This bride was looking for a UK seamstress and found me online. She then approached me, asking if I could make her an elegant couture dress with ruching, pleating and a statement bow. The end result is this opulent, bespoke, bronze gold wedding dress. We combined 1950’s and Elizabethan style details to create a modern,...
Rebecca wanted a Victorian-inspired wedding dress made in deep forest green and ivory silk dupion. We prioritised historical accuracy with this gown, from the custom-made corset underneath, to the embroidered bustle, all the way down to the layers of knife pleats around the skirt. Photography – Yuriy Nutsa Photograhy and Babb Photo Rebecca’s wedding was...
Catherine wanted a flamboyant and theatrical two-piece bridal ensemble in red and white, with feathers, sparkle and a lot of tulle. This red feather masquerade wedding dress is the result. The drama of this dress is so exciting to me, and as someone who’s educational background is in theatre design, this one couldn’t have been...
Hi, I’m Fliss and I’m a Surrey based seamstress, making bespoke bridal outfits for brides all over the country (and beyond). I love creating wedding looks that are a little different from the usual. And this gorgeous photoshoot, shot at Welbeck Manor, is the perfect alternative wedding dress inspiration – Surrey. Alternative Wedding Dress Inspiration...
Katrina came to me looking for a wedding dress fit for the English Summer. She wanted a beautiful hand painted wedding dress with flowers in a mix of colours (but not pink). We designed the perfect canvas, a bespoke wedding dress in layered white taffeta and silk organza. We started with a base of some...
I get asked this question so often I thought it was time to write a few blogs to answer it properly; “Can my wedding dress be dyed another colour?”. The simple answer is Yes, but with risk and difficulty. If I explain the different processes below you can make an informed choice whether or not...
If knowing whether or not you can dye your wedding dress black (or any other colour) is a deciding factor please see my advice. Unfortunately dyeing an already made garment is very difficult. It’s not impossible but it is very risky and the chance of a ‘perfect’ result is low. I cover ways things can...
Tracey wanted a Tudor inspired wedding dress with a modern twist for her wedding at the Tudor period hotel, Langshott Manor. I love designing alternative wedding dresses so this was a lovely project. The two piece ensemble made in deep red silk velvet has a firmly boned bodice cut in a ‘Tudor’ style with a...
Janna’s relaxed wedding dress was made to compliment her (mostly) vegan celebration that took place in a Devon on a perfect summer day. I made her a dress in layered pale pink tulle, delicate chantilly lace and vintage silk satin jacquard. The design was as relaxed and summery as the day Janna had planned. Wedding...
Posts from Felicity Westmacott
All these brides have something in common...can you guess what it is?
All of them will be celebrating their 10 year anniversaries this year, since it was 10 years ago that I altered each of their dresses.
In 2016, I was still working from my own home - having a shop wasn`t even a twinkle in my eye. I had two children under four, so I was managing a family alongside work, and creating a lot less as a result. But each dress still got as much time, care and obsessive attention as they do now.
So thank you to Jade, Gemma, Nseko, Inese, Alex, Michaela and Tamsin, and all the other brides who trusted me 10 years ago. And thank you to all the brides who continue to trust me now.
Are you celebrating a milestone anniversary this year?
An upcycled 80s wedding dress?
Dyed pink?
And a Whistable wedding day with Buzz Balls and oysters on the beach?
Francesca is living proof that you can use your free will however you choose. 💃🏻💅🍸️💖
And shout out to the amazing outfit she made for her maid of honour. That deep pink bodice and skirt ensemble is gorgeous!
If you want to inject some fun into a vintage wedding outfit for your big day, drop me a DM. As you can see, the possibilities are endless!
Photography - @gedpeake_photography
Especially if it`s the bride`s mother`s wedding dress from the 80s, hand dyed to the perfect shade of warm pink, and restyled to evoke the iconic Vivienne Westwood.
There`s definitely a lot of happiness in that.
#bespokeweddingdress #vintageweddingdress #weddingdressalterations #weddingdressrestyle #bride2026
An ivory gown brought to me and transformed into an ethereal wedding dress.
Amongst the atmospheric woodlands, dramatic ruins and beautiful gardens of @ravenswoodvenue, Victoria looks every bit an elven queen, resplendent in purples and blacks.
Finished off with a @starandleafveil cherry blossom veil - a nod to Victoria`s love of Japanese culture, and where she went on her honeymoon.
Dreaming of a gown as atmospheric as your venue? Let`s create yours.
Photography - @Photoforrester
Veil - @starandleafveil
Venue - @ravenswoodvenue
#dipdyeweddingdress #colourfulweddingdress #purpleweddingdress #fantasyweddingdress #gothicweddingdress
This wedding dress took the most paint I`ve ever used for one of my dip-dye creations.
Victoria`s wedding dress is beautiful in part because it`s so full, and that fullness comes from layers. So before I could even get to the main event, I had two underlayers to spray, both with long trains.
When it comes to spraying, the best setup is one where you`re away from everything else, with good ventilation. Where better than outside? That does mean dressing to keep warm, and in clothes you don`t mind getting a bit painty.
But all that effort was so worth it. Victoria chose such a gorgeously unusual colour palette - deepening from lilac, through purple, into black. It`s regal, gothic, and has a real fantasy feel. And I think dyeing the full-length lace sleeves to match really finishes off the look.
What do you think of this colour combination?
This week is my wedding anniversary, so I`m taking a trip down memory lane.
A few years ago, my spouse and I had an anniversary photoshoot. In the run-up to my actual wedding, I`d had so much dressmaking to finish - not just my dress, but also:
🌸four bridesmaids dresses
🌸a flower girl dress
🌸waistcoats for the groom and three page boys
🌸plus three paying clients on top
On the day, my dress was finished and wearable, but not quite as it should have been.
The original concept for the dress included hand-embroidered fuchsias all up the train, and I just didn`t have enough time. Lockdown finally gave me the chance to finish it properly, and this anniversary photoshoot was, in part, to celebrate that.
It was only this year, going through old photos, that I found these two images side by side. And then more, all mirroring each other.
Almost 15 years apart.
Shot in the same location.
And with technically the same people - though I think it`s safe to say we`ve grown and changed in so many ways as individuals, and as a couple, during that time.
From two teenagers stepping out into the world together, to us now, with our family, our friends and our enduring love.
Maybe this is your sign to get your wedding photos out again and relive those precious memories 💖
Now photographer: @altweddingco
Then photographer: Chris Cormack
