Made in Mattanchery

Great to have this story about my new bridal collection featured in the New Indian Express. Read the full feature HERE

Rock My Wedding

This shoot was posted on Rock My Wedding a while ago, but in the craziness of the last few months I'm just getting round to posting it now! I love the ballet theme of this shoot. Having designed dresses for Strictly Come Dancing and for the Royal Ballet in the past, The theme of dance is one that's close to my heart. Thanks to the amazing team (listed below) who worked on this beautiful shoot. 

Photography: Julie Michaelsen

Styling: Sadaf Mirzaei

Hair & Make Up: Kylie McMichael

Florist: Elizabeth Carter Design

Model: Leila Mahadin

Wall Decor: Come Uppance

Headpieces: Harmione Harbutt

Headpieces: Samantha Walden

Appletiser photoshoot

Here's a project I did with Sophie Ellis Bexter in celebration of Appletiser's 50th birthday, where I designed and created five outfits for Ascot "through the decades". Hats are by Joanne Edwards Millinery. 

Special thanks to my amazing team:

Dressmaking:

Grace Colquhoun

Fiona Murkin

Banetta Sawyers

Hats:

Joanne Edwards Millinery

Screenprinting:

Diana Taylor

Fashion London

"It is refreshing to reveal that recycled wedding dresses are now becoming 'a thing' for hip, environmentally conscious brides"

Great to be featured in Fashion London magazine this month and to be part of the growing movement towards more meaningful, personal and sustainable ways of dressing on the Big Day. Read the article HERE 

Lisa & Clara

Lisa came to me with an idea for a lace bolero top she could wear over her dress for the ceremony and remove in the evening when the party got started! We selected a really delicate floral lace that complimented the lace on her dress and I added pearl beads and tiny translucent sequins for a light shimmer effect.

 I also created a blush coloured silk sash that tied in a bow at the back to compliment the pale pink bridesmaid dresses.

And the best of all, I got to make a flower girl dress for her gorgeous little girl, Clara. The dress was in silk taffeta and silk tulle for the skirt with a blush coloured sash to match Mum's.

The bolero had a low V at the back with little covered buttons for fastening.

Fated & Fabled

Great to have my turquoise jacquard dress featured in the brand new Fated & Fabled magazine. Check out the rest of the shoot at http://fatedandfabled.com/three-is-green/

My cutest customer so far..

This is the smallest, cutest customer I've had in my bridal studio so far. Here's little Clara at her first (miniature) dress fitting..

In Grandad's arms on the big day. Clara's bespoke dress was made in ivory and pink silk taffeta with a silk tulle skirt and silk lining.

Roisin and Felix

I love these pics of Roisin and Felix who got married in Boston a few weeks ago. Roisin is wearing her bespoke Olwen Bourke silk chiffon dress and veil in silk tulle and lace edging.

Photographer: Kelly Lorenz - KL Imagery

Blossoming Garden

Great to have my dresses featured in this "Blossoming Garden" shoot - a collaboration with Verona Lain Boudoir Photography, Vanessa Birley Florals, BDL Floral Design, Tuva Heger-Bratterud, The Enchanting Cake Company and Coral & Slate Designs. 

Visit the Verona Lain blog to see more

Photo & Make-up Verona Lain Photography 

Dresses Olwen Bourke 

Flowers Vanessa Birley Florals and BDL Floral Design Stationery Coral & Slate Designs 

Cake The Enchanting Cake Company

Model Tuva Heger 

Jessica's Hair Piece

I love when brides send me photos of their wedding day. I met Jessica at A Most Curious Wedding Fair back in March where she entered and won my prize draw for a handmade hair piece. Here she is a few months later looking gorgeous on her wedding day, wearing the her Olwen Bourke bespoke leather flower. Love the feather cape as well!

 All hair pieces are designed and made to order to match the look and feel of your wedding dress. Jessica's is made of soft cream leather, hand dyed cotton and silk chiffon flowers and antique pearls.

