Traditional lace wedding dress

classic bride wearing a corded lace wedding dress bodice and fingertip veil

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 placed carefully to make sure it lay symmetrically around the neckline. And also so the pattern further down curved around the sweet heart neckline. I cut the romantic skirt in three full circles ivory tulle. Underneath I added a nett petticoat for more fullness and lining to create ethereal shape and floaty look. The skirt joined the bodice at the natural waistline, highlighting Sofia’s tiny waist with a very simple duchess satin sash. The lining of the skirt finished at floor level all round, while the tulle flowed out into a shear train.

Here the train is hooked up behind to keep it off the floor, all my dresses come with bustle buttons for the train.

blusher veil and traditional lace wedding dress

I also made Sofia’s simple two tier veil. The part that comes over your face is called the ‘blusher’ and should traditionally always be put back before the ceremony begins.

ethereal tulle and lace bespoke wedding dress countryside setting with apple trees

Sofia wrote: “Hi Felicity,  I have to say that I absolutely loved my dress and got lovely comments about it all day and am still getting comments from people in the office about how beautiful it looked so thank you so very much for creating a perfect dress for a perfect day 🙂 Thank you so much again! “

original design sketch by Felicity Westmacott

Orignal Design Sketch

bridal couple with bride in handmade wedding dress surrey

fairytale tulle skirt wedding dress by the lake

I left Sofia’s train unlined for an unusual shear look. The skirt lining beneath was floor length all round.

hair style large bun with scallop lace edged and button back wedding dress

We made the back of Sofia’s dress with a completely hidden fastening. The satin bodice did up with a zip underneath and then the lace design poppered shut over the top, for a seamless finish.

bride wearing traditional lace wedding dress tulle skirt

1950's style wedding dress family picture

cutting the cake in a grace kelly style wedding dress

lace and tulle bespoke wedding dress country estate picture

bridal couple elegant wedding dress with boned bodice

Making Sofia’s traditional lace wedding dress

toile fittings for a bespoke wedding dress

Pictures from the toile (practice run) fitting

fitting picture while making a traditional wedding dress

Picture from the final fitting, just the hem length to finish. From the back, showing the shear (unlined) train, which came with a hook up for the evening.

final fitting picture of corded lace detail bespoke dress

Picture from the final fitting showing the beautiful lace of the bodice and sash detail at the waist.

To see another traditional lace wedding dress see Issie’s dress

Or book a appointment to talk to me about having a traditional lace wedding dress made.

 

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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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Let’s appreciate some of the details of this dress together…

This bohemian wedding dress was made for a vintage Romani Gypsy inspired wedding shoot, and since then it has been used for a few Edwardian and Titanic inspired shoots as well.

For this look, I chose beautifully lightweight ivory silk georgette (or chiffon) and lace, trimmed with ribbons. I spent a lot of time embellishing with hand sewn lace appliqué and tiny glass beads, to make the dress truly unique.

I always like to add versatility to my designs, and for this one I created a lace overskirt, decorated with red and black floral lace and a bold red sash around the waist. Then I made a ¾ length sleeve bolero in black velvet, lined with red satin for the chill nights.

This dress makes me want to dance around a fire, singing folk songs to the stars!

If this dress feels like the one for you, you can find it, ready to order, on my Etsy (link in the bio). Or, you can order it any size you like, completely bespoke to your body and taste. 

#weddingdress #vintageweddingdress #modernvintage #2025bride #2026bride #customweddingdress #bridalboutique #ukbride
Have you ever watched Strictly and thought "I would love to wear that"?

Alison wanted a wedding dress inspired by a gown she saw on Strictly Come Dancing. I love ballroom dancing - my grandmother was a famous dancer in her time, and as a result, I feel a real affinity with the culture of ballroom. So it was really exciting for me to work with Alison in creating her dream dress.

As with all my brides, before I started to cut into the beautiful guipure lace Alison had chosen, I made a toile. The toile is a rough draft of the dress, made in cheaper fabrics. It's a really useful way of checking the fit of the pattern is right, and it also gives the bride a chance to ask for any changes they might want. It's an invaluable part of my process!

The smile on her face during her final fitting says it all ☺️

I think this dress is perfect for Alison, who could easily dance the night away in this gorgeous, floaty frock 💃

#bespokeweddingdress #surreybride #sussexbride #kentbride #londonbride #ukweddingdress #maturebride #modestbride
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