Tara's Wedding Dress and Custom Bridesmaids Dresses

Tara in her bespoke blue velvet coat - Jake Morley Photography

Tara and her berry bridesmaids - Jake Morley Photography

Lace Bridal Top - Jake Morley Photography

The first of our New Years Eve brides Tara has kindly shared her wedding photos with us. The wedding was held at one of our favourite venues, Coombe Lodge Blagdon. Congratulations Tara!
Photography by Jake Morley Photography.

Tara came to us initially for a bespoke gown and bridesmaids dresses. However managed to find a perfect off the peg gown in the Clifton bridal shop that formed the base of her look for the day. We added to the dress with a champagne lace button back top that featured a large silk sash that ran the length of Taras gown.

Colours of winter berries were chosen for the silk bridesmaids dress which were designed with fitted sleeve bodices and full midi skirts. These looked gorgeous all together for New Year.

Tara then opted for a blue velvet coat to be designed to wear over her gown for outdoor wear and a blue silk going away dress.

Nicole's Grace Kelly Wedding Dress

Yesterday our lovely customer Nicole was wed at the Thames Rowing Club, London. I had worked with Nicole before on a fabulous leopard print dress and was very excited when she came back to me asking for the Grace Kelly Rear Window dress.*

I adore Edith Head, she is one of the greatest costume designers ever to grace the screen and Rear Window 1954 is up there with the best fashion in film. Grace Kelly's dress is one of the most famous gowns of Hollywood and I leaped at the chance to work on my version of it.

There is another very elegant little black dress in the film, one with a sheer organza bodice. Nicole was looking for a sweetheart bodice with a sheer overlay, and using reference from the film I designed the dress as a combination of the two. This was Nicole's dress was hers and not just a copy of Grace's.

The final dress was made in a sheer silk organza with silk bodice and covered buttons detailing the back. The full circle skirt was made up of two full circles and hand appliqued with hand clipped corded lace.

After many, many, many hours of hand stitching, the dress was complete with it's beautiful full skirt floating on top of a tulle underskirt.

Congratulations to Nicole and Parker! The official photos will be coming x

*Just to get this straight. This is a homage to Edith Head's design. 
I usually HATE it when people send me a picture of another designers dress, asking if I can make 'something' like it, oh and cheaper. Sadly I get this a lot. It's an insult to me, down right disrespectful to the original designer and illegal IP theft. Please don't do it. 

Kim's Grecian Wedding Dress

Kim's bespoke designed wedding dress made by Anna Vickery.

Around this time last year Kim was getting married in beautiful Somerset, you can see her wedding photos here. Congratulations to Kim and Jon on 1 year!

Anna worked closely with Kim on her bridal gown from initial design, a shopping trip for fabrics to the wedding day.
The dress was made by Anna with a silk bias cut bodice covered in a beautiful beaded tulle. The scalloped edge was used the hem the bodice and create the cross over straps making the wedding dress backless. Silk chiffon was then used for the full draped skirt of the dress that gave a stunning Grecian feel to the design.

Kim looked stunning on the day in her dress, Congratulations for their first Anniversary!

To book a bespoke consultation with Anna Vickery at our studio or if you have any questions you would like to ask please email anna@alexandra-king.com

Silver Lace Gown for Laura

This bespoke gown was made a couple of years ago for our photographer friend Laura Power and we recently had it back to photograph all the details. 

The dress was made with a polkadot tulle layered under metallic Chantilly lace and then hand appliqued with a corded lace trim to add texture and detail. 

The cut was a classic Edwardian style hourglass with a sweetheart neckline underneath the sheer lace and three quarter length sleeves. A small chapel length train finished the flared skirt with a border of the heavy corded lace. 

Laura looked stunning in her gown on the day. 

Real Bride Gill in Just Weddings Magazine

Town and Country Bride Kim at Penard House, Somerset

Bespoke Wedding Dress for Kim

Laura Power Photography

Back in September Kim and Jon got married in Wells, Somerset. It was a beautiful day with a little rain but that didn't dampen the spirit of their gorgeous wedding.

