Claire-Michelle wrote…
I am not sure I have the adequate words to express how thankful I am or how talented and wonderful I think you are, but I’ll give it a go. My hopes and dreams for my dress were actualised by your amazing hands. It’s been more than a pleasure working wit you and getting to know you. My dress was so beautiful and different – just what I wanted. You made me shine on our special day.
Madeliene wrote…
Thank you so so much for the amazing dress! You had the image I had in my head and made it real and I just can't thank you enough for that! .... I just can't thank you enough for making my dress so perfect. I loved it and so did everyone else! I've had so many comments!
Claire wrote…
It’s taken me a while to write this because how do you thank the person who made the wedding dress of your dreams, when you weren’t even sure what you wanted!? Well now I have Chiara, and one day I will have her in a frame at the top of the stairs, despite my husband saying look like a ghost in the middle of the night!
Thank you so much
With love from Claire and Daniel
Thanks again!
Amanda wrote…
At such a special time as your wedding you want professional people who you can trust and get along with to be involved in the crucial big day elements such as bridesmaid dresses, and Felicity was just that. The dresses exceeded our expectations in terms of quality of the workmanship and they were ready ahead of schedule; if you are planning your own wedding, 'ahead of schedule' is a phrase you'll come to delight in! Felicity was very easy to work with, she always gave good advice whilst having the creative and technical understanding to help create the final product. My bridesmaids were very comfortable and happy in their dresses and I was so pleased with them too, they looked beautiful. I had such a special wedding day, helped by people such as Felicity. I have already recommended her to friends.
The mother of the bride wrote: Dear Felicity, very many thanks for producing such beautiful dresses, the girls are really thrilled with them. We will send you some photos after the wedding with them all looking glamorous I'm sure. Mind you I mustn't forget the ties. Anyway thanks again and best wishes, Jean Billige
Vicky wrote…
Dear Felicity, I know I've thanked you in lots of ways but I just wanted to write to say what a truly talented girl you are. You took my design and from day one made me feel like you were so passionate about it so sure of where you were going with it I felt totally at ease. I loved coming to your house and sharing everything form fabric samples to life stories with you and the final product simply breathtaking. I have had so many compliments on the dress all that detail and though paid off! I wish you every bit of success with your business and with the arrival of your beautiful new baby. Thank you a million times.
Rachel Tyler (Vicki's mum) wrote: Vicki is so thrilled with her dress-every bit as pleased with how it has all come together as she planned. It would be lovely to see you at the church if you are free. Finally and far too late I get around to writing to you. Your creation for Vicki was just so utterly perfect and so right for her. She looked exactly how she had hoped to and I know it was far beyond her hopes and dreams. You took so much care and of course it showed. The fit was perfect, it moved as she moved and the ooh's and ahh's said it all. I do so hope your pregnancy goes well and you have an easy time. Enjoy being a mum! With greatest thanks and best wishes
A very happy newly-wed…
Ellie wrote…
Just a quick note to say thank you for creating my dream dress. Without you I would not have had such a perfect wedding dress. I can't thank you enough for all your time and effort. This dress will be something I cherish forever. Thank you again Love, Ellie
Jenna wrote…
Just a little note to say thank you for making my beautoful wedding dress. It was such a relief to have found you and I took great comfort from your lack of desire to cover me in sparkles. ..It was perfect, you made me feel fantastic. With great thanks, Jenna
Mother of the BrideThe dress was a big hit and i had some wonderful comments! We had a wonderful day...it was fantastic from start to finish...thanks so much for all your help and advice. P.S My younger daughter caught the bouquet so there could be another wedding on the cards!!!
Mother of the GroomMy dress felt and looked wonderful and received lots of compliments - someone commented I should be in Hello magazine! Thank you so very much
Mother of the BrideThank you so very much for making my gorgeous Mother of the bride outfit, I absolutely loved my outfit and it all came together beautifully. I received so many lovely compliments on the day! Thank you for getting what I saw in my head and bringing it to life! I had lots of lovely compliments of how stunning I looked.
Our wedding was amazing... and“
Ailsa wrote…
I was absolutely delighted with my beautiful dress! I really appreciated the time you took to explain the different options and the effort you went to in order to make sure it looked perfect, including an extremely useful set of instructions for my bridesmaid on how to make the dress look its best on the day. Your patience, enthusiasm and skill made the whole process a pleasure!
and later: Thank you once again for producing such a beautiful dress, and the time you took to make it look exactly right (including the veil!)
