The Nooi wedding debute...

Photographs by Kate Mclukie
http://www.katemclukie@gmail.com

Saturday past was the wedding of my good friends the now McNeills. When Maike McNeill first started speaking to me about her wedding dress I tried my best to avoid it, but I knew from the beginning I was meant to make this dress. The Responsibility of it Stressed me out to much. It is some body's wedding dress! If you screw this one up, you disappoint the girl inside that has been dreaming about how she will look on her wedding day since early childhood. Being the ultimate dreamer and girl, to me there is no greater horror!

Being the ultimate dreamer and girl I immediately understood what it is that she wanted though. She asked me to just come and give her advise with the idea to guide her in telling who ever was going to make it what to do. The concept for this dress was taking her Gran's old wedding dress from the 1940's and reconstructing it into a modern dress for her, combined with crochet work from her other Gran. (I by the way love the sentiment behind this). Back to the idea giving, she put her Gran's dress on for me, and I pinned it on her body into an empire line dress, a very Victorian style, a very Nooi style and a style that really suits her body. I then put a leather belt and crochet work around her waist to finish of the look. She was so in love with the dress I could no longer say no to making it.

In time the style stayed, but rouging was added to the top, with a beautiful Silk Satin lining, and a soft silk chiffon skirt, to add a dreamy flowy feel. We kept the belt as this suited her personality. Strangely enough as unusual as it is to wear a leather belt on your wedding dress, no one even commented on it, it suited her so beautifully it completely blended in with the total image.

As scary and intimidating a process this was for me, it turned out to be nothing but fun, I got lost in the detailing and handwork, this is what making clothes is about! I hope to make many more wedding dresses in the future.