dress. Drop me and DM and let`s have a chat!
~
Photography - Thomas Frost - @t.frost.photography
Venue - Beacon Crag B&B, Porthleven - @beaconcragweddingvenue
Flowers - Fullers Flowers - @fullersflowers
Hair & Makeup - Amy Needham @amyellenhairandmakeup
My dress has been featured on the @unconventional_wedding blog!
Check out the full article on tips around how to have a personal micro-elopement: https://unconventionalwedding.co.uk/personal-micro-elopement
The post goes through where to book, who to invite and how to keep it personal. And there`s more photos of this gorgeous sunset dip dye wedding dress that I created for bride.
Photography - Thomas Frost - @t.frost.photography
Venue - Beacon Crag B&B, Porthleven - @beaconcragweddingvenue
Flowers - Fullers Flowers - @fullersflowers
Hair & Makeup - Amy Needham @amyellenhairandmakeup
#weddingdress #dipdyeweddingdress #colourfulwedding #colourfulweddingdress #bespokeweddingdress #customweddingdress
"I absolutely loved my full sequin dress and Felicity made it all fit perfectly! Thank you so much!!"
Thank you Olivia 💜
If you`re getting married later this year, or even 2026, and know your dress will need some alterations, get in touch.
My alteration services include:
🪡Taking in dress at the sides
🪡Hem length
🪡Bustles
🪡Changing back fastening
🪡Adding straps
🪡Adding sleeves
🪡Narrowing or shortening sleeves
🪡Reducing bodice cup size
🪡Changing neckline
And a lot more.
You can read more about my alteration services, and book yourself in for a consultation, on my website (link in the bio).
#bridetobe #bride2025 #bride2026 #surreybride #sussexbride #londonbride #bridal #alterations #bespoke #weddingdress
