Alice’s beautiful diamante belt wedding dress was made in layers of white chiffon with hand beaded detailing. I made Alice’s dress with a fitted and boned bodice. I designed a soft v-shaped neckline and invisible zip back closure. Her waistline is decorated with a double loop of hand beading in Swarovski diamante stones. Then we...
I was privileged to be asked to make two christening ensembles for Family S. We used fabrics left over from Mummy’s wedding dress to create a traditional christening gown for their baby girl and an 18th century style waistcoat, cravat and trousers for their little boy. Traditional Christening Gown with long skirt The family decided...
Neli and Neiko asked me for a dress for their rustic, Italian styled photoshoot. This silver wedding dress was designed with country weddings in mind. I used boho, elegant styling with a modern vintage vibe in mind when I designed in the dress. Silver Wedding Dress Design I made the dress from delicate antique silver,...
Our photoshoot with elegant Downton Abbey vibes and breezy summer colours made this August wedding day the perfect country fete styled wedding.
Rikki commissioned a simple, modern chantilly lace wedding dress. Her dress had a sweetheart bodice with lace overlay and lowback complimented by layered silk georgette for the full skirt and train. I made the dress with a lightly boned bodice in a classic sweetheart neckline that then swept low at the back. The whole bodice...
Suzanne commissioned a pretty tea length brown wedding dress and bolero made up in taffeta and chiffon. I made her knee-length dress with a fitted and boned bodice. She wanted a gentle sweet-heart shaped neckline and slim straps. We chose a beautiful shot taffeta (shot pink/green/ivory) with chocolate chiffon on top and I ‘plaited’ the...
Butterfly wing dress with pale blue green edging and hand beading. Official Wedding pictures by Kate Bellinger Photography I made Katie a simple ivory satin dress with sweetheart neckline and halter strap. The bias-cut skirt flows from the underbust line with silk georgette ‘wing’ panels laid over the top. I created the wings to extend...
Vicki commissioned a chiffon cowl back wedding dress in ivory soft satin and Georgette with hand appliquéd lace. Official photographs by Vivien Woods A short video of Vikki’s dress being worn here: Vicki’s Dress The dress has and empire line bodice, lightly boned with a sweetheart neckline and shaped straps. The skirt was made of...
I made Sarah-Louise’s classic beaded lace bespoke wedding dress in ruched silk georgette with a gentle fishtail flare. The lace over-bodice had scalloped edging and a button back. Official photographs by Sebastian Lomas The classic beaded lace bespoke wedding dress was made in two parts. I made a strapless underdress in ivory silk Georgette (a...
Susan asked me to make her this stunning forest green velvet mother of the bride dress. The dramatic plunge back and colourful embellishment contrasts with the understated and simple elegance of the front. Official photographs by Feather & Birch Photography I design the dress with princess seams, knee length with boat neckline at the front....
Posts from Felicity Westmacott
I am *obsessed* with this vintage wedding dress restyle!
Merissa brought her 1990s bridal two-piece ensemble to me, looking for it to be restyled into her dream wedding dress. And we ended up with some so cute, chic and coquettish.
The bodice, with its off-shoulder neckline, didn’t change much, style-wise. We just did a few alterations to make it fit better. The skirt, however, was a different story.
The original skirt was completely deconstructed, and those panels of fabric were used to make a shorter mini skirt, gathered in at the waist and with a pleat detail at the front. Then, with extra, matched fabric, we made a new skirt for the ceremony. In the same style as short skirt, but floor length, with a train and netting underneath, for that perfect 80s/90s silhouette.
Which version do you prefer – full length skirt or miniskirt?
If you want to see how Merissa looked on the day, check out my previous post!
#alterations #2026bride #weddingdress #upcycle
This outfit is such a vibe ✨️ I loved working on this vintage 90s two-piece.
If you want to see the adorable miniskirt I made to go with this wedding outfit, I`ll be posting about that next. Why not follow along for regular dose of whimsical alternative bridal inspiration for 2026?
Photography - @dillonkin
What should I do with my wedding dress once it`s served its purpose?
It`s a question a lot of brides ask themselves after their wedding day is done.
I`m a big fan of upcycling and repurposing, and I`ve had the chance to give second life to quite a few wedding dresses now. Including this conversion of a vintage wedding dress that had its first outing about 25 years ago.
With a big anniversary party coming up, this client wanted to be able to wear her dress, but transformed. Keeping it for the priceless sentimental value it holds, but also updating it to reflect who she is now.
So, with a few little changes, she had something completely new and very chic.
We took the bodice off completely and finished the waistline to make a lovely skirt, still with the details of the original dress. To make it more wearable for other events, we also brought the hem up and took train completely off.
I think she looks so stylish, and I hope she finds occasion to wear this little piece of her own history for years to come.
