Bride Ally had her wedding planned for Norway, and then a honeymoon to the Arctic Circle. She wanted something simple, elegant and warm to wear. What resulted was this completely bespoke three quarter sleeve winter wedding dress, designed and created by me, perfect for this adventurous bride. Photography – Lieben Photography The dress was wonderful...
Madalie came to me for a vintage wedding dress upcycle. She had her mother’s beautiful 1970’s wedding dress and she wanted to wear it, made anew, for her own wedding day. The dress Madalie brought to our consultation meeting wasn’t the right size or style for her modern wedding day. We agreed to unpick and...
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
