For this bespoke wedding dress photoshoot in Hertfordshire, we created an autumnal woodland wedding. We chose a colour palette of burnt orange, red, burgundy and pink, with accents of white and gold. Everything was handmade including the bunting, macrame and tablescape, for a truly bespoke feel. This wedding is for the kind of bride who...
For this bespoke wedding dress photoshoot in Hampshire, we wanted to evoke the feeling of a fairy tale. Of a princess being whisked away by her prince, of magic, whimsy and romance. The colours we wanted to focus on were blush pink, various shades of green and deep burgundy. All inspired by the colours found...
Angie wanted a blue halter neck wedding dress for her special day. As a mature bride I encouraged her to have whatever she wanted and I love that is had the confidence to live our her fantasy wedding dress dreams. Choosing a colour instead of white can be more flattering to the mature figure and...
For this Marie Antoinette wedding dress photoshoot, we took inspiration from the aesthetic of Bridgeton. I think we ended up with something slightly different, but equally wonderful, don’t you think? Our colour scheme was pastels; blush, pinks, coral, creamy ivory and hints of baby blue and gold. We wanted to evoke something romantic and ethereal...
I designed this custom wedding dress, made in Surrey, for a spring wedding photoshoot. Along with the chic bridal separates. The shoot took place at Somersbury Barn, a beautiful oak framed barn nestled in the idyllic Surrey countryside. This gorgeous venue, complete with a stunning Victorian glasshouse was the initial inspiration for our shoot planner...
I created this couture Cruella Deville wedding dress for a Cruella themed wedding photoshoot in London. I was very lucky to get the blessing of award-winning costume design (and personal friend), Jenny Beavan. Jenny designed the costumes for the 2021 live action Cruella and her designs formed the inspiration for this bridal look. All the...
I made a traditional lace wedding dress for Sofia’s wedding day. My design echoes the classic lines of Grace Kelly’s famous 1956 wedding dress, designed by Helen Rose. The simple boned bodice with sweetheart neckline and bold lace over-lay extending up to a higher boat neck. The lace had a wide scalloped edge which we...
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...
For this forest wildflower wedding dress, I wanted to take inspiration from nature. Especially since the ceremony for this shoot took place outdoors, it felt right to try and incorporate those elements into the dress. This is the kind of look for a bride who loves meadow flowers, like cornflowers and poppies. For a bride...
Catherine wanted a flamboyant and theatrical two-piece bridal ensemble in red and white, with feathers, sparkle and a lot of tulle. This red feather masquerade wedding dress is the result. The drama of this dress is so exciting to me, and as someone who’s educational background is in theatre design, this one couldn’t have been...
Posts from Felicity Westmacott
Since 1753, when the Marriage Act first came into existence, UK marriage law has come a long way. Some things have taken much longer than they should have (I`m looking at you, 1991 and 2013, 2023). But there`s still more than can be done. The association of @independentcelebrants is campaigning for the UK government to follow the recommendations of the 2022 wedding law reform report.
"At least 10,000 wedding ceremonies a year in England and Wales are led by independent celebrants. These ceremonies are perfectly legal to hold, but as it stands a celebrant cannot perform a legally binding marriage – that part must be done separately, meaning added inconvenience and cost for couples."
I`m all about supporting couples to have the wedding day of their dream, and that rarely includes having to find time and money to go to the registry office.
If you want to help with this, then you can spread awareness! Share this post, or make your own. Talk about it with friends and family. And once you`ve done that, you can always get in touch with your local MP. The Independent Celebrants website has a PDF guide to help you with how to go about doing that.
Is this an issue you`re aware of? Is there anything I`ve missed out?
#ChangeWeddingLaw #SpeakUpForCelebrants #LegaliseCelebrantWeddings
I created this Regency-inspired wedding dress for a Bridgerton themed wedding shoot. I used modern fabrics like tulle, beaded lace and shantung, but with period accurate details like the empire line waist, square neckline and boned stays (corset).
