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 Sharon Livingstone-Smith said in Oct 2025:

I cannot recommend Michaela highly enough! I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude for the exquisite work you put into my wedding dress. Your artistry and professionalism turned my vision into reality, and the result was more beautiful than I ever imagined. I felt like a princess. Thank you for making my special day even more memorable. xx

Wendy Matthews said in Oct 2025:

I would like to say a massive thank you to Michaela for altering my dress for my nieces wedding which was in Italy recently. I struggled to find a dress so after speaking with Michaela, I bought the next size up and she not only took the dress in but make some new darts down the front and gave the dress a much better shape. I would really recommend Michaela to anyone.

Jasmine said in Sep 2025:

I'm definitely not a girly girl and wearing a dress and feeling so exposed during the process is one thing I worried quite a lot about, but in the safe and more than capable hands of Michaela that definitely was not a worry. Michaela made me feel so comfortable throughout the whole process. My wedding dress when I bought it was too big, felt impersonal and not mine. However, once Michaela had finished with the alterations it truly did fit like a glove and I couldn't of been happier with the way it looked. Thank you so much for making me feel so beautiful on the most special day. I couldn't be more grateful.

Katie Burnard said in Sep 2025:

Michaela was absolutely amazing! She altered my wedding dress for my August wedding. She is so warm, kind and friendly and immediately put me at ease. She is also very talented! She had so many ideas I hadn't even considered and was great at making suggestions of things to try. She constantly strives for perfection and works so hard. I would highly recommend her!

Doug Neuhofer said in Aug 2025:

Michaela is a wonderful wedding dress alterations specialist. She instantly made my wife feel at ease, she understood what was needed to make the dress fit perfectly and offered additional advice around the bustle and slit. The wedding dress fit perfectly and looked beautiful on the day - thank you!

Isabel Stephenson said in Jul 2025:

Michaela is an amazing seamstress with such talent and knowledge. She altered my wedding dress and made it fit absolutely perfectly as well as providing advice for how to style it on the day and included a bustle for the evening which was extremely useful. She was very professional and friendly and would highly recommend if you need any type of alteration.

Fiona Bush said in Jul 2025:

​I came to Michaela with my mum's wedding dress she wore over 30 years ago. It was made from 100% silk but looked very 80's so needed re-styling. From the beginning Michaela underwood the vision and we worked together over 3 appointments to get the dress just right. Michaela's passion, creativity and attention to detail made the whole experience a joy. I can not recommend her enough! Nothing is ever too much and you really feel excited and inspired after every appointment. Everyone loved the new, restyled dress including me, I wish I could do it all over again.

Kim W. said in May 2025:

I worked with Michaela to alter my wedding dress, and my experience with her was amazing. She has such attention to details and is a perfectionist! She listened to my numerous requests and was able to customize my dress to really make it my dream dress! I honestly couldn't recommend her enough!

Helena Olmos said in Mar 2025:

I chose Michaela to alter my wedding dress, and I knew she would make it fit me perfectly! I had used Michaela's services a few years ago for altering another dress, so as soon as I bought my wedding dress I contacted her to book in fittings. She was so accommodating with my requests for as late as possible due to me wanting to loose as my post pregnancy weight. My dress was a beautiful Monsoon wedding dress, which sort of fitted me off the rack but definitely needed alteration and amendments in various places. Michaela’s attention to detail and care for her clients made me feel amazing, and I really felt that she wanted to make me feel really special on my wedding day in my dress. As well as standard length and shoulder alternations, and hiding my bra straps, Michaela added special details like giving the puffball sleeves more prominence with internal netting, dropping the seam of the drop waist to make my silhouette longer, and adding boning to the bodice for a more comfortable fit as well as a smoother line. Michaela also created a veil for me, I gave her a completely plain tulle veil and she hand stitched the most perfect almost matching lace flowers in a beautiful shape onto it. It was really special to have something made just for me. Michaela is an amazing seamstress, so lovely and makes one feel so comfortable like a friend in her presence. Thank you so much for making me feel amazing on my special day :) xxx

Steph Miles said in Sep 2024:

Michaela did such a fantastic job with my wedding dress alterations. The whole process was really good fun as well! I’d be super excited before going to have another fitting with her. Along with having fun though, Michaela made me feel super at ease. I instantly trusted her to do what she thought was best for the dress and my body. Once she was done, the dress just fitted me perfectly. I felt so confident on the day, and just love my dress so much. Thank you Michaela!

