Press

From her home studio and workshop in Redhill, Felicity Westmacott makes beautiful bespoke wedding dresses that use every inch of her considerable experience: as a TV and Film costume designer; as a graduate in the history of costume; and as an alterations seamstress with years under her hemline. With an understanding of the different ways of cutting and shaping dresses through the centuries, Felicity can draw on hundreds of years of technical and design knowledge in creating unique and contemporary gowns.

One of Felicity’s pleasures is seeing her clients over the moon with happiness. Her customers generally fall into two main categories: those who have shopped out the stores and simply can’t find the perfect frock (but know the fit they’re looking for), and those who’ve done nothing at all. Felicity sends the second type off to try on a few dresses – some find exactly what they want, and those that don’t come back to begin the design process.

The key advice Felicity has is that every bride must dress to please herself, because no one else could pick the dress meant for her. When someone picks what makes them happy, it will show.

“A wedding dress is a costume,” she says. “It must say something special about this girl on this day, just as a costume tells you about the character and future of someone in a film. The wedding dress tells a story of what a bride wants her future to be. That’s why the dress is important, special, and unique.”