I made a green and gold waterfall train wedding dress for my own wedding day in 2007. Having worked so much in ivory and white I decided to be bright and colourful. And anyway I donโt think white or ivory suits my very pale skin well at all! I made my dress with a boned...
Keely commissioned a pale blue fairytale wedding dress. I made it in layered blue and ivory tulle over shot taffeta with ruched detailing and subtle sequin highlights. Official photographs by www.simonhooleyphotography.co.uk This dress is now for sale as a pre-loved dress as worn for this wedding and now available for re-sale. You can see details...
Suzanne commissioned a pretty tea length brown wedding dress and bolero made up in taffeta and chiffon. I made her knee-length dress with a fitted and boned bodice. She wanted a gentle sweet-heart shaped neckline and slim straps. We chose a beautiful shot taffeta (shot pink/green/ivory) with chocolate chiffon on top and I โplaitedโ the...
Butterfly wing dress with pale blue green edging and hand beading. Official Wedding pictures by Kate Bellinger Photography I made Katie a simple ivory satin dress with sweetheart neckline and halter strap. The bias-cut skirt flows from the underbust line with silk georgette โwingโ panels laid over the top. I created the wings to extend...
Vicki commissioned a chiffon cowl back wedding dress in ivory soft satin and Georgette with hand appliquรฉd lace. Official photographs by Vivien Woods A short video of Vikkiโs dress being worn here: Vickiโs Dress The dress has and empire line bodice, lightly boned with a sweetheart neckline and shaped straps. The skirt was made of...
I created a bespoke wedding dress Berkshire for Juliaโs 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...
Aine commissioned a 1950โs short wedding dress made up in white taffeta. Wedding photography by Michael Dillon The dress has a fitted and boned bodice with square shaped neckline and invisible zip back closure. The flared, knee length skirt has soft white tulle peeking out below. I decorated both the waistline and neckline with white...
I made this bespoke wedding dress Guildford for beautiful Nicola. I made a simple and elegant dress in pale gold and buttermilk coloured soft silk satin and ivory beaded lace. The dress has a fitted and softly boned bodice in layered silk and lace with the pretty scalloped edging used to soften the line of...
Being an older bride does not mean you have to conform to anyoneโs idea of how a โmature ladyโ 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...
Posts from Felicity Westmacott
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 ๐
(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 actionโจ
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...โ
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Isn`t it funny how art has to go through so many strange, messy stages before it emerges as something complete?โ
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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. โ
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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.โ
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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...โ
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Summer Shoot Photography - @KalaWeddings.UK
You mightโve noticed that I can get quite particular about language. I think itโs 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 โvintageโ, which now gets tacked onto the description of any garment, whether or not it actually is vintage. Often the item just looks like itโs from an older period of fashion, and for many sellers now, thatโs good enough to warrant the label โvintageโ (which itโs not).
โBespokeโ is another of those words. The word comes from โto bespeakโ, 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 doesnโt 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 thereโs 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. Itโs a dress thatโs been designed and made completely from scratch. Completely to your measurements and your ideas. With several stages of fittings and adjustments, to ensure itโs exactly how you want it. Itโs 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 โbespokeโ, now you know what to look for to make sure youโre not being tricked into pay more for less.
I won! ๐ฅณ๐๐ฅโ
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Last night was the Wedding Industry Awards (as if you didn`t already know) and I was up for two categories: Bespoke Bridal and Bridal Alterations. And I am now the regional winner for the Independent Dressmaker/Designer category!โ
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I am so so pleased to have gotten this far, and I couldn`t have managed it without the amazing support of all you lovely lot. So thank you thank you thank you! ๐ to those who took the time to vote, to those who sent me beautiful messages, to those who got excited for me. Thank you!โ
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And thank you to the @twia_official team as well! What a gorgeous night.โ
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Next step: the National awards. Let`s see what happens...โ
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Tonight is the Wedding Industry Awards! I`m in the running for two awards, which is all very exciting! ๐
Since it`s such a special occasion, I decided to design and make myself a dress. That way, regardless of the outcome, I`ll feel like a winner. I rarely have time to make myself anything, so this felt rather lovely.
I used some gorgeous pink coloured silk chiffon, lined with pale gold silk satin, finished off with velvet ribbon. I started making the dress at 11am yesterday, and I finished it at 3pm today. Now I just have to finish making the bolero to go with it as well. I think we`re gonna make it! ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ
