Sky blue bespoke wedding dress

aqua blue coloured bespoke wedding dress

Ailsa commissioned a sky blue bespoke wedding dress in silk satin. I designed it with proportions to flatter her petite figure.

Official photographs by www.oxford-photography.co.uk

I made the dress with a fitted and boned bodice with gentle sweetheart neckline and integral straps. I added ruching over the bust which is balanced above asymmetric draping on the lower bodice. The skirt hangs straight down from the hip line, flat in front with soft pleats at each side. The dress fastens at centre back with flat lacing in loops above a flared godet train.

sweetheart neckline custom order wedding dress sky blue
country wedding coloured wedding dress
blue wedding dress silk satin bespoke made to measure
 thank you letter

Thank you letter

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

ailsa2 long veil with blusher traditional church wedding

Ailsa’s veil was made to order, a simple two tier style in pale ivory tulle to go with her sky blue bespoke wedding dress

bride and maid of honour alternative wedding dress

Ailsa’s sister was a lovely bridesmaid and we made a long blue silk hair ribbon so she would tone-in with Ailsa’s colour scheme.

 original design sketch sweetheart bodice and straps
aqua blue wedding dress made to order
blue wedding dress with straps ruched bodice
something blue bespoke wedding dress petite

Ailsa using her wrist hook-up to hold her train off the floor while walking in her sky blue bespoke wedding dress

printed shoes with ribbons

Ailsa had matching silk ribbons made to tie up her lovely shoes. I loved her shoes so much I got myself a pair too!

walking with her groom bespoke silk tie to match the bride

Making Ailsa’s Sky blue bespoke wedding dress

toile fitting with dressmaker wedding dress

Pictures from the ‘toile fitting’ or practice run in cheap fabrics, and below at her first fitting with the real dress, here just the under layers, boned ready for the silk satin to be ruched on top.

boned bodice duchess satin fitting picture made to measure
ruched bodice on the stand custom made to order

Ruching in progress on the stand

pleated ruched bodice sweetheart sewing
dress fitting blue wedding dress silk satin
 train wrist loop with ribbon roses finished wedding dress fitting

Pictures of the finished dress at her final fitting: Detail of the wrist loop provided so Ailsa could pick up her train from the floor when walking. Usually I sew on a ‘something blue’ here but as Ailsa’s whole dress was her something blue I chose three pretty pastel coloured ribbon roses instead, to match the floral pattern on her shoes.

train spread out and hooked up for dancing

The train bustled up and spread right out. As The train was so long, and Ailsa so petite the bustle up did not get the train right off the floor, as I would usually aim for, but it did make it much smaller and manageable for later in the day.

 lace up corset back wedding dress ribbon and loops

Detail of the back fastening with flat lacing through loops above a modesty panel

finished dress in the mirror fitting room
something blue wedding dress all finished and ready to go

Here is another pale blue bespoke wedding dress, that I made for Isabelle’s wedding

If you would like to know more about commissioning your own wedding dress with me, you can head over to my FAQ page or contact me directly.

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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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You might’ve noticed that I can get quite particular about language. I think it’s important, especially when that word can carry a lot of meaning. When words get misused, you as a consumer might get mis-sold something.

An example of this is the word ‘vintage’, which now gets tacked onto the description of any garment, whether or not it actually is vintage. Often the item just looks like it’s from an older period of fashion, and for many sellers now, that’s good enough to warrant the label ‘vintage’ (which it’s not).

‘Bespoke’ is another of those words. The word comes from ‘to bespeak’, which means, to ask for. Like someone walking into carpentry workshop and asking for something completely new to be made to their exact specifications.

Anything can be bespoke, if it has been asked for, to be made especially to your requirements and preferences. You often hear it in the context of bespoke suits, but the term doesn’t belong to any one industry.

When it comes to wedding dresses, you have a few options. Off-the-peg, which is what it sounds like. Then there’s custom or made-to-measure, which both describe when something is adjusted or changed. You might order a dress where there are options to customise the length, the sleeves, the neckline etc. 

But true bespoke is something different. It’s a dress that’s been designed and made completely from scratch. Completely to your measurements and your ideas. With several stages of fittings and adjustments, to ensure it’s exactly how you want it. It’s an entirely unique garment, and this is why the price of a bespoke dress can be so much more than something off-the-peg or made-to-measure.

So, next time something online claims to be ‘bespoke’, now you know what to look for to make sure you’re not being tricked into pay more for less.
Tonight is the Wedding Industry Awards! I'm in the running for two awards, which is all very exciting! 🏆

Since it's such a special occasion, I decided to design and make myself a dress. That way, regardless of the outcome, I'll feel like a winner. I rarely have time to make myself anything, so this felt rather lovely.

I used some gorgeous pink coloured silk chiffon, lined with pale gold silk satin, finished off with velvet ribbon. I started making the dress at 11am yesterday, and I finished it at 3pm today. Now I just have to finish making the bolero to go with it as well. I think we're gonna make it! 🏃🏻‍♀️
Just to be extra clear 💜

#seamstress #dressmaker #historicalfashion #weddingdressmaker #weddingdressdesigner
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