Ailsa's mum wrote: Thank you so much for all the work you put into getting the dress just right for Ailsa and the helpful advice with accessories etc. She looked lovely on the day and felt very comfortable and happy with the dress. The dress fittings became a firm part of the wedding preparations and thank you for your welcome when we visited. Ian was especially pleased that he could join us for the final fitting. With best wishes, Christine
From Design 🪡 to Destination 📷️
For this autumnal-inspired (or fall for those of you on the other side of the pond 👋) bridal look I started off by designing a greige-coloured satin jumpsuit. I went with wide-cut legs for lots of comfort and movement, and pretty cross over back strap details.
When I was researching the kinds of fabrics I might use for this outfit, I came across this stunning sequin lace, covered in gorgeous flowers and stems. I knew I had to use it. So I created a sheer dress layer to go on top of the jumpsuit.
A wedding dress design wouldn`t be mine if I didn`t add a little versatility, so I also created detachable balloon sleeves, for drama during the day and practicality in the evening.
I`ve designed bespoke wedding dresses based around all the seasons, but autumn has got to be one of my favourites. Which season would you use to inspire your wedding?
Photography - @charlymaephotography
Katie wanted some alterations done on her wedding dress before she flew off to Portugal. So after a consultation discussing what she needed, I got to working my wedding dress alchemy.
For her dress, we brought up the hem to make it the right length. Originally Katie wanted to also add sleeves, but as we progressed she realised that she would be too hot and too overwhelmed by them, so instead went in the opposite direction and chose to narrow the shoulder straps. Sometimes less really is more.
To the back of the dress we added a three-point bustle, and the final detail was the cathedral length veil. Almost 400 satin flowers later and I think it`s the perfect accessory for this chic bride.
~
Photography - Visual Stories Co
Venue - Monte do Serrinho
Planner - Forever Events Portugal
Florist - Flower Shop Bonita
I`m a regional finalist for the Wedding Industry Awards!
Not only that, but in both my categories; Best Designer/Independent Dressmaker and Best Seamstress/Tailor. So thank you to everyone who voted for me. Your time and effort is not only appreciated, but has also paid off 💜
And well done to my fellow regional finalists; @alexandersharpebridal, @harrietchristelow, @shell_stitches_kent, @stitchesbykristine, @nicolaleverington.
There are a few finalists outside of my categories that I wanted to give an especially loud shout out to - well done @alexjaggermua and @lushcurvebridal!
Thank you to the organisers and Damien at @twia_official
Wishing everyone the best of luck! 🪡✨️
Photo by @altweddingco
This is what a bespoke veil with almost 400 flowers looks like.
On top of some other alterations, @katiepigden wanted a chic, modern bridal veil. We chose a length a little longer than her dress and I got to work.
Her wedding dress already had these beautifully delicate 3D flowers on the bodice, so we echoed this design element in the veil. I hand embellished almost 400 satin flowers, selectively scattered at the hem of the veil and gently creeping up. I wanted it to look as though Katie had been standing underneath a blossoming tree and some had happened to fall onto her veil.
A veil is such a perfect way of finishing off a bridal look, and I think Katie looks stunning. If you`re looking for something completely custom for your wedding day, then get in touch 💜
A dress for a queen with a blackened heart 🖤
I recently received some more photos from the Dark Fairytale themed wedding shoot I was involved in last year. I love how these ones turned out!
This shoot feels like if Sofia Coppola`s Marie Antoinette had actually been about the Evil Queen from Snow White. Is it just me, or does anyone else see it?
(And that`s me, at the end, doing some last minute alterations 😅 always the way with a shoot day)
If this kind of haute couture bridal fashion excites you, why not follow me? I`ve always got unique and gorgeous bridal creations to share ✨️
~
Venue @layermarneytower
Concept, styling @thealilyloves
Photography @wearevima
Headwear @themillinerprovocateur @thealilyloves
Make up @mrsgarrodmua
Hair @capelliamalias
Feather gown @felicitywestmacott
Florals @themidnightgarden @wildrose.willow
Right hand women @julia_coppen @claralaluck
Spooky season has arrived!
I love Halloween, but maybe not for the reasons you might think. For me, Halloween gives people permission to be a little more wild, a little more `out there` with their bridal choices. And as a seamstress who loves to makes bold and beautiful wedding dresses, there`s nothing wrong with a little more wild!
Take these three wedding photoshoots, for example. The first one was inspired by Morticia Addams. It`s a black wedding dress! You can`t get less traditional than that. And it`s now one of my most popular designs. Although all these dress designs are based around a fictional character, they`re still the furthest thing from a costume. They`re pieces of haute couture art, taking the essence of the character and then elevating it to something truly unique.
The second dress used the designs from the live action Cruella, and I love how the model nailed her character. The final dress used Jim Henson`s Labyrinth as a starting point, in particular that iconic ballroom scene (*swoon*). They were all such fun projects. So if you`re looking for a wedding dress maker to embrace your wild side, I might be the perfect choice.
If you could base your wedding dress on a fictional character, who would it be?
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Photography - @lexflemingphoto