Alisha Seeds said in Sep 2024:

Michaela is a dream! My wedding dress was perfect and it wouldn't have been without Michaela. My appointments were super chill and Michaela made sure if I was happy with the alterations and if there was anything that needed changing, we have time to make the changes. I would recommend Michaela massively, thank you!

Bec M. said in Sep 2024:

I would highly recommend Michaela for any wedding dress needs! I first met coincidentally her at the dress shop, where she took time out of her day to provide some excellent expertise as I was torn between two dresses. I instantly felt relaxed around her and confident in her very clear level of experience. My Mum and I had a wonderful time at the dress fitting appointments. Michaela is so warm and friendly, putting us straight at ease and soon it felt like visiting a friend. She was so positive and always made me feel like a beautiful bride! Michaela's work was just so incredible, with such a high level of expertise and professionalism. She kept me involved throughout the whole process and had some great suggestions. The dress was absolutely perfect on the day, fit me like a glove and the bustle was incredible (so many guests commented on the impressive bustle!) Thank you!

Rachael Williams said in Aug 2024:

Michaela designed and created an exquisite dress for me to wear to my brother's wedding. Struggling to find a suitable dress that I would feel comfortable in I approached Michaela to see if she could help. From the very first email I had a good vibe and she did not disappoint. On our first appointment she carefully listened to my don’ts and wants and explained the process. Her knowledge and understanding of colours and fabrics were off the scale, and her ability to guide me through which would best suit me and my colour was fantastic. Such a talented lady. When compared to my Mum's experiences of having dresses made, I can honestly say I’ve had the best, and feel like I’ve made a new friend. It was a wonderful journey working with Michaela to create a dress that made me feel amazing, and now I’ve worn it I can’t wait to wear it again. As and when I need dresses in the future, Michaela will be my first port of call, and as my job moves me around the country there is no distance I would not travel.

Izzy Hall said in Jun 2024:

Michaela was wonderful to work with - she treated my dress with amazing care, listened to my concerns and ideas, and we tested different ideas to find the one that worked for me, resulting in a perfect alteration and practically invisible bustle! I cannot thank Michaela enough!

Rachel Purvey said in May 2024:

Me and my mum (bride and mother of the bride) had the best experience with Michaela. She was so experienced and had fantastic advice. We loved our finished dresses.

Sheila Devi said in Apr 2024:

I could not recommend Michaela highly enough. She did a beautiful job with my wedding dress alteration. My wedding dress wasn't a simple one and needed a whole re-do with lace adjustment. Michaela was extremely thorough, very patient and meticulous in her job. The whole experience of dress alteration has been amazing and I would definitely recommend her for any sort of dress alteration. Thank you for everything Michaela! The guests loved my dress very much!

Amber Daniels said in Mar 2024:

I felt amazing on the day and got so many compliments on the dress. It fit like a glove and the changes Michaela made to it were just perfect. It went from a beautiful dress, to my beautiful dress.

Lydia De'Ath said in Aug 2023:

Michaela is completely brilliant. Not only is she incredibly talented and offers exceptional guidance, she is a joy to work with during the process. Flexible and fast she turned around my wedding dress in such a short amount of time but to the highest quality. She is a star and I cannot recommend her enough.

Emily Khan said in Aug 2023:

I loved working with Michaela from start to finish. She made me feel totally at ease, listened to exactly what I wanted and helped me decide where I wasn't too sure. My dress turned out beautifully, she completely altered the back, re-did the train and fit it to me perfectly. I would 100% recommend Michaela to anyone looking for alterations or a dress design - she's wonderful!

Natasha Harvey said in Jul 2023:

Michaela did an amazing job on my dress! She transformed an off-the-shelf bridal gown into a beautiful, unique piece. Her brilliant idea to add in a detachable organza skirt also meant I had a dress for the ceremony and a more fitted, slinkier dress for the evening. I felt like a fairy princess! Thank you Michaela!

Alexis Ogden said in Jul 2023:

Michaela altered my daughter’s prom dress. She was so attentive and friendly and made us feel very welcome. She made sure the dress was perfect and made a small addition so my daughter could pin the train up for dancing. Thank you Michaela.

