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Plus size reception dress with stars for Melissa

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bride in ivory plus size reception dress with her sister

Melissa had already found her wedding dress so came to me to have a reception dress made for later in the day. I designed her a plus size reception dress with stars on the tulle skirt

Melissa wanted a reception dress she could dance in and have fun. I designed a v-neck bodice with narrow straps. Curvy brides need a little support so I added light boning, just enough to make a difference but keep the relaxed vibe and not be stiff or restrictive. I sourced light ivory duchess satin for the bodice and swishy soft tulle for the layers of skirt. Melissa found the beautiful gold star tulle that was used for the top layer of the full circle skirt. I inserted a simple concealed zip for the back closure.

celestial wedding dress for plus size bride on staircase

Kind words from Melissa

Picking a wedding dress was something I had always dreaded. I found the day dress of my dreams and then was full of dread again at how i would enjoy the party. You solved that for me and made me feel the most glamorous I have ever felt in my life. I got changed after dinner with all my maids which was so much fun and then we did a “reveal” with Jim, it was amazing! I thought everyone would roll their eyes at me being a diva with two dresses but everyone was so lovely and I literally swished everywhere in my dress. You were a huge part of the best day of my life and I am eternally grateful xxxxxx

Love My Dress Blog Feature

Online wedding blogs are a really great way to find inspiration for your wedding day. I feel very proud when a wedding I have worked for gets featured. A little bit after the her wedding day Melissa sent me this message

Well I decided to be brave and message them because I felt so amazing last weekend and I want all plus size girls to know they can feel the same and so just told them my story and they had a look at my insta and then said they would love to feature me when the official pics come through.. so obviously I can then credit all of you! If I had to pick between dresses then obviously I will choose Felicity’s (albeit I loved my pink dress) but the Stars is a true representation of local talent and craftsmanship and girl power. WOOOOP! This wedding keeps on giving xxxxx

Head over to the blog to see Melissa and James wedding feature over on ‘Love My Dress‘

bride and bridesmaids in star tulle plus size wedding dress
Melissa with her bridesmaids, so gorgeous!
  • first look bespoke reception dress for plus size bride
  • bride in larger size wedding dress with gold stars
  • bride in gold star tulle wedding dress with her groom
These ‘first look’ moments of a plus size bride in her reception dress are just magical.
plus size bride selfie in bridal suite
Quick ‘just ready’ selfie
wedding dress with stars original design sketch by felicity westmacott
The Original design sketch for Melissa’s

Melissa’s gorgeous wedding day

Designing well for a curvy bride is important to me, everyone deserves to feel their best on their wedding day. Having a bespoke wedding dress made means anyone can feel sure their dress will fit perfectly and be everything they dreamed of. Laura of devinebride.co.uk helped Melissa plan and style her wedding and when Melissa said she wanted a different dress for the reception Laura put us in touch right away. It’s really lovely being recommended by previous clients and by wedding industry colleagues.

Melissa’s wedding was planned with impeccable taste and so much fun! Melissa had cinema themed table centres, balloons on the venue’s columns and a doughnut tower wedding cake. The blush pink wedding dress she wore for the first part of the day was a customised off the rack dress from Cambridge Bridal Studio.

  • cream wedding car with ribbon and rosette
  • pale pink flowergirl dresses with high low hems
  • peony and hydrangea wedding bouquet
  • bride with groom, blush wedding dress and balloon decorations
  • blush colour wedding party on steps
  • bride and groomwith helium balloon in front of metal gates
  • musicians with guitars for a wedding outside
  • plus size bride in pink wedding dress with veil
  • sax and guitar players on a lawn
  • doughnut and roses wedding cake on cream stand
  • cinema theme wedding table centres with popcorn, tickets and flowers
  • welcome to our wedding sign for James and Melissa
More pictures from Melissa’s wedding with her blush pink wedding dress and incredible venue decoration
Samuel George captured the essence of Melissa and Jame’s incredible day in this highlights video

A plus size bride dances in her reception dress

bride dances in wedding dress with stars
  • bride and groom first dance celestial wedding dress
  • bride on dance floor in bespoke tulle wedding gown
  • plus size wedding dress first dance
  • evening reception wedding dress on the dancefloor

Making the plus size reception dress for a curvy bride

Fitting pictures from the making process. I always make a custom pattern for each client. Melissa came to my studio for a series of fittings including a ‘toile’ or practice run in cheap fabrics.

