A contemporary fusion of 1930’s and Victorian fantasy elements went into the design of Katherine’s wedding dress. Official photography by Debs Ivelja I made Katherine’s art deco wedding dress out of buttermilk coloured silk satin and ivory lace with subtle gold thread running through it. The bustle was made of silk chiffon in five subtle...
I made a beautiful wedding dress for mid-size bride, Claire. She commissioned a light and elegant dress made in layered ivory silk dupion and organza with silver beaded lace applique. Official photographs by www.rubielovephotography.co.uk I made the main dress from ivory silk dupion with a fitted and boned bodice and sweetheart neckline. A layer of...
Creating a purple silk wedding coat and a burlesque wedding dress for this fabulous shoot showcases everything I love most about my job. From time to time I collaborate with other wedding professionals on styled wedding photoshoots. This one took place in August 2016 in London with the theme ‘City Burlesque’. Our locations including the...
I made this purple butterfly embroidered wedding dress for Karen. It is a simple modern wedding dress in ivory silk dupion with contrast purple silk detail. I hand embroidered butterflies in silk thread and lace applique complete the picture. Karen also had a bridesmaids dresses made bespoke, see here for more pictures. Karen’s dress has...
Tessa commissioned me to create two outfits for her daughters to wear for their baptism day, I designed a mini-me christening dress and romper suitable to their ages. Tessa wanted me to use the fabric and styling details from her own wedding dress. This is a traditional use for a wedding dress after the big...
Working with lace is one of my favourite aspects of wedding dress making. In this post I talk about different lace wedding dress styles. There are so many different types of lace, with evocative names; delicate ‘Chantilly’, bold ‘Guipure’, traditional ‘corded’ or modern ’embroidered’, to name but a few. I have more than 400 samples...
The dress needed to have a vintage, showgirl feel and be really sexy but still realistic as a bridal dress, not many people actually get married in a leotard and feathers! The wiggle skirt with a boned bodice hit all these marks showing off our lovely model, Vanessa?s curves and cinching her waist. I added a teal net petticoat that would show when the high/low hem moved and delicate gold lace detail with Swarovski crystals for showgirl glamour!
Posts from Felicity Westmacott
Sumptuous sky-blue silk.
A figure-hugging silhouette.
Corseted with lilac ribbon.
And sparkling lace accents.
This is the kind of bridal outfit that makes me excited to get into my workshop every day. Colourful, confident and completely Caroline.
Originally Caroline wanted a cocktail-style dress, but eventually changed her mind to a bodice and skirt ensemble. That’s part of the joy of having your wedding dress made specifically for you – you can explore options and try different things out. It’s all part of the bespoke process. When a bride tells me she’s not sure about something, that helps me to get her one step closer to her dream dress. And that’s what we both want!
This is only half of what I made for Caroline – I can’t wait to show you the other half properly (you may have already glimpsed it in the video). I’ll be posting about that next, and trust me, it’s worth the wait.
Photography - Phil Carr - @phil_carr_photography
Hair - Kelly Dingle
“Felicity listened to what I wanted, gave a clear quote and completed the alterations so nobody could see them. Clear booking system as well. Would recommend.”
Sometimes it takes a little adjustment here and there to make a wedding dress feel like it was made for you, and sometimes a dress needs a more dramatic transformation. Either way, I`m here to help.
If you`re interested in getting your dress altered for this year, I`m currently booked up until the beginning of October. So if your wedding is November onwards and your dress doesn`t feel quite right yet, drop me a message. But don`t wait too long - spaces are filling up fast.
You can always book in a no-obligation consultation with me, to see if I would be the right fit for you and your dress - link in bio.
Photography - Birdseye Photography
Isabelle thought she had found the dress she wanted for her wedding day. But her mum wanted to gift her something a bit more special for such a special day.
When I met Isabelle, she showed me the dress. It was pretty, but it was made from cheaper fabrics, and there were parts of the dress she wasn`t as keen on.
We worked together to identify what about her inspiration dress she liked, and I made sure to include all those elements in her design. And, on top of that, we also changed the parts of the inspiration dress that she didn’t like that much.
