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...
Clare wanted something pretty but informal and not too ‘wedding’ for her special day. She knew from the start that a rose pink informal wedding dress was the way forward. She brought a skirt she loved to her design consultation with gorgeous little godet flare inserts at the back which we used as a basis...
I created a bespoke wedding dress Berkshire for Julia’s in a grand stately home. So her dress needed to compliment this and her figure. I designed this elegant dress made in gold silk duchess satin and rose gold lace. Official photography by sophieduckworthphotography.com The dress has a fitted and boned bodice with a plunge neckline...
Being an older bride does not mean you have to conform to anyone’s idea of how a ‘mature lady’ should dress and I love that Barbara lived her dream! I made an Edwardian lace wedding dress made from duchess satin and beaded Guipure lace. The dress is trimmed with gathered lace flounces and groups of...
I made Sarah-Louise’s classic beaded lace bespoke wedding dress in ruched silk georgette with a gentle fishtail flare. The lace over-bodice had scalloped edging and a button back. Official photographs by Sebastian Lomas The classic beaded lace bespoke wedding dress was made in two parts. I made a strapless underdress in ivory silk Georgette (a...
I made a set with a Navy blue silk bridesmaid dress and two flower girl boleros for Catherine’s cathedral wedding. The grand setting called for classic designs. Catherine bought her flower girl dresses off the peg and elevated them with bespoke boleros in midnight blue silk. We styled them to match the bride’s wedding coat...
Catherine got married at Guildford Cathedral in December so her silk mikado wedding coat and dress ensemble worked perfectly for the weather and spectacular venue. Official photography by taylormadeimagery I design a simple and elegant long wedding coat in ivory silk Mikado with slight lip and plunge v-neckline and criss-cross ribbon waist detail. The long...
Victoria commissioned this stunning dress in royal blue silk dupion and lace. I made fit and flare blue bespoke mother of the bride dress was lightly boned with ruching from underbust to an asymmetric line under the hip. The fitted bodice had a sweetheart neckline and was covered in scrolling lace which was also used...
Pink silk halterneck dress and jacket with Swarovski detail Georgina commissioned this glamorous bespoke mother of the bride Kent. I made her a pink silk halterneck dress and jacket for her daughter’s summer wedding. I made it in pink silk crepe with a fuchsia lining and Swarovski crystal embellishment. I designed her slim fitting dress...
Susan asked me to make her this stunning forest green velvet mother of the bride dress. The dramatic plunge back and colourful embellishment contrasts with the understated and simple elegance of the front. Official photographs by Feather & Birch Photography I design the dress with princess seams, knee length with boat neckline at the front....
Posts from Felicity Westmacott
I am *obsessed* with this vintage wedding dress restyle!
Merissa brought her 1990s bridal two-piece ensemble to me, looking for it to be restyled into her dream wedding dress. And we ended up with some so cute, chic and coquettish.
The bodice, with its off-shoulder neckline, didn’t change much, style-wise. We just did a few alterations to make it fit better. The skirt, however, was a different story.
The original skirt was completely deconstructed, and those panels of fabric were used to make a shorter mini skirt, gathered in at the waist and with a pleat detail at the front. Then, with extra, matched fabric, we made a new skirt for the ceremony. In the same style as short skirt, but floor length, with a train and netting underneath, for that perfect 80s/90s silhouette.
Which version do you prefer – full length skirt or miniskirt?
If you want to see how Merissa looked on the day, check out my previous post!
#alterations #2026bride #weddingdress #upcycle
This outfit is such a vibe ✨️ I loved working on this vintage 90s two-piece.
If you want to see the adorable miniskirt I made to go with this wedding outfit, I`ll be posting about that next. Why not follow along for regular dose of whimsical alternative bridal inspiration for 2026?
Photography - @dillonkin
What should I do with my wedding dress once it`s served its purpose?
It`s a question a lot of brides ask themselves after their wedding day is done.
I`m a big fan of upcycling and repurposing, and I`ve had the chance to give second life to quite a few wedding dresses now. Including this conversion of a vintage wedding dress that had its first outing about 25 years ago.
With a big anniversary party coming up, this client wanted to be able to wear her dress, but transformed. Keeping it for the priceless sentimental value it holds, but also updating it to reflect who she is now.
So, with a few little changes, she had something completely new and very chic.
