Red Feather Masquerade Wedding Dress

Red Feather Masquerade Wedding Dress gothic vampy bridesmaids cloaks masks black bouquet

Catherine wanted a flamboyant and theatrical two-piece bridal ensemble in red and white, with feathers, sparkle and a lot of tulle. This red feather masquerade wedding dress is the result.

The drama of this dress is so exciting to me, and as someone who’s educational background is in theatre design, this one couldn’t have been more up my street.⁠

Photography: Georgina Piper Photography

The day after her wedding, Catherine sent me this gorgeous message:

“I wanted you to know today, straight after the wedding yesterday, that the dress was unanimously described as the most awesome, original, magical, dreamlike wedding dress anyone had ever seen.
Thank you. It was just perfection.”

The Wedding Dress Design

I love making dresses that tell a story, and this one tells everyone that Catherine is imaginative, confident and not afraid to stand out in a crowd (whilst looking utterly captivating).

Let’s get into some technical details. The outfit is actually two pieces, starting with a fully boned bodice covered in red feathers. I design a wide, square, neckline that curved upward in the centre to cover any cleavage.

The shoulders featured longer feathers reaching out in wings, and the waistline of the dress was highlighted with rich hand beading in mixed red beads and crystals. More beads were added to a few select feathers in other areas, and I also made a matching necklace and bracelet with the same beads.

The second part of the outfit was the skirt. It was made of two pieces, each many layers of tulle. I used 16m of tulle in total! The structure was supported over a mini crinoline frame to hold the skirt out in a dramatic ‘tutu’ shape. The bottom layers were a removable underskirt to allow a shorter look for the evening.

As always, a wrist loop and bustle buttons for the train were also added.

The Making of The Red Feather Masquerade Wedding Dress

The first fitting, where we tried on the toile. It’s always important to use low-cost materials to make sure that everything fits correctly before cutting into the more expensive stuff.

The second fitting, where I’m beginning to work on that huge train, and the many many layers of tulle.

Before the final two fittings, I had a lot of work to do. I hand-sewed around 600 goose feathers onto the bodice and around the shoulders, and about 1kg glass beads and crystals. It took a while, to say the least, but it was absolutely worth it.⁠

And then it was time for the final fitting. You can see what the dress looks like with the long underskirt removed, leaving just the shorter top layers, ready for the evening ball.

When I talk about a bride knowing herself and her style, Catherine is exactly what I’m talking about. This dress is just so her. And because of that, there was no way she was going to be able to find something even close ‘off the rack’. ⁠I’m so happy Catherine trusted me to create this red feather masquerade wedding dress for her.

Catherine was also featured on Rock n Roll Bride, if you want to find out more about the inspiration for this amazing wedding. And if you’re looking for more red and black wedding inspiration, have a look at this classic goth wedding and the gown I made for it.

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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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⁠When Iram saw the ⁠custom Asian fusion wedding trousers and top that I had made for a bridal shoot, she decided she had to have them for her own London wedding – and I don’t blame her! This outfit looks perfect on her.⁠ It's the ideal look for a chic, modern, summer wedding.

The ‘Evie’ separates comprise of a beautiful wedding top and trouser set with beaded waistband for a bride who is not afraid to make a statement. And Iram was definitely not afraid! She exudes chilled, modern bride energy in this cool and comfortable combo. 

If you love this custom Asian fusion wedding trousers, you can find the Evie bridal separates on my Etsy 💜

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Since 1753, when the Marriage Act first came into existence, UK marriage law has come a long way. Some things have taken much longer than they should have (I'm looking at you, 1991 and 2013, 2023). But there's still more than can be done. The association of @independentcelebrants is campaigning for the UK government to follow the recommendations of the 2022 wedding law reform report.

"At least 10,000 wedding ceremonies a year in England and Wales are led by independent celebrants. These ceremonies are perfectly legal to hold, but as it stands a celebrant cannot perform a legally binding marriage – that part must be done separately, meaning added inconvenience and cost for couples."

I'm all about supporting couples to have the wedding day of their dream, and that rarely includes having to find time and money to go to the registry office.

If you want to help with this, then you can spread awareness! Share this post, or make your own. Talk about it with friends and family. And once you've done that, you can always get in touch with your local MP. The Independent Celebrants website has a PDF guide to help you with how to go about doing that.

Is this an issue you're aware of? Is there anything I've missed out?

#ChangeWeddingLaw #SpeakUpForCelebrants #LegaliseCelebrantWeddings
I created this Regency-inspired wedding dress for a Bridgerton themed wedding shoot. I used modern fabrics like tulle, beaded lace and shantung, but with period accurate details like the empire line waist, square neckline and boned stays (corset). ⁠
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I love to work with versality when it comes to my creations, so the dress was designed with multiple layers; the main dress has an embroidered tulle bodice and asymmetric beaded lace skirt. A lilac and pink dip-dyed tulle skirt can be added over the floral train of the main dress for some dreamy ombre magic. A lilac silk dupion 'spencer jacket' with hand appliqued beaded lace completes the ensemble. ⁠

 All these options make it possible to have lots of different looks throughout your wedding day. ⁠

Which Bridgerton character can you imagine wearing this outfit?

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#regencyweddingdress #bridgerton #historicalweddingdress #periodwedding #colouredweddingdress #dipdyeweddingdress #surreydressmaker #londondressmaker #vintagebride #romanticbride #weddingveil #purpleweddingdress #bespokeweddingdress #fantasyballgown
Now and again I'll take one of the wedding dresses I've made, and break down some of the elements. So, if there's something you love about a dress, but you don't know the 'proper words' to reference them, hopefully this will help you out.⁠
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This beautiful 1950’s style wedding dress with delicate cream lace over golden-orange silk has lots of really scrummy details:⁠
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🧡 the opening at the back of the dress is called a keyhole (or you could call this a slit opening). This one is closed at the top with three covered buttons.⁠
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🧡 the base dress is made of a beautiful russet orange silk dupion, with dark ivory lace layered on top.⁠
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🧡 the base dress is essentially a halter neck, with a turn over collar at the front, with the ivory layer providing semi-sheer, full length sleeves.⁠
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🧡 the edges of the ivory layer are cut along the floral pattern of the lace, making a pretty scalloped edge.⁠
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🧡 this length of skirt is called 'ballet' or 'ballerina'.⁠
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🧡 the front of the dress has a line of false buttons (buttons that are just there for decoration), that match the buttons at the back.⁠
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Those are just some of the details of this dress. If you have any questions about anything else, just leave a comment. I could talk dress making all day!⁠
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