  • fitting picture: plus size toile fitting front
    Toile front
  • fitting picture: practice run of bespoke wedding dress back
    toile back
  • fitting picture with plus size bride strappy dress
    intermediate fitting
  • curvy bride fitting with mirror
    intermediate fitting

If you are looking for a reception dress, plus size or any size do get in touch to discuss your design ideas.

Official photography by www.samuelgeorge.org/

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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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follow me on instagram@felicitywestmacott

It’s the night before you’re wedding day. You have your dream bridal outfit ready to go for the morning. But there are a few things you should do before you go to sleep, to make sure your wedding dress is looking its best for the big day.

First up, make sure to hang your dress up high. A curtain rail or a wardrobe door are good choices. And make sure to hang it in a pet and fiancé secure room.

When unzipping the bag, put your finger behind the zip to stop it catching on any delicate fabric.

Your main priority is to get the train out, so it has time to flatten out overnight. Hang the dress in the bag so it’s facing inwards. Leave the shoulders of the bag on the dress to keep protecting the dress from dust.

You’ll want to lay a clean towel or sheet on the floor to protect the train when you pull it out.

Check to make sure the dress is hanging from its dress loops, not straps or sleeves. This prevents any delicate fabrics being stretched out by the weight of the dress. As you can see from the one I’ve chosen, that’s a lot of (heavy) dress!

On the wedding day, your dress can be taken completely out of the bag. To prep it for the photographer, turn it round so it’s facing the front, and pop any straps or sleeves, back onto the hanger so it looks its best..

And that’s about it. It isn’t very much, but it can make all the difference, and avoids any unwanted wrinkles, especially on your dress’ train.

Let me know if you have any other tips and tricks!

(Shout out to @engaged_bridal_studio for inspiring this post 🙌🏻)

#wedding dress #customwedding dress #weddingdressinspiration #bespokeweddingdress #bridalboutique #surreywedding #sussexwedding #londonwedding #weddingdaytips #weddingdresstips #bridaltips

29 3
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It’s the night before you’re wedding day. You have your dream bridal outfit ready to go for the morning. But there are a few things you should do before you go to sleep, to make sure your wedding dress is looking its best for the big day. First up, make sure to hang your dress up high. A curtain rail or a wardrobe door are good choices. And make sure to hang it in a pet and fiancé secure room. When unzipping the bag, put your finger behind the zip to stop it catching on any delicate fabric. Your main priority is to get the train out, so it has time to flatten out overnight. Hang the dress in the bag so it’s facing inwards. Leave the shoulders of the bag on the dress to keep protecting the dress from dust. You’ll want to lay a clean towel or sheet on the floor to protect the train when you pull it out. Check to make sure the dress is hanging from its dress loops, not straps or sleeves. This prevents any delicate fabrics being stretched out by the weight of the dress. As you can see from the one I’ve chosen, that’s a lot of (heavy) dress! On the wedding day, your dress can be taken completely out of the bag. To prep it for the photographer, turn it round so it’s facing the front, and pop any straps or sleeves, back onto the hanger so it looks its best.. And that’s about it. It isn’t very much, but it can make all the difference, and avoids any unwanted wrinkles, especially on your dress’ train. Let me know if you have any other tips and tricks! (Shout out to @engaged_bridal_studio for inspiring this post 🙌🏻) #wedding dress #customwedding dress #weddingdressinspiration #bespokeweddingdress #bridalboutique #surreywedding #sussexwedding #londonwedding #weddingdaytips #weddingdresstips #bridaltips

This wedding dress is inspired by the same era that Titanic and Downton Abbey (well, some of it) are based on; the Edwardian Period.

