Long sleeve lace wedding dress and veil

Bespoke ivory lace wedding dress by Felicity Westmacott


Whether for a small an intimate elopement or a traditional country wedding with a marquee and hundreds of guests, a traditional long sleeve lace wedding dress ticks all the boxes.

Issie’s dress was made with a boned satin bodice with pretty lace overlay. Long sleeves and a boat neckline were trimmed with a pretty scalloped edging. A simple silk dupion sash highlighted her tiny waist and the back fastened with buttons and loops. The full skirt was three layers of silk organza over linings and netting flowing out behind in a wide train.

I also made Issie’s very two tier long veil. The train part was trimmed in matching lace edging to her dress and the blusher (comes over the face) was edged with simple cording.

Official photographs by Monty Steedman Photography

Classic corded lace bodice and silk skirt wedding dress

original design sketch by Felicity Westmacott
Original design skirt for Issie’s dress
Traditional military wedding dress with full skirt and veil

Military Wedding

Issie’s traditional long sleeve lace wedding dress was a perfect foil for her groom’s military uniform. Other dress styles could work too. I have made a very modern and understated dress for a military wedding before. Mixing up traditions and new ideas can work really well in all aspects of wedding planning.

Ball dress style wedding gown custom made to order

corded lace sleeve detail on custom wedding gown

Bespoke wedding veil and dress for English wedding lace and silk

Making Issie’s Traditional Long Sleeve Lace Wedding Dress

Pictures from the fittings showing her dress at various stage of the making process. Every bespoke dress I make starts with a ‘toile’ or practice run in cheaper materials. We can check the fit and style are just right before working with more costly fabrics. Then a series of fittings enables me to check everything is progressing at it should as the dress comes together.

I also made a long, two tier veil for Issie to match her wedding dress. It had a ‘blusher’ which is the extra layer that can be worn over your face when entering your ceremony space. I hand sewed lace edging to the long train of Issie’s veil and edged the blusher with matching narrow soutache cord.

final fitting picture of bespoke wedding dress and veil

Sweetheart boned bodice and lace wedding dress

Fitting picture hand made wedding dress

Fitting picture of custom wedding dress and veil

bespoke corded lace bodice and corded edge veil made to order

To see another wedding dress with a lace bodice and sleeves see Sofia’s dress on my blog

If you’d like to speak to me about your ideas for a bespoke commission, be that a traditional long sleeve lace wedding dress or another idea just head over to my contact page to get in touch.

Add a comment...

Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

felicity westmacott wearing a hat

Felicity Westmacott

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

pinterest icon
instagram logo
twitter icon

Recent Portfolio entries

Read More
follow me on instagram@felicitywestmacott

When you have two bespoke wedding dresses on your sample rail that are perfect for both Elphaba and Glinda, and with Wicked For Good having come out, it felt rude not to!

Wicked has done an amazing job of bringing bright, bold fashion back to our attention, which is so exciting. But I've had many Elphaba and Glinda brides way before they came to the big screen. Brides who are up for going on an adventure with me to conjure up their perfect wedding look. 

I might not be the Wizard of Oz, but I am the Dress Alchemist after all 😉

(shout out to my social media manager, Elodie, for stepping in and being the Elphaba to my Glinda. If you're looking for your own magical media witch, you can find them at www.brightbeemedia.co.uk)
The dress on the stand vs. the dress in action✨

I made the Poinsettia dress last Christmas for my window display. I never would have predicted that it would be spotted by Rosie, who then bought it and wore it for the 2025 Miss Great Britain pageant!

My bespoke designs have been used for all sorts of events. Weddings mainly (obviously), but parties, anniversaries and proms too. But this might be the first time one of my gowns has been seen on the stage of a pageant. And doesn't Rosie look so serenely glamorous? The perfect model for this sparkly, elegant dress. And she placed in the top 10. Well done Rosie!
You might’ve noticed that I can get quite particular about language. I think it’s important, especially when that word can carry a lot of meaning. When words get misused, you as a consumer might get mis-sold something.

An example of this is the word ‘vintage’, which now gets tacked onto the description of any garment, whether or not it actually is vintage. Often the item just looks like it’s from an older period of fashion, and for many sellers now, that’s good enough to warrant the label ‘vintage’ (which it’s not).

‘Bespoke’ is another of those words. The word comes from ‘to bespeak’, which means, to ask for. Like someone walking into carpentry workshop and asking for something completely new to be made to their exact specifications.

Anything can be bespoke, if it has been asked for, to be made especially to your requirements and preferences. You often hear it in the context of bespoke suits, but the term doesn’t belong to any one industry.

When it comes to wedding dresses, you have a few options. Off-the-peg, which is what it sounds like. Then there’s custom or made-to-measure, which both describe when something is adjusted or changed. You might order a dress where there are options to customise the length, the sleeves, the neckline etc. 

But true bespoke is something different. It’s a dress that’s been designed and made completely from scratch. Completely to your measurements and your ideas. With several stages of fittings and adjustments, to ensure it’s exactly how you want it. It’s an entirely unique garment, and this is why the price of a bespoke dress can be so much more than something off-the-peg or made-to-measure.

So, next time something online claims to be ‘bespoke’, now you know what to look for to make sure you’re not being tricked into pay more for less.
Tonight is the Wedding Industry Awards! I'm in the running for two awards, which is all very exciting! 🏆

Since it's such a special occasion, I decided to design and make myself a dress. That way, regardless of the outcome, I'll feel like a winner. I rarely have time to make myself anything, so this felt rather lovely.

I used some gorgeous pink coloured silk chiffon, lined with pale gold silk satin, finished off with velvet ribbon. I started making the dress at 11am yesterday, and I finished it at 3pm today. Now I just have to finish making the bolero to go with it as well. I think we're gonna make it! 🏃🏻‍♀️
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