My spouse and I booked a non-binary wedding couple photoshoot for our 14th wedding anniversary celebration. We were married in 2007 we had many happy years together as husband and wife. But in 2021 my spouse realised they were non-binary/trans. The person I had married as a man discovered their female inner self during Covid...
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...
Neli and Neiko asked me for a dress for their rustic, Italian styled photoshoot. This silver wedding dress was designed with country weddings in mind. I used boho, elegant styling with a modern vintage vibe in mind when I designed in the dress. Silver Wedding Dress Design I made the dress from delicate antique silver,...
Richelle wanted a theatrical dress with interchangeable separates for her two part wedding in Scotland. I designed her a pink and silver waterfall skirt wedding dress in organza, silk and lace. Richelle found me by recommendation from a previous bride, the nicest way to know you’ve done a good job! Official photography by linaandtom A...
Made in teal shot silk Liz’s dress has a boned bodice with ruching to the hip and a wide off the shoulder neckline. The skirt falls in graduated tiers of waterfall frills. Hand applique of teal lace adds sparkle and texture to the neckline and skirt. Liz had shoes dyed and embellished with matching lace...
Lisa was a bridesmaid for her friend who lives overseas. She was sent the beautiful duck-egg/gold shot taffeta fabric and given free reign over her own dress design. The other bridesmaid’s dress was made up overseas by a local dressmaker. Tea-length dress with v-neck and ruched cross-over bodice. The empire-line waist is trimmed with an...
Holly commissioned a modern and romantic two piece ensemble in dove grey and blush pink. Wedding pictures by Andy Wright The sleeveless boatneck top is made from pale pink matt crepe-silk. The waterfall back detail reveals the shiny satin side of the fabric in alternate flashes. Cut to just skim the feature waistband of the...
This is Hannah’s organza waterfall fishtail wedding dress which was a ‘restyle’ rather than made from scratch. She found the almost perfect dress in a bridal boutique but brought it to me to have the skirt changed to the organza waterfall loveliness she craved. Official photography by Adebayo Deru Whole circles of crisp pale ivory...
I made three bespoke wedding dresses for this frost themed Autumn bridal photoshoot. From time to time I collaborate with other wedding professionals on styled wedding photoshoots. This one took place in November 2016 in leafy Surrey with the theme “Frost on the Leaves”. We wanted to explore the underrated beauty of the late English...
Cristina commissioned a dress in palest pink silk georgette and satin draped to flatter her tiny waist and full bust. Official photographs by??Sarah Lauren: The dress has a fitted and boned bodice with round neckline and straps. Draped georgette is ruched in a cross over design across the front bodice and flows into the skirt...
Posts from Felicity Westmacott
Sometimes dressmaking lingo can feel a bit overwhelming, so I like to spend time breaking down various elements of a wedding dress I`ve made in... Anatomy of a Dress!
▫️for the fabric I used a beautiful, ivory floral lace (layered on top of silk dupion)
▫️the back of dress has a keyhole opening, secured with covered buttons at the top
▫️the corset bodice is fully boned with visible boning channels
▫️the dress fastens with a lace-up back, with ribbon and eyelets, and a modesty panel behind (so no skin shows through beneath the lacing)
▫️the skirt is cut straight with a very slight flare near the hem and scalloped edging used all around, including onto the small train
Did you find this little breakdown helpful? Hopefully it means that when it comes to your bridal outfit, you have a better idea of how to talk about what you want 🥰
If you want to see what this dress looked like on the day of the wedding, have a look at this week`s earlier post.
How effortlessly gorgeous is Karah? 😍 she looks like if Wednesday Adams grew up and decided to wear white to her wedding...do you know what I mean?
When Karah approached me, she wanted a layered gown in scrolling ivory floral lace with a corset inspired by the late (and very great) Vivienne Westwood.
There are so many details of this dress I love; the lace up back, the buttons on the sleeves, the high, Victorian-inspired neckline, and of course that big, dramatic veil!
If you would like your dream wedding dress, made to reflect your personality and compliment your body perfectly, then drop me a DM!
~
Photographer: @storyintime
#viviennewestwoodweddingdress #viviennewestwood
#corset #corseted #corsetweddingdress #victoriana
#modernvictorian #victorianweddingdress #bespokeweddingdress #bespokebridal #bespokebride #bespokedressmaker #laceweddingdress #surreydressmaker #londondressmaker #seamstress #dorking #alternativebride
Curious about the steps to take towards getting your wedding dress altered? Here are my tips for making your alteration journey a smooth and pleasant one.
1. Finding options
The shop where you find your dress might have a list of recommendations, or have their own in-house seamstress. You can also ask friends who they have used (and more importantly, liked).
2. Choosing a seamstress you can trust
Check online reviews. You can get a good sense of their professionalism from the look of their website or when you visit their work space. Getting undressed and trusting someone with your wedding dress is an intimate process so it’s important to pick someone you feel comfortable with.
3. Book early
Ideally, as soon as you have bought you dress. Seamstresses usually get booked up months ahead, especially in the busy spring and summer months. I normally recommend alterations are started 6-8 weeks before your wedding day.
4. Have realistic budgets expectations
Most wedding dress alterations with me cost between £300-£500 total, though this depends on the work that needs doing. Don`t assume that alteration costs will be proportional to the cost of your dress. Buying a cheap dress that needs a lot of work can end up costing as much or more than a more expensive dress that needs very little changing.
6. Buy a dress that is close to your size
Choosing a dress as close as possible to your actual size will give the best result. Making a dress smaller is much easier than expanding one.
If you have any more questions about the altering process, pop them in the comments!
There are so many lovely, hand-sewn details to this unique wedding dress, made for a mature bride having a seaside destination wedding.
Sometimes it`s the little details that make all the difference, and when it came to finishing this dress, I felt that the look couldn`t be complete without adding some lace from the dress onto the shoes.
Scroll to the end to see the matching shoes 👠
If you want to see what the dress looked like on the bride, have a look at this week`s earlier post (including the loveliest couples portrait on the beach).
#weddingdress #bespokeweddingdress #customwedding #ukbridalboutique #colourfulwedding dress #laceweddingdress #maturebride
This bride was one of those rare and wonderful creatures in the wedding industry - a repeat customer!
She first came to me for help with her daughter`s wedding outfit, and when her own wedding plans became reality I was flattered that she thought of me again.
We started with one set of designs and got as far as the toile (practice run) but when her wedding plans were deferred (eugh, covid) and with extra time on her hands, she researched ideas more and changed her mind on the style she wanted.
It always makes me happy when a bride feels comfortable enough with me to let me know when the initial design turns out not to be what they want. Then we can work on figuring out the perfect design.
If the idea of working together to make something truly unique to you for your wedding day, then I`d love to hear from you 🥰
~
Venue – Boho Cornwall
Photography/Video – Thomas Frost Photography
Hair and Makeup – Ione
Flowers – Jenny Oakley
A call to all Mother of the Brides (to be)!
If you`re struggling to find the perfect outfit for the big day, then getting something completely bespoke, made to fit your body and style, may be the right choice for you.
I have one slot left at the end of April, if you`d rather get going sooner rather than later. After that I have slots available in June, July and August for weddings happening in late summer or autumn.
For this mother of the bride I created this beautiful deep navy silk velvet dress, complete with diamante bows.
It`s always a pleasure to design and create a Mother of the Bride (or Groom) outfit that is not only in keeping with the wedding`s theme, but also reflects the personality of the MOB 💜