The corseted bodice fits close to the body, and is made of panels of silk chiffon over luxurious duchess satin. Trimmed with satin ribbon and embellished with hand sewn lace appliqué and tiny glass beads.

I love the tiered skirt so much. With three layers of gathered chiffon and trimmed with more intricate lace, giving it a perfect vintage feel.

There is something so timeless and elegant about this wedding dress, don’t you think? If you love this design, you can either head to my Etsy shop, or drop me a message if you`d like it made entirely to your measurements and preferences.

#weddingdress #edwardianfashion #edwardianbride #edwardianweddingdress #periodweddingdress #vintageweddingdress #seamstress #bespokeweddingdress #customweddingdress

13 0
Open
This wedding dress is inspired by the same era that Titanic and Downton Abbey (well, some of it) are based on; the Edwardian Period. The corseted bodice fits close to the body, and is made of panels of silk chiffon over luxurious duchess satin. Trimmed with satin ribbon and embellished with hand sewn lace appliqué and tiny glass beads. I love the tiered skirt so much. With three layers of gathered chiffon and trimmed with more intricate lace, giving it a perfect vintage feel. There is something so timeless and elegant about this wedding dress, don’t you think? If you love this design, you can either head to my Etsy shop, or drop me a message if you'd like it made entirely to your measurements and preferences. #weddingdress #edwardianfashion #edwardianbride #edwardianweddingdress #periodweddingdress #vintageweddingdress #seamstress #bespokeweddingdress #customweddingdress

If you`re curious about what I get up to in my breaks at the shop...now you know!

Inspired by @theadhdpersonaltrainer 🥰

#handstand #handstandpractice #upsidedown #handstandprogress #handstandshapes #feetuptrainer

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If you're curious about what I get up to in my breaks at the shop...now you know! Inspired by @theadhdpersonaltrainer 🥰 #handstand #handstandpractice #upsidedown #handstandprogress #handstandshapes #feetuptrainer

With spring finally appearing, it was time to update my bridal shop display window.
(If you`re curious what it was last month, you can look at my previous post...if you`re a fan of dip dye, I think you`ll really like it)

I wanted to create something that was full of verdant texture. I feel really strongly about single use plastics, so I always try to either re-use elements from previous window displays, or gather things from nature. This time I used a floral garland by @muscariwhites and added dried flowers from the hydrangea bush in my garden, as well as ivy, and anything else I found that I thought would look pretty.

For this display, I featured two dresses. Usually it`s three, but when one of them takes up so much space, I had to make sacrifices! I chose the sumptuous pink Evil Queen dress, as well as the lilac dip dye Bridgeton dress. Both of them are historically inspired (the former by Elizabethan fashion and the latter by Regency), but also have fantasy elements to them. Completely my style as a wedding dress designer.

Which dress in this display is your favourite?

55 12
Open
With spring finally appearing, it was time to update my bridal shop display window. (If you're curious what it was last month, you can look at my previous post...if you're a fan of dip dye, I think you'll really like it) I wanted to create something that was full of verdant texture. I feel really strongly about single use plastics, so I always try to either re-use elements from previous window displays, or gather things from nature. This time I used a floral garland by @muscariwhites and added dried flowers from the hydrangea bush in my garden, as well as ivy, and anything else I found that I thought would look pretty. For this display, I featured two dresses. Usually it's three, but when one of them takes up so much space, I had to make sacrifices! I chose the sumptuous pink Evil Queen dress, as well as the lilac dip dye Bridgeton dress. Both of them are historically inspired (the former by Elizabethan fashion and the latter by Regency), but also have fantasy elements to them. Completely my style as a wedding dress designer. Which dress in this display is your favourite?
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