Bespoke Wedding dress with sleeves in silk dupion

top hat and morning coat groom ivory silk wedding dress english summer

Gerry commissioned an elegant bespoke wedding dress with sleeves in ivory dupion with ruched bodice and off the shoulder sleeves.

Official photographs by www.timelesspictures.co.uk

Gerry’s dress was made with a fitted and boned bodice with ruched silk sweeping in a cross over design to one side. The sweetheart neckline flowed into the off the shoulder line around the top of her elbow length sleeves. The dress was gently fitted around the hips before flaring out and falling into a train. ‘Godet’ panels created the fullness of the skirt whist complementing the hang of the silk fabric. The dress was finished with covered buttons at the back and beaded motifs at the hip and the bottom of the back opening.

graceful window lit bride with veil and train

Two tier veil with beaded motifs

I also made a veil for Gerry in plain ivory tulle. It was cut to fall longer than her dress’ train and with a blusher for over her face before the ceremony. We finished the veil with the same beaded motifs as on the dress, placed to show up where the veil spread across the floor.

 original design sketch sweethear fitted wedding dress by Felicity Westmacott

Original design sketch

bride on the staircase traditional ivory silk dress

Gerry wrote: Just so you know – the dress was a huge success. Very beautiful. Just loved it! Thanks so much for making it such a lovely experience. I really appreciate your kindness, advice and all the hard work you have put into the dress. Your quality of work is amazing, Fliss, and incredible value for money. Thank you for all that extra work. I will certainly be recommending you to anyone I hear is getting married!! So will my friends!!! Thank you for making them feel so welcome too.
Best wishes, G
xxx

bride and her father church wedding traditional dress
 train wrist loop ruched silk wedding dress
something blue ivory silk dupion wedding dress
dancing with wrist loop wedding dress bride train
dancing bride sleeves wedding dress button back

To see another classic English bride visit Vicki’s dress

To see another bespoke wedding dress with sleeves visit Lisa’s dress

Making the bespoke wedding dress with sleeves

 intermediate fitting picture pinning the hem

Pictures from a mid-fitting with a partially finished dress.

creating the ruched bodice making the dress

The ruched bodice was created by draping the silk on a stand and then carefully hand stitching all the folds in place.

wrist loop wedding dress train hidden something blue

A wrist loop was sewn inside the train so Gerry could carry her dress safely across the grass when outside. A hidden ‘something blue’ was revealed when she lifted her dress up

final fitting pictures wedding gown

Pictures from the final fitting, showing the front and back with the train spread out and bustled up for dancing.

finished dress in the mirror dress fitting room

fitting picture bride reclines

A reclining bride in her partly made dress…

Embellishment for Georgina

black lace applique on collar for mother of the bride

Gerry’s lovely mother in law, Georgina Butler wanted her shop bought dress to have something extra and we came up with adding this beaded black lace to the lapel and sleeves to create a very elegant finish.

mother of bride sleeve edge applique alteration
mother of the groom applique black lace on collar

To commission your own bespoke wedding dress just get in touch and I can book you in for a free design consultation.

Or see more examples of wedding dresses with sleeves, Winter wedding dress and Chantilly lace wedding dress.

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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.

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2026 is going to be the most whimsical year yet ✨

To be clear, this isn't me. But I did make the dress, and I did insist on the lovely Lauren twirling in it for me. She's a brilliant twirler, I think we can all agree 💃🏻

(This 16th century costume dress is now available sale just get in touch for details 🤫)
Just replace fashion house with bespoke bridal boutique, and you get the idea. 

(I also hate being filmed like this, but my social media elf, Elle, told me it was a good idea 😅)
These were all labours of love, with a lot of climbing up precariously placed ladders and sweeping up glitter and leaves. But so fun to do!

Which one is your favourite bridal shop window display?
1. Red for Valentine's day 
2. Purple and gold fantasy
3. Rainbows for Pride
4. Black and white for Halloween
5. Sparkles for winter

Now to start planning for 2026...
The past five years have been exciting, scary, busy, joyful, difficult, creative! And I'm grateful for every single day. 

From 2020 to now, I opened my bridal shop, I won a Muddy Stilettoes award and a Wedding Industry award. I made a lot of dresses, used up a lot of cans of spray paint and danced around my shop more often that you'd think 💃🏻

What springs to your mind when you think of the past five years?

Shop opening footage - @kasias_irisvisuals 
TWIA footage - @mattrockprophoto
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