About Rachel Lamb Bridal Design
Working from her studio in the Cambridgeshire countryside, Rachel Lamb is an award-winning bridal designer and dressmaker, specialising in bespoke wedding gowns for brides seeking a creative, fun and relaxed journey towards their wedding dress or outfit.
Rachel also creates outfits for mothers of the bride and groom.
Alongside the bespoke service, Rachel designs a range of wedding dresses for brides to view and order, or from which to gain inspiration for a bespoke gown.
Rachel has twenty years experience creating wedding dresses and outfits for her clients, and alongside her excellent design & fitting skills, has built up a reputation for being honest, down to earth and an excellent listener. Rachel understands that each person is an individual bringing their own ideas about what they might, or might not, want to wear on their wedding day – whether that be simple, traditional, theatrical or flamboyant, and she guides each bride towards the right design, and the perfect fit, for them.
Rachel says, “When we first meet we talk about ideas, sketch designs, play with potential fabrics and look at wedding dresses from my collection of gowns if applicable, after which I have a good idea of the type of design that would work for you.” Once booked, the bride has several fittings (usually between 4-6 depending on the design), with the first 2 fittings being calico toiles -prototypes to check the fit and design, after which the real garment is cut out and created.
Rachel says, “I have my dream job, designing and creating beautiful gowns for my brides, experimenting with wonderful fabrics and occasionally breaking the rules! I meet lovely people and I can get just as emotional as the bride!”
Get in touch with Rachel to chat through the bespoke process or to view her bridal gowns and start getting excited about what your wedding dress or outfit might be!
Reviews
During lockdown I found two 1930s evening dress patterns online. Having not found anything I liked off the peg for my civil Partnership ceremony, I decided to see if I could have a dress made. I didn’t want a wedding dress, and I loved the front of one the patterns and the back of another. So, after a rough sketch I set about trying to find someone locally who was up to the task. The moment I saw the range of styles on Rachel’s website, I knew she could do it. Meeting her in summer 2020, I talked her through my ideas and she just seemed to know what I wanted. She helped me choose a gorgeous teal silk and matching chiffon, and set to work on the toile. Rachel was so patient and flexible as lockdowns shifted and cancelled fittings. Her attention to detail was incredible, and the end result is a dress that I still can’t quite believe is mine. It was a tricky cut, with a panel on the bias and all in silk, leaving nowhere to hide! Rachel is a talented and genuinely lovely person to work with, I feel so lucky to have found her.
Sophie Howard
I cannot recommend Rachel highly enough. At the beginning of my wedding dress search, I tried on lots of dresses which had elements that I liked but fell short in some way or just didn’t suit me quite right. I wanted to amalgamate my favourite parts of dresses I’d tried and to add my own spin. Rachel made this happen, she took time to understand my ideas and came up with a design that was practical but looked exactly how I wanted it and suited me perfectly. Rachel was incredibly organised and approachable throughout the making of my dress, and during design meetings and fittings she made me feel confident and put my mind at ease. Even though I knew what my dress was going to look like, I was still blown away by the end product. It was absolutely gorgeous and made me feel incredibly special on my wedding day. Thanks again Rachel!
Adele Pinnock
I, like many brides, first started looking for my dress about 18 months before the big day. And visiting shop after shop and not finding the perfect dress was exhausting. I first came across Rachel after seeing her beautiful dresses on Instagram and before I’d even gone to her studio I had a good feeling. I’ve never been great in explaining what I wanted in a dress, I came along with some pictures of things I’d liked and a half-baked idea of what I might like and during the course of my first consultation Rachel listened, asked questions and helped me narrow down what I might like. At the end of our first meeting she had sketched out the exact dress I had in my mind (I have no idea how she did it!). Every session after that was a total joy. I’ll be the first to admit that there are a lot of parts of wedding planning that felt like a chore, but every time I knocked on Rachel’s studio door I had renewed excitement about wedding planning. Rachel worked with me over the course of 6-7 fittings to bring to life the idea I had in my mind. At every point the service was bespoke, from the fabric, to the buttons, the lace and each individual finishing. She is extremely knowledgeable and if ever I was unsure about what decision to make, she provided solutions and offered constructive advice. I had so many people comment on my dress, none of my friends or family had ever had a dress made before and they were so impressed with the result. Having the ability to choose every element of your dress and to have something you know is completely bespoke to you was such a big draw for me.