We took the bodice off completely and finished the waistline to make a lovely skirt, still with the details of the original dress. To make it more wearable for other events, we also brought the hem up and took train completely off.
I think she looks so stylish, and I hope she finds occasion to wear this little piece of her own history for years to come.
If your wedding dress has been left untouched for years (or decades even), and you would love to be able to honour it a new way, then get in touch and let me work my dressmaking alchemy.
#alteration #upcycling #weddingdressmaker #bespokeweddingdress #upcycle #vintageweddingdress #slowfashion #reuse #sustainablefashion
I`m continuing to celebrate @michele_and_graziella this week by featuring the photoshoot where I finally got to hire them for my own Strictly Ballroom wedding photoshoot.
Not only were they the perfect models for my vision, with a gorgeous mix of masc and femme, and so much natural chemistry, they were also so professional and lovely to work with. And although neither of them are dancers, they conveyed the spirit of the Latin dances we were paying homage to expertly.
They are both so experienced and talented that every photograph they`re in is just stunning. It is such a pleasure to see my bespoke designs modelled by them. Hopefully our paths will cross again in the future 🤞🏻
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
So far, as part of my celebration for Pride, I`ve featured queer wedding inspiration and queer clients, but I want to amplify real LGBTQ+ talent too.
@michele_and_graziella are a real couple and also a model couple, who I met during a cabaret-themed wedding shoot. Then, a few month`s later, they happened to be the models hired for a completely different shoot I was involved in. It was so lovely to see them again, and hear their excitement about wearing more of my designs.
I was so impressed with how well they managed to nail the vibes of two such contrasting wedding set ups. One bold, loud and full of attitude, and the other soft and gentle.
When it came time for me to pick models for my own Strictly Ballroom-inspired wedding shoot, asking Michele and Graziella was a no-brainer. But that`s for another post...
Which of these two photoshoots is more your vibe?
Cabaret shoot:
Organiser & hairstylist @bighair.energy
Model couple @michele_and_graziella
Bridal party models @isabella_posenato @nnastia.photography @kelly_marie_wheeler.model
Wedding dress @felicitywestmacott
Celebrant @jessmayspecialdays
Stationery @theamyverseweddings
Photographer @magpie.eye.weddings
MUA @joannehook_mua
Videographer @richieashwinuk
Cake @theblueboxcakecompany
Accessories @thelucky6pence
Styling/floristry @ashdownevents
Streamers @streamadelica_uk
Coordinator @dani.singam
Periwinkle shoot:
Concept, Planning and Styling: @lucywellsweddings
Venue: @thebarnatsomersbury
Floral design: @helleboreandrose
Floral assistant: @intothewildflowerfarm
Photographer: @chloemartin_photography_
Videographer: @molehillmedia
Models:@michele_and_graziella
Celebrant: @celebratewithverity
Hair and makeup:@idomakeupandhair_
Cakes: @lauraspantry
Bridal wear:@felicitywestmacott
Stationery: @theamyverseweddings
Ribbons: @laikstyle
Table linen: @theknottednapkinco
Decor, props and styling assistance: @surreyweddingcompany
Bridal shoes: @theprettyweddingshoecompany
Tableware: @crystalhireltd
Jemma had her wedding anniversary party coming up and wanted to restyle her wedding dress into something new and fun.
She brought in her wedding dress and told me about her planned party outfit being a gorgeous magenta jumpsuit. So my challenge was to figure out how to blend these two, quite contrasting styles, into one look.
As we talked through her options, we landed on a custom dipdye overskirt with an open front. This would mean she could keep the drama of the dress train, and the beauty of the sequined lace, whilst also being able to dance to her heart’s content.
For the dipdye, she chose to reverse the usual order of colours, going from darkest at the top, to lightest travelling down, in purples and pinks to compliment the jumpsuit.
I unpicked the lace layer from the original dress, hand dyed the tulle, and added it underneath the skirt. For a final touch, I sewed on some pretty scalloped lace around the waistline to create the join with Jemma’s jumpsuit.
I love seeing a wedding dress continuing its life beyond its wedding day. This was such a brilliant idea, and the result is so vibrant and playful.
Has your wedding dress had a second life since the big day?
#dipdyeweddingdress #upcycledweddingdress #colourfulweddingdress #weddingdressrestyle
