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...
Lisa wanted an elegant Santorini blue dipdye wedding dress, with hints of Grecian style for her destination wedding in Greece. After a lot of trial and error, I managed to create what I think is the most perfect, vibrant sky blue. I love how this dress turned out, from the peek-a-boo shoulders, to the floaty...
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...
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...
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...
Rachel contacted me wanting a bespoke early 1910s inspired bridal look. Of all the brides I’ve worked with, she was the one who wanted the dress to be the most historically correct. Although not exact (for example, we didn’t include any corseting), she wanted a period accurate silhouette. During our chats, consultations and fittings I...
This bride was looking for a UK seamstress and found me online. She then approached me, asking if I could make her an elegant couture dress with ruching, pleating and a statement bow. The end result is this opulent, bespoke, bronze gold wedding dress. We combined 1950’s and Elizabethan style details to create a modern,...
Rebecca wanted a Victorian-inspired wedding dress made in deep forest green and ivory silk dupion. We prioritised historical accuracy with this gown, from the custom-made corset underneath, to the embroidered bustle, all the way down to the layers of knife pleats around the skirt. Photography – Yuriy Nutsa Photograhy and Babb Photo Why wear that...
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...
Alice commissioned bespoke silver silk ties and matching hankies for her groom, his best man and ushers. I made the ties in a modern style, from the same silver silk satin as the bridesmaids sashes. Handkerchiefs to match completed the ensemble. Making Bespoke Ties Ties are made ‘cut on the bias’ which means they are...
Posts from Felicity Westmacott
It`s time to announce the first of two prizes that I`ll be contributing to the Wed4Pal fundraising raffle 🍉
I`m proud to be part of the Wed4Pal fundraiser, giving you the chance to win a Bridal Alterations Package in a raffle, meaning you could win a package worth up to to £600, for alterations of size or style to your wedding dress or outfit, for as little as £45! This is just one way in which my business is taking a stand against genocide, apartheid and injustice.
This package can include all the usual type of sizing alterations to an off the peg dress. For example, taking in the bust waist and/or hip, taking up the hem and/or shortening the train. Straps or sleeves adjusted, bust pads added and putting in a bustle-up for the train. It can also include changes to the style of the dress such as changing the neckline shape, adding straps or sleeves (fabric not included), changing a back fastening to buttons, lace-up or zip. As well as adding embellishment, lace applique, beading or embroidery.
100% of ticket sales (minus mandatory transaction fees) will go towards addressing the genocide in Palestine, with 50% going to Pal Humanity (an organisation providing medical aid, education and lifesaving supplies in Northern Gaza) and 50% going to gorgeous Gazan couple, Sama and Khalil, and their families to help them sustain and rebuild their lives.
More of a bargain and far more ethical than any Black Friday deal going, you can now buy tickets for our raffle prize until 14th February. Buy your tickets today and find out on Valentine’s Day if you’ve won!
You can find out more about our amazing prize, check out the terms and conditions and buy your tickets by following the link to the fundraiser in @wed4pal bio or head straight to http://www.amostcuriousweddingfair.co.uk
Photography
1 - Natalia Case Photography
2 - Anna Pumer Photography
3 - Adam Lowndes
4 - Stephanie Kalber
5 - Mira Malovana
6 - I-DoProductions
Illustrations: @karin_akesson_design
Image description: a bride sits on a chaise longue, hand on hip, other hand holding a champagne flute. She is in a daring metallic silver lace wedding dress, perfectly fitted to her body.
Wed4Pal is an amazing fundraising effort, where loads of wedding industry supplier have donated products and services, giving you a chance to win some truly gorgeous prizes. 100% of ticket sales (minus mandatory transaction fees) will go towards addressing the genocide in Palestine, which is a cause I continue to feel extremely passionately about.
