Real Brides – Ailsa Munro

I had a pretty vague idea of what I wanted, but she sketched and made my absolute dream dress from a Pinterest board that was 90% Little Women and 10% puff sleeves.
All of Ailsa’s suggestions and fitting tweaks were spot on; the dress fitted perfectly and was so comfortable to wear. She was totally on board with wedding boots and muddy hems and made a dress I could quite comfortably clamber down a riverbank in November in.
As well as being super talented Ailsa is just such a fun person to chat to. She’s so funny and knowledgable - whether you need a French Revolution fashion fact, or a brunch recommendation. It really was so much fun going to fittings and I would absolutely recommend her. Thanks so much Ailsa! -Katie

I knew from the start that I wasn’t going to get a dress from a wedding dress boutique and, with a stroke of luck, stumbled across Ailsa’s website! She so beautifully captured whimsy, elegance and magic in her wedding dresses that I knew she was the one. Ailsa knew what I wanted before I did, and somehow created something beautiful and perfectly me. The dress turned out beautifully with some lovely little details (including my Chinese name written by my family hand embroidered on the inside!), and it was so comfortable to wear all day. Not only was the dress perfect, my experience with Ailsa was such a comfortable and fun one. I would recommend Ailsa to anyone looking for a fairytale experience with a bespoke gown. - Heidy

I had a bit of a nightmare wedding dress shopping. My budget was apparently very modest and all of the dresses I tried on weren’t very “me”, I felt like I was playing dress up! Objectively, all the dresses I tried were beautiful, but something wasn’t working for me and it became a very stressful experience. I decided to bite the bullet and message Ailsa as I had admired her work for ages, even though I thought she would be far too busy and expensive for me! But she was a total hero and agreed to work within my budget to create something magically “me”.

On a lovely zoom call where we chatted as if we’d been friends forever, we designed (or rather, she designed and I got very giddy) this dress: a ruched bodice a la Elizabeth Bennet (2005), a detachable waistcoat (for regency & hobbity vibes) and a tiered skirt for warmth and to keep the dress from looking too much like an historical recreation! I was nervous because it was months before my first fitting and in that time Ailsa was grafting away at a dress I’d never even seen, but everything fell perfectly into place when I wore it for the first time and realised why all the boutique dresses weren’t working for me; THIS was the dress of my dreams. -Katy

I chose Ailsa to design & make my wedding dress because I didn’t want the stress of going into a boutique. I wanted an altogether more personal and bespoke experience in a gentle environment and have a dress that was not only designed with my ideas and style in mind, but tailored to fit me and my unique body exactly. I am so delighted with the result – Ailsa has a way of knowing exactly what you need (when you’re not even sure yourself) and her craftswomanship is second to none. I love her designs – all so clearly influenced by a background in classic art and period dress but beautifully applied to suit the modern person. If you’re looking for a gentler, more organic and ethical alternative to shopping bridal wear, I highly recommend Ailsa. - Sarah

Photos by Ruth Atkinson