We love alternative bridalwear here at UW, so we are so excited to show off this shoot from our ‘Unconventional’, Felicity Westmacott. It features a city wedding backdrop, a stunning purple wedding dress, and a burlesque style ‘big reveal’! This awesome bridal look spans both ‘elegant’ and ‘sexy’ – with something perfect for both the formal ceremony and the party!
So, how do you rock a burlesque bridal look? Stick with us!
Photos by Jessica Jill Photography
How to rock a burlesque bridal look
the big reveal
Elegance for the ceremony and fun flirtiness for the reception. Layering is your best friend for a dramatic big reveal!
A touch of colour
This is a perfect opportunity to balance the traditional and unconventional! With a reveal, you can rock both looks! We're big fans of incorporating colour into wedding looks.
the spirit of burlesque
Burlesque is all about taking something recognisable but then playing with people's expectations and teasing them a little. Why not make your wedding guests' jaws drop?
A purple wedding dress with a big reveal
Felicity Westmacott told us:
“The key to recreating the burlesque flavour of this design is being able to create the ‘big reveal’ look in an appropriate way for your wedding day. When I layered the purple wedding dress coat over the white dress, I was creating two looks; elegance for the ceremony and then fun and flirty for the reception. Unlike many wedding outfits that need someone to help bustle up a skirt, change a top, or a complete change of dress, the coat can be removed in public with your choice of decorum or strip-tease like sexiness!”
The purple wedding dress is brilliantly complemented by headpieces by Jennifer Levet, a Muscari Whites Bouquet and bespoke shoes by Marsha Hall. With bridal makeup and hair by Charlotte Light, We just love this burlesque bridal look!
Burlesque Spirit In Your Wedding Look
Felicity taught us how to use the spirit of burlesque in a bridal look to create intrigue and dynamic:
“It might be tempting to think a burlesque style wedding dress would entail a corset and hot pants, but I believe the sex-appeal of this design starts with the tight waistlines contrasting with draped and flared elements elsewhere. Just like the saying ‘statement eyes or lips, not both,’ we can create far more intrigue and deliciousness by not revealing everything. The draped collar of the coat and flowing train emphasizes the nipped-in waist. The high-low dress hem reveals a tantalizing peek of petticoats and moved so beautifully as the model walked.
Burlesque is all about being sensual, not virginal, so moving away from the traditional white/cream/ivory options makes sense. I’ve chosen purple, teal, and gold but with a warm ivory base for the dress. I also tried to use sensual textures like opalescent silk, and the natural slub on the purple dupion to make the outfit ‘touchable’. Other materials like velvet, pearls, and fluid satins would also lend themselves well to this vibe.”
The Team Behind This Purple Wedding Dress Shoot
Wedding Dresses – Felicity Westmacott
Photography – Jessica Jill Partridge
Styling – Fox and Partridge
Hat and headpieces (millinery) – Jennifer Levet Millinery
Bouquet – Michele Knibs of Muscari White
Model – Vanessa Asare
HMUA – Charlotte Light
Bespoke shoes – Marsha Hall
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