I`ve got two very exciting prizes that I`ll be announcing in the coming days, but for now I wanted to share some of the other goodies you could be in the chance of winning, including:
1 - A5 watercolour couple painting by Chloe Sami Live Painter
2 - Bespoke Dried Flower Bouquet and Six Dried Flower and Silk Ribbon button Holes by Sweet Pea Rosa
3 - 2-tiered wedding cake that could feed 100 guests by Cakes by Jazlins
4 - Bee Davies Illustration Custom Painting on Your Jacket
5 - Up to 50 A.R.D Bakery Wedding Favour Chocolate Boxes
There are over 40 raffles running as part of the fundraiser with incredible prizes from cakes to ceremonies to photography, videography, art, flowers and more. There are also some awesome suppliers you can book directly, who will donate a portion of their fees or sales to the fundraiser. You can check them out on the @wed4pal Instagram page.
Illustrations: @karin_akesson_design
Image description: Felicity Westmacott sits, smiling at the camera. Behind her are twinkling lights and pink flowers. There is a graphic overlaid on the image with reads "with my raffle prize wed4pal raffles".
When you have two bespoke wedding dresses on your sample rail that are perfect for both Elphaba and Glinda, and with Wicked For Good having come out, it felt rude not to!
Wicked has done an amazing job of bringing bright, bold fashion back to our attention, which is so exciting. But I`ve had many Elphaba and Glinda brides way before they came to the big screen. Brides who are up for going on an adventure with me to conjure up their perfect wedding look.
I might not be the Wizard of Oz, but I am the Dress Alchemist after all 😉
(shout out to my social media manager, Elodie, for stepping in and being the Elphaba to my Glinda. If you`re looking for your own magical media witch, you can find them at www.brightbeemedia.co.uk)
The dress on the stand vs. the dress in action✨
I made the Poinsettia dress last Christmas for my window display. I never would have predicted that it would be spotted by Rosie, who then bought it and wore it for the 2025 Miss Great Britain pageant!
My bespoke designs have been used for all sorts of events. Weddings mainly (obviously), but parties, anniversaries and proms too. But this might be the first time one of my gowns has been seen on the stage of a pageant. And doesn`t Rosie look so serenely glamorous? The perfect model for this sparkly, elegant dress. And she placed in the top 10. Well done Rosie!
From Design to Destination...
Isn`t it funny how art has to go through so many strange, messy stages before it emerges as something complete?
The Poinsettia wedding dress was the first bespoke dress I ever made with the sole intention of using it in my window display. I wanted something sparkly and subtly festive to brighten Dorking High Street, where my shop is.
But before that I had to do what I always do - begin the strange dance with fabric, needle and thread. Starting with the very simple base, and slowly but surely building something beautiful. Poinsettia is a flower associated with the Christmas season, so it felt right to draw inspiration from its shape (as opposed to its vibrant red colour) and feature these stunning sequin statement flowers on the bust and hip.
My dresses often have second and third lives after I`ve made them, whether I plan for it or not. And this one is no exception. After it glistened in my shop window for the winter, it was used, funnily enough, for a summer wedding shoot. And after that for something even more unusual. But more about that in the next post...
Summer Shoot Photography - @KalaWeddings.UK
You might’ve noticed that I can get quite particular about language. I think it’s important, especially when that word can carry a lot of meaning. When words get misused, you as a consumer might get mis-sold something.
An example of this is the word ‘vintage’, which now gets tacked onto the description of any garment, whether or not it actually is vintage. Often the item just looks like it’s from an older period of fashion, and for many sellers now, that’s good enough to warrant the label ‘vintage’ (which it’s not).
‘Bespoke’ is another of those words. The word comes from ‘to bespeak’, which means, to ask for. Like someone walking into carpentry workshop and asking for something completely new to be made to their exact specifications.
Anything can be bespoke, if it has been asked for, to be made especially to your requirements and preferences. You often hear it in the context of bespoke suits, but the term doesn’t belong to any one industry.
When it comes to wedding dresses, you have a few options. Off-the-peg, which is what it sounds like. Then there’s custom or made-to-measure, which both describe when something is adjusted or changed. You might order a dress where there are options to customise the length, the sleeves, the neckline etc.
But true bespoke is something different. It’s a dress that’s been designed and made completely from scratch. Completely to your measurements and your ideas. With several stages of fittings and adjustments, to ensure it’s exactly how you want it. It’s an entirely unique garment, and this is why the price of a bespoke dress can be so much more than something off-the-peg or made-to-measure.
So, next time something online claims to be ‘bespoke’, now you know what to look for to make sure you’re not being tricked into pay more for less.
