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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Over Christmas I wanted to make something to combat the darkness of December and add a bit of razzle dazzle to my bridal shop. And so the Poinsettia wedding dress was born!
I love to make dresses for my brides, but once in a while it's very fun to make something from my own imagination and see where I end up. 

The first thing I knew I wanted was sparkle! And lots of it! I wanted to make something dramatic and showstopping. I went with a deep plunging neckline, and a semi-sheer bodice. To compliment the sleek silhouette of the base dress, I also made a big overskirt (removable, of course). But the crowning glory of this dress are these gorgeous oversized flowers! And they match perfectly with the white and silver sequins of the material of the dress and I think they're a stunning feature of the dress.

Although the intention of this dress was to be for a winter bride, I think there's something very Hollywood glam about it. And the fact it's sleeveless means you won't overheat, even in the summer.
What do you think - does this dress suit a winter or a summer vibe?

If you're looking for a bespoke look for your wedding, drop me a DM. I love to create completely unique and beautiful bridal pieces, so let's chat!

#bespokeweddingdress #sparkle #surrey #dorking #weddingdressmaker #seamstress #bridalboutique
As a wedding dress maker, I would say the fitting process is when I need my brides to trust in me the most. It's all well and good showing them beautiful drawings and fabrics, but when it comes to those first fittings, things can look very different to what you imagined. And that's fine!

All art goes through a process, whether it's layering oil paints on a canvas, or refining the clay of a sculpture...but an artist knows, it will all be worth it in the end.

I think the finished result looks absolutely beautiful, and that’s thanks to those fittings, where I could refine, check and double check, and make sure this bride’s dress fitted her perfectly!

If you want to see photos from Laura's wedding day with this dress in action, on a beautiful, snowy day, then have a look at my earlier post.

~
#weddingdress #wedding #bride #bespokeweddingdress #customdress #weddinggown #londonbridaldesigner #surreybridaldesigner #surreydressmaker #londondressmaker
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