I created a bespoke chanitlly lace wedding dress for lovely Harriet. We started the design with a boned bodice. The sweetheart neckline was covered with the delicate French Chantilly lace. The lace layer has a boat neckline and elbow length sleeves. The a-line skirt is layered satin and silk organza with a small train and...
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...
Just before lockdowns began in 2020 I created an Indian Fusion wedding dress for a photoshoot with a London team of suppliers. We wanted to create inspiration for the many mixed culture weddings being planned in the UK. I showcased my fusion wedding dress design skills with an ensemble of ivory silk top, skirt and...
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...
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 beautiful wedding dress for mid-size bride, Claire. She commissioned a light and elegant dress made in layered ivory silk dupion and organza with silver beaded lace applique. Official photographs by www.rubielovephotography.co.uk I made the main dress from ivory silk dupion with a fitted and boned bodice and sweetheart neckline. A layer of...
Bow-tie’s and Cummerbund for Irene’s Groomsmen Irene had her Mother of the bride dress and coat made by Felicity and then commissioned accessories made in matching fabrics for her husband and various members of the bridal party The bow-ties were made in different fabrics for each member of the bridal party. Irene’s husband had blue/gold...
This is Hannah’s organza waterfall fishtail wedding dress which was a ‘restyle’ rather than made from scratch. She found the almost perfect dress in a bridal boutique but brought it to me to have the skirt changed to the organza waterfall loveliness she craved. Official photography by Adebayo Deru Whole circles of crisp pale ivory...
Whether for a small an intimate elopement or a traditional country wedding with a marquee and hundreds of guests, a traditional long sleeve lace wedding dress ticks all the boxes. Issie’s dress was made with a boned satin bodice with pretty lace overlay. Long sleeves and a boat neckline were trimmed with a pretty scalloped...
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!
~
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!
~
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!
