Theatrical waterfall skirt wedding dress for Richelle

windswept wedding dress bride custom waterfall skirt

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 theatrical wedding dress for a dramatic bride

Richelle had an epic, three part wedding. So when I met her I knew I needed to design a dress for three venues, each with very different vibes. The ceremony took place in Edinburgh castle with a traditional religious service with a reception afterwards at The Museum of Scotland. And a few weeks later Richelle and her new husband held another party for London friends in a theatre space.

scottish wedding groom in kilt

windswept wedding dress bride custom waterfall skirt

Each layer of Richelle’s waterfall skirt was made from a whole circle or oval of blush organza. I used more than 30 metres of horsehair braid to trim the hem edges making them flute and fall gracefully.

big skirt wedding dress alley way pale pink

bride with dinosaurs scottish groom edinburgh museum

silhouette wedding portrait space and galaxy wedding

Original design for Wedding Dress Separates

I designed Richelle’s waterfall skirt wedding dress as a four piece mix and match set of separates. The dramatic long skirt with train was made with 9 organza waterfalls each edged with horsehair braid (sometimes called crin, as in crinoline) to give them definition and stiffness. Her boned bodice had a sweetheart neckline with the silver lace over layer crossing over to subtle ruching to one side. the lace extended above the main bodice into an off the shoulder neckline with real buttons and loops to close at the back, concealing a zip beneath.

design sketch by Felicity Westmacott waterfall wedding dress

I offered Richelle three ideas for her sleeves/cover-up. The first was a simple bolero and the middle one is a waterfall cape, longer at the back than the front. But Richelle loved the idea on the right with flowing waterfall sleeves that buttons closed at the front. The sleeves hint at a medieval style but look totally modern and romantic in the blush coloured organza with horsehair braid edging. It fastened at her throat with a sweet pink Swarovski pearl for a button.

wedding cape cover up bolero designs by Felicity Westmacott

summer wedding bolero sleeves bridal separates

The last element of Richelle’s ensemble was a simple 1950’s style skirt in blush with silver net petticoat. This was perfect to wear at her party in London so she could dance the night away!

Blush pink organza and silver lace

Richelle wanted a subtle blush pink colour so we found coordinating organza and silk dupion, complimented by the beaded silver lace for her bodice.

silver metallic lace beaded sequins detail

wedding bolero shrug cover up pink

Detail of the bodice fastening with concealed zip with real buttons and loops.

button and loop fastening wedding dress

Making Richelle’s waterfall skirt wedding dress

Richelle’s dress was made over a series of fittings at my studio. It was great getting to know her during the process and comparing our love of theatre. Above are pictures from the first fitting of her ‘toile’, a practice run in cheap fabrics. I had prepped a single waterfall piece to pin on and give Richelle an idea of the size her final skirt would be. Find out more about the bespoke making process here.

sewing a button and loop fastening

Sewing on the buttons to Richelle’s bodice

lace up inside panel bespoke wedding dress

Richelle’s bodice was fully boned and had a hidden corset layer where pulling the laces would cinch in her waist and provide support to her bust.

museum of scotland wedding venue dramatic bride

Can you spot the bride and groom in the beautiful museum of Scotland?

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Felicity Westmacott

I write about all aspects of weddings, dressmaking, fashion history, and the human relation to clothing. I welcome comments and debate.

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It’s the night before you’re wedding day. You have your dream bridal outfit ready to go for the morning. But there are a few things you should do before you go to sleep, to make sure your wedding dress is looking its best for the big day.

First up, make sure to hang your dress up high. A curtain rail or a wardrobe door are good choices. And make sure to hang it in a pet and fiancé secure room.

When unzipping the bag, put your finger behind the zip to stop it catching on any delicate fabric.

Your main priority is to get the train out, so it has time to flatten out overnight. Hang the dress in the bag so it’s facing inwards. Leave the shoulders of the bag on the dress to keep protecting the dress from dust.

You’ll want to lay a clean towel or sheet on the floor to protect the train when you pull it out.

Check to make sure the dress is hanging from its dress loops, not straps or sleeves. This prevents any delicate fabrics being stretched out by the weight of the dress. As you can see from the one I’ve chosen, that’s a lot of (heavy) dress!

On the wedding day, your dress can be taken completely out of the bag. To prep it for the photographer, turn it round so it’s facing the front, and pop any straps or sleeves, back onto the hanger so it looks its best..

And that’s about it. It isn’t very much, but it can make all the difference, and avoids any unwanted wrinkles, especially on your dress’ train.

Let me know if you have any other tips and tricks!

(Shout out to @engaged_bridal_studio for inspiring this post 🙌🏻)

#wedding dress #customwedding dress #weddingdressinspiration #bespokeweddingdress #bridalboutique #surreywedding #sussexwedding #londonwedding #weddingdaytips #weddingdresstips #bridaltips
This wedding dress is inspired by the same era that Titanic and Downton Abbey (well, some of it) are based on; the Edwardian Period.

The corseted bodice fits close to the body, and is made of panels of silk chiffon over luxurious duchess satin. Trimmed with satin ribbon and embellished with hand sewn lace appliqué and tiny glass beads. 

I love the tiered skirt so much. With three layers of gathered chiffon and trimmed with more intricate lace, giving it a perfect vintage feel.

There is something so timeless and elegant about this wedding dress, don’t you think? If you love this design, you can either head to my Etsy shop, or drop me a message if you'd like it made entirely to your measurements and preferences.

#weddingdress #edwardianfashion #edwardianbride #edwardianweddingdress #periodweddingdress #vintageweddingdress #seamstress #bespokeweddingdress #customweddingdress
If you're curious about what I get up to in my breaks at the shop...now you know!

Inspired by @theadhdpersonaltrainer 🥰

#handstand #handstandpractice #upsidedown #handstandprogress #handstandshapes #feetuptrainer
With spring finally appearing, it was time to update my bridal shop display window.
(If you're curious what it was last month, you can look at my previous post...if you're a fan of dip dye, I think you'll really like it)

I wanted to create something that was full of verdant texture. I feel really strongly about single use plastics, so I always try to either re-use elements from previous window displays, or gather things from nature. This time I used a floral garland by @muscariwhites and added dried flowers from the hydrangea bush in my garden, as well as ivy, and anything else I found that I thought would look pretty.

For this display, I featured two dresses. Usually it's three, but when one of them takes up so much space, I had to make sacrifices! I chose the sumptuous pink Evil Queen dress, as well as the lilac dip dye Bridgeton dress. Both of them are historically inspired (the former by Elizabethan fashion and the latter by Regency), but also have fantasy elements to them. Completely my style as a wedding dress designer.

Which dress in this display is your favourite?
emailme@felicitywestmacott.co.ukTEL 07762 543230TOUCHGet in
from design to completionbespoke wedding dressesFelicity Westmacott
Dorking, RH4 1RT241 High Street• Visit the Studio •
Dorking, RH4 1RT241 High Street• Visit the Studio •
emailme@felicitywestmacott.co.ukTEL 07762 543230TOUCHGet in