Bec Miles Wedding

Here are a few pics of beautiful bride Rebecca Miles who got married last Saturday to Jonathan Ablett in a bespoke Olwen Bourke dress. Congrats guys!

The dress was made of silk satin with a sheer mesh overlay, hand beaded with gold and ivory beads, sequins and pearls. One of the most sparkly wedding dresses I've ever made!

IFTA Awards

Tara Breathnach looked stunning over the weekend wearing her pale blue Olwen Bourke dress on the red carpet at the IFTA Awards in Dublin. Tara was nominated for Best Actress. Go tara!

J'aime Paris

So delighted to have my dresses (and jacket) featured in Huf Magazine. See the whole shoot HERE

Photographer/Stylist: Joanna Kraus

Retouching: Lisa Evoluer

Dresses: Olwen Bourke

Make Up: Toni Lazzaro Makeup Artistry

Hair Stylist: Benjamin Josh Tandre

Model: Alessandra Velia

Whimsical Wonderland Weddings

Great to have our Constance frill dress featured in this styled shoot for Whimsical Wonderland Wedding blog. See the feature HERE

Photography | Dmitry Serostanov at Verona Lain Boudoir Photography

Film Lab | UK Film Lab

Style | Jana Avotina at Verona Lain Boudoir Photography

Model | Abitha Pallett

Makeup/Hair | Bridget-Clare O’Keeffe at Sapphire Pink

Dress | Olwen Bourke

Flowers | Ladybird Flowers

Cake & cookies | Lemon Tree Cakes

Stationery | Beyond Vintage

Hair accessories | Heart Aflutter Bridal

Origami | The Origami Boutique

Way Out Wedding

I'm delighted to have been featured today on Way Out Wedding! Erin Balfour - wedding blogger extraordinaire - approached me a couple of months ago to interview me about my work. I was really chuffed to wake up this morning and read this..

"Olwen Bourke knows how to flatter a woman’s form. Perfectly. Her designs are modern and fresh, and they drape and fold around curves and lines of different body types so easily with not a forced fit in sight. Knowing how to add glamour to freedom of movement was a talent she brought to designing the costumes on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, and I think we’ve all sat and watched that, wanting very much indeed to be wearing such theatrical creations!! These skills are now making an appearance in the world of wedding dresses, and I think you are so, so lucky to have Olwen’s designs at your fingertips!"

Read the rest of the article HERE

The Wedding Bazaar

Last weekend at A Most Curious Wedding Fair I had the pleasure of meeting Helen and Tash, a blogger and photographer who love all things wedding-y! Helen writes the well known blog The Wedding Bazaar, and Tash, the founder of Ikonworks, is a lifestyle, portrait and wedding photographer.

 This week they included me in their article about A Most Curious Wedding Fair and very kindly wrote "I have never seen such an adventurous fabric for a wedding gown made to look so soft and ethereal" Arrrr thanks guys!

Read the article HERE

Curious Weekend

I'm taking some time out this morning to catch up on admin / emails / washing(!) after an amazing few days exhibiting at A Most Curious Wedding Fair last weekend. The fair which took place in the Old Truman Brewery warehouse in Brick Lane, east London was unlike any wedding fair I've ever been to. All super friendly, trendy, creative east London types who had a relaxed approach to their wedding. Just the type of people I love to work with! Bearded men with muns (that's a man bun by the way) strolled around with tattooed pink haired brides to be. I had so many lovely chats and met so many cool brides. I wish there were more fairs like this one!

Here are some of my dresses lined up on a rail at my stand. Can't believe how much attention the blue one got!

Business cards and postcards - v important. Just picked up from the printers in the nick of time..

Gorgeous flowers by Friend of Faux. Believe it or not these are fake!

Real flowers by Vervain Flowers. Love these colours so much!

Graffiti on the walls? Definitely the hippest wedding fair in London!

Photo taken of me on my stand looking very proud and a little bit knackered! All in all a brilliant show. Thanks to everyone who stopped by my stand to say hello :) I'm excited to be starting some brand new wedding dress commissions soon.