Anna worked with Kim on her bespoke wedding dress to get the design and fabrics just how Kim wanted for the big day. Something soft, feminine and simply beautiful with great style.

Anna sourced a fine beaded lace from Berwick Street, Soho on a shopping trip with Kim and the full floaty skirt was made in a complimenting matte silk chiffon. The dress had a 1930s feel to it with a open cut back and beaded straps making a perfect Summer wedding design. The skirt just skimmed the floor allowing for a lot of dancing into the late night.

Kim opted for a soft hair style with plait detail that was in keeping with her style and a bespoke head piece was made to match the dress.

The bridesmaids dresses were made to measure a in a blue Liberty London print with a 1950s full skirted style. To finish blue suede shoes by Rachel Simpson were styled to match. Anna also made all 12 of hand sewn ties for the ushers and added some lovely finishing touches with centre pieces for the tables, a garter for Kim and a ring pouch all in Kim's chosen blue Liberty print. .

The wedding was held at Wells Town Hall, a low key venue that again came in to consideration when designing the dress. Demure was very much the order of the day. Then the wedding couple squeezed into the cutest blue mini and made their way to Penard House for the reception

This is a fantastic venue ideal for wedding parties with a grand, but not ostentatious house and converted stable block beautifully finished with a bar.

The couple then danced late into the evening to a two piece band ......  Congratulations Kim and Jon!

Sequined Old Hollywood Wedding Dress - The Allen

It's not every day that you get asked to make the gown of your dreams, but this day did come in the middle of last year.
Like fate I was sat at my laptop on a Sunday afternoon planning new designs and how I was ever going to have time to work on them. I had decided to take on no more bespoke work, ever again. And then popped up the best email asking for a full length sequined gown ......

Not only was this a dream dress but I had been recommended by another designer who's work I was in awe of. Such a compliment.

When to day came to meet Holly, a goddess emerged from the car with platinum blonde locks and a smile that literally belonged in 1940s Hollywood to rival Ava Gardner. This immediately set my head whirling with designs whilst I tried to contain my joy. Believe it or not this lady isn't a movie star, she's a fashion photographer.

Holly carried in a weighty bag that held the most beautiful sequined fabric. Fine pearlised sequins embroidered onto an ivory silk chiffon of the highest quality.

Then there was the design brief. A dress fit for Marilyn Monroe, Jessica Rabbit and Veronica Lake all rolled into one to make 'The Allen'. Seriously nothing could be more heavenly to me and Holly could carry this off to perfection.
I know this all sounds really over the top but this was my dream client, brief and fabric. It will never get better than this!

Holly bought with her a couple of dresses she knew fitted well so we used this cut as the base of the dress. The boned base was made in silk and the sequins stitched (breaking 10 needles on the way) to stop them un-ravelling when cut and then hand draped and stitched in place by hand.

We had a few fittings where I was just so over joyed at the sequins any minor adjustments were a breeze. I also designed a corset to wear underneath to achieve that dramatic hourglass silhouette cinching in the waist. This was a lovely part of the bridal trousseau made from the same silk as the dress with hand appliqued lace.

The day finally came to say goodbye to the dress. Together with her group of absolutely charming bridesmaids, Holly previewed her dress and I made the very final stitches whilst they enjoyed a spot of tea and cakes at the cabin.

This really was a dream to work on helped not least by a very beautiful bride inside and out who made my job a pleasure. The first dress in a long time to give me tears of happiness.

I will never forget 'The Allen'.  Congratulation to Holly and Brett.

Fantastically Anna Vickery will be taking care of all our new brides with her wonderful expertise in bespoke wedding gowns.
For all enquiries in visiting the studio, having a design consultation with Anna and myself and commissioning a dress contact anna@alexandra-king.com

The Sketch of the dress.

 The Bride Wore a sequined dress by Alexandra King with satin shoes by Supadance.
 The Groom wore a suit by Tom Ford with Christian Louboutin shoes.
 The wedding was held at The Crazy Bear, Stadhampton.