I love to work with versality when it comes to my creations, so the dress was designed with multiple layers; the main dress has an embroidered tulle bodice and asymmetric beaded lace skirt. A lilac and pink dip-dyed tulle skirt can be added over the floral train of the main dress for some dreamy ombre magic. A lilac silk dupion `spencer jacket` with hand appliqued beaded lace completes the ensemble.
All these options make it possible to have lots of different looks throughout your wedding day.
Which Bridgerton character can you imagine wearing this outfit?
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#regencyweddingdress #bridgerton #historicalweddingdress #periodwedding #colouredweddingdress #dipdyeweddingdress #surreydressmaker #londondressmaker #vintagebride #romanticbride #weddingveil #purpleweddingdress #bespokeweddingdress #fantasyballgown
Now and again I`ll take one of the wedding dresses I`ve made, and break down some of the elements. So, if there`s something you love about a dress, but you don`t know the `proper words` to reference them, hopefully this will help you out.
This beautiful 1950’s style wedding dress with delicate cream lace over golden-orange silk has lots of really scrummy details:
🧡 the opening at the back of the dress is called a keyhole (or you could call this a slit opening). This one is closed at the top with three covered buttons.
🧡 the base dress is made of a beautiful russet orange silk dupion, with dark ivory lace layered on top.
🧡 the base dress is essentially a halter neck, with a turn over collar at the front, with the ivory layer providing semi-sheer, full length sleeves.
🧡 the edges of the ivory layer are cut along the floral pattern of the lace, making a pretty scalloped edge.
🧡 this length of skirt is called `ballet` or `ballerina`.
🧡 the front of the dress has a line of false buttons (buttons that are just there for decoration), that match the buttons at the back.
Those are just some of the details of this dress. If you have any questions about anything else, just leave a comment. I could talk dress making all day!
“Felicity – dress maker extraordinaire. I loved the dress, EVERYONE loved the dress. Comments range from “so beautiful”, “stunning", "gorgeous”, “wow”. THANK YOU”
Thank you Rebecca 🧡
I absolutely loved making this 1950s style wedding dress for Rebecca. Taking inspiration from the classic Dior New Look collection, whilst adding plenty of details that are completely `Rebecca`. Isn`t this dress joyful!
Not only stylish, this wedding dress is also sentimental. The turn-over collar was cut to the pattern of Rebecca`s mother`s wedding dress. And to tie everything together, I also made ties and hankies for the groom and best man in matching orange silk.
Can we give a moment to the perfectly matched shoes as well? Divine.
Utterly unique and utterly gorgeous - I love working on bridal looks like this!
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#weddingdress #bespokeweddingdress #surreywedding #sussexwedding #londonwedding #vintageweddingdress #1940swedding #1940sfashion #colourfulbride #colourfulweddingdress #orangeweddingdress #bespokebridal #weddingdressmaker #weddingdressdesigner #weddingdressinspiration #weddingdressideas #laceweddingdress
On my birthday, 43 years ago, I was gifted a beautiful name...does it suit me?
Felicity means "happiness", from the Latin word meaning "good luck" or "fortune". Shortening to Fliss is good, but never Flick!
What about your name? Does it have a meaning?
Continuing on from my last post, it`s still my birthday week, and I`m still celebrating! I`m celebrating 43 years in this body. 43 years in this life. I`m very happy to be turning 43 - it means I`ve gathered years of experience, both professionally and also generally in life.
It`s important to me that I always remind myself it`s privilege to age. Sometimes that`s a hard thing to remember. When you notice more and more grey hairs, the fine lines around your eyes, eyelid droop, and even voice changes. And I know my body will change even more in the future.
But I`m lucky I get to live through those experiences. It`s a privilege to have grey hairs (whether you choose to dye them or not), it`s a privilege to see your life`s journey in the creases in your skin. I remind myself that nature is always changing, and my body is a part of nature too.
What things are you grateful for, when you think about growing older?
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Photos by the brilliant Kate of @altweddingco
