This off the shoulder long sleeve wedding dress was a delight to make. Alison commissioned a soft floaty gown in silk satin and tulle for her wedding in 2008. The dress was cut with simple princess seams and a fitted, lightly boned bodice with invisible zip back closure. I created the soft look through the...
Posts from Felicity Westmacott
"Everyone at the wedding said my dress looked amazing, I had so many lovely comments! Thank you again for making my dress fit so perfectly!"โ
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What more can I say? Another successful alteration, another happy bride - job done!โ
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If you`re interested in getting your dress altered for this year, you better hurry since my slots for 2026 are filling up fast! For more info, visit my website (link in bio).โ
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Photography - @dandjweddingphotography
A few days` ago I shared with you some of the adorable christening gowns I`ve made, but let`s not forget the sweet little suits and waistcoats too!โ
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Like with the christening gowns and dresses, I try to incorporate some elements of baby`s mum`s wedding dress or dad`s suit. For example, in the 3rd photo, baby G has a mini-me waist that is an exact copy of his daddy`s.โ
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For the little suit in the 5th photo, I used fabrics left over from mummyโs wedding dress to create an 18th century style waistcoat, cravat and trousers for their little boy. Doesn`t he look so dapper?โ
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I think it`s wonderful when a wedding gown can live past its big day, whether that be re-purposing, upcycling, passing it on to someone else or as a christening outfit. The possibilities are endless!โ
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If you`d never thought about upcycling your wedding dress before, maybe now you might consider it. And as always, my door is always open if you want to have a chat about how you might go about doing that.โ
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Photography (#1 and #2) - @charlottelouisephotography
It`s spring! And spring is about fresh starts and new life! So I wanted to focus on a very cute part of my job - creating dresses for babies out of their mothers` wedding gowns.โ
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In the first two photo we have Eleanor, whose dress I made in 2010 and then six years later I made a christening gown out of the spare material for little Baby A. I always try to keep as many of the details from the original dress in the new design - here I kept the box pleated frills from the bottom of Eleanor`s dress, as well as that beautiful embroidered silk. Seeing baby and mother, both in their gowns is just too adorable! ๐โ
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In the 4th photo you can see another wedding dress next to the christening gown I made from it. And in the following photo, where I made two outfits from one dress (that little romper is one of my faves).โ
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I don`t always make christening outfits by upcycling wedding dresses, but when I do I really enjoy the challenge of interpreting the design for little bodies, whether the original design is mine or not. I think it`s a lovely way of respecting the original designer and also as a way of linking a big day in their mother`s life, to a big day in theirs.โ
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Let me know in the comments; would you ever re-purpose your wedding dress?โ
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Photography (#8 and #9) - @charlottelouisephotography
This Bridgerton-inspired wedding dress is so versatile!
Of course, underneath everything there first needs to be the proper shapewear to give that Regency pillar silhouette, in the form of stays and a petticoat.
Then along comes this beautiful white and gold duchess satin dress.
And this is where the fun begins...
I created some many different accessories and options for this outfit:
You can add something deeply dramatic, with a period-accurate presentation train. This one is super long and gilded in gold lace.
Or you could go for some detachable puff sleeves, finished with an ornate pearl trim.
Then there`s the bow, which can be added on top of the train, or just straight onto the dress, with the long sash-tends working as a sort of mini train.
And of course, the final, and most essential accessory for a look like this: fun, whimsy and a love for the dramatic. It also helps if you`re obsessed with this current season of Bridgerton, of course...
Which Bridgerton character can you imagine wearing this bridal look?
If you think this might be the dress for you, it`s currently for sale on my Etsy page (๐ in bio) - it`s heavily discounted compared to my usual bespoke orders, so claim her whilst you can!
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The hair matches the wedding dress! The hair matches the wedding dress! How many brides can say they had a rainbow dress and rainbow hair for their wedding day? Honestly, looking at all this colour brings me so much joy!โ
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Bryony is a gorgeous alternative woman, with tattoos, piercings and a wicked sense of humour, so she needed a dress that could match her. She had already chosen this beautiful gown when she contacted me, but that was only the start of its journey to the aisle. โ
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Along with a few alterations, I dip dyed her dress, along with the tulle shoulder bows, to make this feast for the eyes - bright, vibrant colours to match Bryony`s bright, vibrant soul.โ
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And if you`re asking yourself, "well, if it`s a rainbow, where`s the green?", I think the greenness of their outdoor wedding finishes off the rainbow perfect.โ
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If you can`t stop staring at this dress, drop me and DM, and bring some colour to your wedding this year. โ
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Photography - @alexandra_weddingsโ
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#altbride #ukbride #2026bride #dipdyeweddingdress
A little look into the process of dip dying this gorgeous wedding dress. โ
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The dress itself was chiffon and sequined lace, and my job was to make it just a little less white and a whole lot more fun. โ
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This gradient has seven different colours; buttercup yellow, tangerine orange, cherry red, magenta, grape purple and sky blue.โ
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I added each layer of colour gradually. Instead of marking out where each colour begins and ends, I used my skills and decades of experience to measure by eye, judging when the balance of colours and the blend of gradients was just right.โ
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Since the dress was layered, I had to build this ombre effect twice, and make sure they matched. And then I split the rainbow and dyed one shoulder bow one half, and the other side, the other half.โ
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Which colour is your favourite?โ
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If you want to see more photos of this dress on Bryony`s wedding day, I`ll be posting a full set in a few days` time, so why not follow me for more whimsical bridal content?โ
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Photography - @alexandra_weddings