If your wedding dress has been left untouched for years (or decades even), and you would love to be able to honour it a new way, then get in touch and let me work my dressmaking alchemy.
#alteration #upcycling #weddingdressmaker #bespokeweddingdress #upcycle #vintageweddingdress #slowfashion #reuse #sustainablefashion
I`m continuing to celebrate @michele_and_graziella this week by featuring the photoshoot where I finally got to hire them for my own Strictly Ballroom wedding photoshoot.
Not only were they the perfect models for my vision, with a gorgeous mix of masc and femme, and so much natural chemistry, they were also so professional and lovely to work with. And although neither of them are dancers, they conveyed the spirit of the Latin dances we were paying homage to expertly.
They are both so experienced and talented that every photograph they`re in is just stunning. It is such a pleasure to see my bespoke designs modelled by them. Hopefully our paths will cross again in the future 🤞🏻
Dresses @felicitywestmacott
Photography @jessicajillphoto
Video/content @weddingstorytellerco
Venues @theoldtimberstore_se1 @malt.maltby
Florals @jemimainthewoods
Event Equipment Hire @cohire
Bride Models @michele_and_graziella
Bridesmaid models @Lisaeggy3 @Boobzylou @oleksanacoaching
Choreography @oleksanacoaching
Hair and Make-up lead @melindabridal @melinda_grant
Hair and Make-up @beccibrushes
Celebrant dave_the_celebrant
Guitar @shanetheojoseph
Stationery @theinkmoth
Jewellery @CatherineMarche
Cake @gwynethjohnsoncakedesign
Neon Sign @thisisasignuk
Headdress @Creationsbylivfree
Millinery @beverleyedmondsonmillinery
Shoes @shoesbylarisa
Confetti @proper.confetti
So far, as part of my celebration for Pride, I`ve featured queer wedding inspiration and queer clients, but I want to amplify real LGBTQ+ talent too.
@michele_and_graziella are a real couple and also a model couple, who I met during a cabaret-themed wedding shoot. Then, a few month`s later, they happened to be the models hired for a completely different shoot I was involved in. It was so lovely to see them again, and hear their excitement about wearing more of my designs.
I was so impressed with how well they managed to nail the vibes of two such contrasting wedding set ups. One bold, loud and full of attitude, and the other soft and gentle.
When it came time for me to pick models for my own Strictly Ballroom-inspired wedding shoot, asking Michele and Graziella was a no-brainer. But that`s for another post...
Which of these two photoshoots is more your vibe?
Cabaret shoot:
Organiser & hairstylist @bighair.energy
Model couple @michele_and_graziella
Bridal party models @isabella_posenato @nnastia.photography @kelly_marie_wheeler.model
Wedding dress @felicitywestmacott
Celebrant @jessmayspecialdays
Stationery @theamyverseweddings
Photographer @magpie.eye.weddings
MUA @joannehook_mua
Videographer @richieashwinuk
Cake @theblueboxcakecompany
Accessories @thelucky6pence
Styling/floristry @ashdownevents
Streamers @streamadelica_uk
Coordinator @dani.singam
Periwinkle shoot:
Concept, Planning and Styling: @lucywellsweddings
Venue: @thebarnatsomersbury
Floral design: @helleboreandrose
Floral assistant: @intothewildflowerfarm
Photographer: @chloemartin_photography_
Videographer: @molehillmedia
Models:@michele_and_graziella
Celebrant: @celebratewithverity
Hair and makeup:@idomakeupandhair_
Cakes: @lauraspantry
Bridal wear:@felicitywestmacott
Stationery: @theamyverseweddings
Ribbons: @laikstyle
Table linen: @theknottednapkinco
Decor, props and styling assistance: @surreyweddingcompany
Bridal shoes: @theprettyweddingshoecompany
Tableware: @crystalhireltd
Jemma had her wedding anniversary party coming up and wanted to restyle her wedding dress into something new and fun.
She brought in her wedding dress and told me about her planned party outfit being a gorgeous magenta jumpsuit. So my challenge was to figure out how to blend these two, quite contrasting styles, into one look.
As we talked through her options, we landed on a custom dipdye overskirt with an open front. This would mean she could keep the drama of the dress train, and the beauty of the sequined lace, whilst also being able to dance to her heart’s content.
For the dipdye, she chose to reverse the usual order of colours, going from darkest at the top, to lightest travelling down, in purples and pinks to compliment the jumpsuit.
I unpicked the lace layer from the original dress, hand dyed the tulle, and added it underneath the skirt. For a final touch, I sewed on some pretty scalloped lace around the waistline to create the join with Jemma’s jumpsuit.
I love seeing a wedding dress continuing its life beyond its wedding day. This was such a brilliant idea, and the result is so vibrant and playful.
Has your wedding dress had a second life since the big day?
#dipdyeweddingdress #upcycledweddingdress #colourfulweddingdress #weddingdressrestyle
