I made this illusion wedding dress for a black bride with a lace bodice and full silk skirt. It has a button back fastening and organza train the scalloped lace edging. Vanessa’s dress was truly a game of two halves, with a full, silk skirt to be supported from the waist and a delicate illusion...
I made a traditional lace wedding dress for Sofia’s wedding day. My design echoes the classic lines of Grace Kelly’s famous 1956 wedding dress, designed by Helen Rose. The simple boned bodice with sweetheart neckline and bold lace over-lay extending up to a higher boat neck. The lace had a wide scalloped edge which we...
This was the first styled shoot I ever organised – but certainly not the last. I live on the border between Sussex and Surrey and as a wedding dress designer, it only made sense that I gathered together some local wedding suppliers, chose a stunning location, made some dresses and had some fun! Hence this...
For her wedding day, Katie wanted a feminine and floaty dress in layers of tulle and floral lace. And what a dress it turned out to be! It’s such a romantic wedding look, fit for a fantasy princess.The dress was made from layered silk dupion (one of my favourite fabrics to work with), rose pink...
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...
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...
Eleanor commissioned a beautiful Victorian wedding dress in palest blue embroidered silk dupion. I designed Eleanor’s dress using a mixture of historical sources as inspiration. Tudor, 18th century and Victorian corsetry came together to create a dress that flattered her petite but curvy figure. I made Eleanor’s dress with a fitted and boned bodice and...
Richelle wanted a theatrical dress with interchangeable separates for her two part wedding in Scotland. I designed her a pink and silver waterfall skirt wedding dress in organza, silk and lace. Richelle found me by recommendation from a previous bride, the nicest way to know you’ve done a good job! Official photography by linaandtom A...
I made a green and gold waterfall train wedding dress for my own wedding day in 2007. Having worked so much in ivory and white I decided to be bright and colourful. And anyway I don’t think white or ivory suits my very pale skin well at all! I made my dress with a boned...
Illusion neckline wedding dress with lace bodice and full silk skirt. Button back fastening and organza train the scalloped lace edging. Vanessa’s dress was truly a game of two halves, with a full, silk skirt to be supported from the waist and a delicate illusion neckline bodice above. I dyed the tulle to match her...
Posts from Felicity Westmacott
One final little sneak peek before I show the fabulous photos from this fabulous day!
1 sewing machine
2 bride outfits
3 bridesmaid dresses
21 talented wedding suppliers
and lots of stage smoke!
Make sure you`re following me to see what I`m so excited to share. Photos coming this weekend!
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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
#bespokeweddingdress #weddingshoot #weddingdress #ukwedding #ukbride #ukweddingsupplier #londonwedding
I`m so excited to share with you all a project I`ve been thinking about, and wanting to bring to life, for years. A few weeks ago, with the help of lots of amazing and talented people, my hard work came to fruition!
But for now...can you guess what the theme is?
Leave a comment with what you think my inspiration was...
“My detachable skirt was the best. So many people were very impressed with your work. Thank you so very much, I LOVE MY SKIRT!”
For real bride Christina, I created one of my iconic dip dye overskirts. Christina went for a beautiful monochromatic ombre, going from bright sky blue, all the way down to a deep, rich navy.
Whether it`s matching your bouquet, your groom`s pocket square or your bridesmaids, having an overskirt really helps tie the colour palette of wedding together.
If you want to add some colour to your wedding, but don`t quite feel brave enough to dye directly onto your wedding dress, then a dip dye overskirt is the perfect solution. Have a look at my Etsy (link in the bio) to find out more.
What colours would you pick?
Sometimes dressmaking lingo can feel a bit overwhelming, so I like to spend time breaking down various elements of a wedding dress I`ve made in... Anatomy of a Dress!
▫️for the fabric I used a beautiful, ivory floral lace (layered on top of silk dupion)
▫️the back of dress has a keyhole opening, secured with covered buttons at the top
▫️the corset bodice is fully boned with visible boning channels
▫️the dress fastens with a lace-up back, with ribbon and eyelets, and a modesty panel behind (so no skin shows through beneath the lacing)
▫️the skirt is cut straight with a very slight flare near the hem and scalloped edging used all around, including onto the small train
Did you find this little breakdown helpful? Hopefully it means that when it comes to your bridal outfit, you have a better idea of how to talk about what you want 🥰
If you want to see what this dress looked like on the day of the wedding, have a look at this week`s earlier post.
How effortlessly gorgeous is Karah? 😍 she looks like if Wednesday Adams grew up and decided to wear white to her wedding...do you know what I mean?
When Karah approached me, she wanted a layered gown in scrolling ivory floral lace with a corset inspired by the late (and very great) Vivienne Westwood.
There are so many details of this dress I love; the lace up back, the buttons on the sleeves, the high, Victorian-inspired neckline, and of course that big, dramatic veil!
If you would like your dream wedding dress, made to reflect your personality and compliment your body perfectly, then drop me a DM!
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Photographer: @storyintime
#viviennewestwoodweddingdress #viviennewestwood
#corset #corseted #corsetweddingdress #victoriana
#modernvictorian #victorianweddingdress #bespokeweddingdress #bespokebridal #bespokebride #bespokedressmaker #laceweddingdress #surreydressmaker #londondressmaker #seamstress #dorking #alternativebride
Curious about the steps to take towards getting your wedding dress altered? Here are my tips for making your alteration journey a smooth and pleasant one.
1. Finding options
The shop where you find your dress might have a list of recommendations, or have their own in-house seamstress. You can also ask friends who they have used (and more importantly, liked).
2. Choosing a seamstress you can trust
Check online reviews. You can get a good sense of their professionalism from the look of their website or when you visit their work space. Getting undressed and trusting someone with your wedding dress is an intimate process so it’s important to pick someone you feel comfortable with.
3. Book early
Ideally, as soon as you have bought you dress. Seamstresses usually get booked up months ahead, especially in the busy spring and summer months. I normally recommend alterations are started 6-8 weeks before your wedding day.
4. Have realistic budgets expectations
Most wedding dress alterations with me cost between £300-£500 total, though this depends on the work that needs doing. Don`t assume that alteration costs will be proportional to the cost of your dress. Buying a cheap dress that needs a lot of work can end up costing as much or more than a more expensive dress that needs very little changing.
6. Buy a dress that is close to your size
Choosing a dress as close as possible to your actual size will give the best result. Making a dress smaller is much easier than expanding one.
If you have any more questions about the altering process, pop them in the comments!
