My favourite type of dress to make is an historically inspired wedding dresses. My whole career has stemmed but an interest in costume history. I began by colouring in photocopied pages from my mother’s fashion history books. This led an arts degree in costume design for the stage and screen. Making costumes is not only...
For this styled wedding shoot, the aim was to create an atmosphere that was dark, dramatic and regal. We used royal purple, lavender, deep burgundy and vibrant cerise as our colour palette, with plenty of gilded gold highlights. And no white! This was the inspiration for my dark fairytale feather wedding dress. My design was...
Posts from Felicity Westmacott
The Inspiration vs. The Wedding Dress
The first image is what Barbara brought to her design consultation as a basis for her Edwardian lace wedding dress. And the next images are how it turned out.
Being an older bride doesn`t mean you have to conform to anyone’s idea of how a ‘mature lady’ should dress and I love that Barbara lived her dream! It`s also very exciting to me when a bride wants a historically-inspired look, and the Edwardian period is one of my favourites.
I made this dress using duchess satin and beaded Guipure lace, and trimmed it with gathered lace flounces and groups of pink flowers. The dress is actually made in three pieces, with the base dress, an over-bodice with long sleeves and a high collar, and a removable presentation train.
If you`ve got a specific vision for your dress, be in it period-specific, or something completely original, I`d love to hear about it. Drop me a DM and let`s chat!
For this elegant, forest green wedding dress, I spent a lot of hours working on the pièce de résistance; the beaded collar. Sometimes doing things over and over again can be strangely peaceful, and sometimes it can be utterly mind-numbing. And sometimes it`s a bit of column A and a bit of column B! 😂
The rest of the dress was kept classic and simple, so that this design element would really shine (literally)! I used an array of styles and shapes of beads in peacock colours - blood red, deep garnet, teal, vibrant purple and sparkling gold. I then played around with design ideas, taking inspiration from the art deco era, incorporating a lot of symmetry and geometry. Once I was happy with the layout, I transferred the design onto the fabric and began many many many hours of hand-beading.
It`s always a relief when I`m finally finished with a project like this, to be able to step back and see the finished dress and think "ah, that was completely worth it." 😌
If you want to see what this dress looked like on the day of the wedding, have a look at my previous post 🌿
#weddingdress #bridetobe #weddinginspiration #2025bride #2026bride
Isn`t this English country wedding so pretty? The sun shining, drinking bubbly on the lawn, surrounded by friends and family.
When talking to Janet about her wedding dress ideas, I was so excited she chose to go for this gorgeous, emerald colour for her wedding dress. Non-traditional colours don`t have to mean a non-traditional look.
Janet looks so elegant and regal in this simple, floor length wedding dress.
The layers of silk and chiffon meant this dress floated when she walked, and pooled around her in gorgeous puddles of green satin when sitting. Just stunning.
If you want to see more photos from this wedding, I recently blogged about it: https://felicitywestmacott.co.uk/forest-green-beaded-wedding-dress
"I just wanted to say a huge thank you for creating my silky Kimono outfit with the lovely obi to complement it.
You were so accommodating and helpful with all my fluffy requests and did everything to interpret my muddled ideas to create something so very special.
I had so many sincere complements from complete strangers asking me questions about where I got my outfit from and how much they loved it. I felt so comfortable too.
I can’t thank you enough. You truly work magic with your immense skills & talents!"
I love working with mother of the brides (or grooms). Especially those with such a well defined sense of style. Working on a wedding dress can sometimes have some limitations, but with a MOTB outfit, it can really be anything you want it to be!
For this MOTB, I created a soft and flowing three piece set in vibrant blue, as well as an obi-inspired belt in a contrasting fabric.
I offer mother of the bride or groom ensembles created from design to completion to suit your figure and style, from dresses to jackets, as well as two-piece and three-piece ensembles.
Have a look at my website for more examples (link in the bio).
When Iram saw the custom Asian fusion wedding trousers and top that I had made for a bridal shoot, she decided she had to have them for her own London wedding – and I don’t blame her! This outfit looks perfect on her. It`s the ideal look for a chic, modern, summer wedding.
The ‘Evie’ separates comprise of a beautiful wedding top and trouser set with beaded waistband for a bride who is not afraid to make a statement. And Iram was definitely not afraid! She exudes chilled, modern bride energy in this cool and comfortable combo.
If you love this custom Asian fusion wedding trousers, you can find the Evie bridal separates on my Etsy 💜
Photography @saidigitaluk
“I fell in love with Felicity’s design from the moment I saw it online, and seeing it come to life was even better! She helped me customise the outfit with small changes which made it even more special. Felicity made sure the fit was perfect before she let me take the outfit home and I’m so thankful for her attention to detail.
I was so comfortable on the day, and loved every minute of wearing my wedding outfit. It went beautifully with the indo-western, city wedding vibe I was looking for. No other outfit would have met the brief so well, and Felicity was always responsive to any questions or requests I had throughout the whole process.”
After her wedding, Iram messaged me to say she plans to dye her bridal separates so that they can be worn again and again. I love the idea that this bridal outfit will have a life beyond the wedding day 🥰
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Photographer: @saidigitaluk
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#realbride #weddingseparates #bridalseparates #bridetobe #bride #modernbride #bridal #bespokeweddingdress #weddingstyle #indowesternwedding #indowestern #indowesternbride