She knew she wanted colour (whereas the original dress was white), she knew she wanted shorter sleeves, and a straight neckline, instead of the sweetheart neckline the other dress had.
We came up with a pale blue silk cocktail dress, with Chantilly lace layered over top and Guipure lace trim on the waistline.
It goes to show the difference between a cheaper dress and the bespoke experience. You can love both versions of the dress, and want to wear both, but with bespoke you get to make every element tailored to your preferences.
Photography - @mirandavphoto
Throughout my years as a bespoke wedding dress maker, lace is a fabric I have worked with time and time again. And it never gets boring.
Why?
Because there are just so many different kinds, in different colours, finishes and patterns. I have books and books of lace samples from my suppliers (shout out @bridalfabrics) you could easily lose a few hours admiring.
This is just a glimpse into what can be done with lace when it comes to alternative wedding dresses. If there`s a kind of lace in this post you want to know more about, ask away in the comments and I`ll make sure to reply.
And make sure you scroll to the end to see the fabric that always gets mistaken for lace, even though it isn`t.
Which of these lace looks is your favourite?
Photographers:
1. @jessicajillphoto
2. @dinawardphotography
3. barryholder.co.uk
4. @jessicajillphoto
5. @altweddingco
6. @snappedbycatx
7. @emilyhudson.photography
8. @carolinehorne.s.photography
9. @emilyhudson.photography
Sure, my usual role is a bespoke wedding dress maker, creating beautiful and unique garments for brides looking for something a little different.
But sometimes I`m also a lighting assistant, a caterer, a last-minute-rush-to-the-shopper. That`s the fun of being a creative, working with other creatives.
This was from a styled photoshoot I organised, based on the iconic 90s film, Strictly Ballroom. I made these dazzling neon bridesmaids outfits based around the stunning costumes of Latin ballroom dancers. Our photographer really wanted the colours to pop in the atmospheric darkness of our location, so of course I volunteered myself as floor level tripod 😂
The photos turned out amazing, so it was definitely worth it!
Have you ever found yourself doing a job you never expected?
Dresses @felicitywestmacott
Photography @jessicajillphoto
Video/content @weddingstorytellerco
Venues @theoldtimberstore_se1 @malt.maltby
Florals @jemimainthewoods
Event Equipment Hire @cohire
Bridesmaid models @Lisaeggy3 @Boobzylou @oleksanacoaching
Choreography @oleksanacoaching
Hair and Make-up lead @melindabridal @melinda_grant
Hair and Make-up @beccibrushes
Jewellery @CatherineMarche
Neon Sign @thisisasignuk
Shoes @shoesbylarisa
Forget-me-nots, cornflowers, bluebells, hydrangea...
All those blooms in shades of lapis, azure and sapphire, growing up from the earth, and cascading down from the neckline - a bride enveloped in blossoming sky blue beauty.
Layers of light, fluffy tulle floating to the ground, with every petal carefully placed to create the perfect composition. Botanical and beautiful. With balloon sleeves and a wide neckline, so the sun can still kiss her shoulders.
This is a bride from a modern fairytale. Like Sleeping Beauty awakening from her slumber and taking her fate into her own hands.
And the final detail, to bring it all together? A bespoke waistcoat for the groom, with hints of the same floral elements. A happily ever after.
Photography - @rsbrown.photography.film
Location - @stanlakepark
Flowers - Nicola Hozier Flowers
#BespokeBridal #AlternativeBride #UnconventionalBride #MatureBride
Mint green bias cut satin bridesmaids dresses for Katherine » Felicity Westmacott[…] also made Katherine?s wedding dress click here?to see her […]
Lace Wedding Dresses » Felicity Westmacott[…] Wedding Dress and Tie for Katherine:?A contemporary fusion of 1930?s and Victorian fantasy elements went into the design of Katherine?s wedding dress. The main dress was made of buttermilk coloured silk satin and ivory lace with subtle gold thread running through it. The bustle was made of silk chiffon in five subtle dusty-pastel colours and ivory tulle with more of the lace a beaded trim. […]