Nicola’s daughter and niece were her two beautiful bridesmaids and I made them bespoke teen bridesmaid dresses. With two very different ages and figures we created design elements that could be used to link the styles together. I made both dresses are made from peacock blue silk dupion with a beaded lace back which creeps...
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...
I made a set with a Navy blue silk bridesmaid dress and two flower girl boleros for Catherine’s cathedral wedding. The grand setting called for classic designs. Catherine bought her flower girl dresses off the peg and elevated them with bespoke boleros in midnight blue silk. We styled them to match the bride’s wedding coat...
Lisa was a bridesmaid for her friend who lives overseas. So I made her a blue and gold bespoke taffeta bridesmaid dress. Lisa was sent the beautiful duck-egg/gold shot taffeta fabric and given free reign over her own dress design. The other bridesmaid’s dress was made up overseas by a local dressmaker. I made the...
Victoria commissioned this stunning dress in royal blue silk dupion and lace. I made fit and flare blue bespoke mother of the bride dress was lightly boned with ruching from underbust to an asymmetric line under the hip. The fitted bodice had a sweetheart neckline and was covered in scrolling lace which was also used...
I made a bespoke silk dupion dress and coat in old gold and blue silk. Irene had very firm ideas about what she wanted to wear to her daughter’s wedding. The dress and coat ensemble was designed to take her from a cold January daytime to the black-tie evening party. The dress was made from...
Old gold and blue silk I made custom bowties and a cummerbund for the groomsmen. Irene had her Mother of the bride dress and coat made by me. Then she commissioned accessories made in matching fabrics for her husband and various members of the bridal party I made the bow-ties in different fabrics for each...
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
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?
~
Photography - @lexflemingphoto
Sometimes it can be difficult to be true to yourself. The world can feel really judgemental (even if it`s just the voices in the back of your head saying it). But, you might be worried about being `too much` or worried of what people might think if they saw how vibrant and colourful you really are on the inside. How big and sparkly your thoughts and feelings are!
Well, guess what? There`s no such thing as `too much`. Not in my books! As a wedding dress maker (and honestly, a fellow big, sparkly person) I`m here to encourage you to listen to what your heart is telling you. Ignore those voices telling you should be anything less than 100% yourself, especially on your wedding day.
There is nothing that makes me happier than a bride bringing me their ideas - the crazy ones they`ve barely voiced to anyone else. The ones they shyly mention, usually followed by "but if that`s not possible, then don`t worry about it". And there`s nothing more exciting than seeing the face of that bride when they realise that I am absolutely on this journey with them, that we will make it happen and that I cannot wait to get started!
Anyway, I love my job 😉
#weddingdress #fantasyweddingdress #fantasybride #historicalweddingdress #dramaticweddingdress #bespokeweddingdress