Deborah Wake-Green said in Jul 2023:

A very big thank you Michaela for altering my wedding dress and making me look so beautiful. Nothing was too much trouble and you altered it to perfection. The day was a huge success and I felt a true bride. Thank you Michaela, I know where to come in future for alterations and I'd highly recommend you.

Lyn Beeson said in Jun 2023:

My son got married in June and they had a very specific colour theme. It was Cadbury purple. I am a larger lady and knew I would have problems finding something in that colour that would look nice. I contacted Michaela and went round to see her. She took so much time with me finding just the right colour and designing a dress that would not make me look like Barney The Dinosaur. Her attention to every detail was perfect and the dress and jacket looked absolutely stunning on the day. She is such a friendly lady and I cannot thank her enough. Sadly 2 weeks before the wedding I had surgery and ended up in a surgical boot. Again Michaela adapted the length of the dress so it was not too noticeable. I cannot wait for her to make me another dress now. Please you must go to her if you are looking for that special dress. She’s just amazing.

Eileen Prior said in Jun 2023:

Michaela did a wonderful job of designing and making my mother of the bride outfit. At our first meeting she sketched my idea of what I wanted and then took so much time and trouble finding the exact materials to complete the most stunning outfit. She is a perfectionist and her workmanship is second to none. It is obvious she loves her work and this is reflected in the clothes she delivers. I can highly recommend Michaela Couture.

Angela said in Nov 2022:

I came across Michaela whilst looking for someone local to alter my wedding dress. I am so very glad I chose her! She did an absolutely incredible job, not only on my wedding dress, but also a beautiful corsage that she designed and made for my wedding day. She also altered two other dresses for me, which were absolutely perfect. Michaela’s attention to detail is just outstanding. Not only is she an amazingly talented dressmaker, but such a lovely, friendly lady too. I would have absolutely no hesitation in using her again and would highly recommend her services to anyone.

Tracey said in Jun 2022:

Michaela has a wonderful, calming quality about her. I wanted a jumpsuit for a wedding, and Michaela worked hard to find the right fabric and cut the outfit perfectly. In the fittings I had, Michaela's experience shone through as she made minor adjustments (that I wouldn't have even noticed!). I had lots of compliments on the day - and felt comfortable throughout. I can't recommend Michaela enough - she is fabulous.

Linda said in Apr 2020:

The first thing Michaela did for me was to transform a plain silk top into something much more glamorous by adding sleeves and chiffon. I was very impressed by her enthusiasm and creativity and she has since made me 3 dresses, all of which I'm delighted with. She was extremely helpful with finding fabrics that I liked and very understanding about the sort of designs I wanted that would suit me. I have always found it difficult to find dresses that fit so it has been a joy to find such an excellent dressmaker. Michaela takes great pride in her work, has very helpful suggestions and is always efficient and reliable.

Rubianis Romero said in Jan 2020:

I am so glad to have met Michaela, her lovely, caring personality and professionalism, took away the stress a bride has on when it comes to wedding dress, as all brides want it to be perfect. When I bought my wedding dress it was too long for a petite person like me, so I definitely had to find someone to entrust my dress to. Since I got in touch with Michaela by emails I got a very nice vibe from her which was reassuring, when I met with her and after exchanging couple of words I knew that I was not wrong. I have no words to thanks Michaela for the job the did on my wedding dress, and would recommend her to all my friends and family.

Kate Keen said in Jun 2016:

After trying and failing to find my wedding dress in countless bridal stores I contacted several dress designers. Michaela was the one person who understood what I wanted immediately. I knew as she sketched my dress and showed me the type of fabrics she worked with that she would make the dress of my dreams. Michaela was great fun and so patient with my indecisiveness. The constant alterations to the cut of the dress due to my weight loss in the run up to the wedding was of no issue to her. I would recommend Michaela without hesitation and if I ever need to have another dress made she will be my first choice.

Shirley said in Jul 2015:

I arrived at Michaela's on my first appointment clutching some Indian silk with only a vague idea of what I wanted it made into. Only a few appointments later I came away with a fabulous outfit, complete with matching handbag that she'd been able to arrange to have created. Her ideas and helpful suggestions were just what I needed and it was wonderful to see her drawings come to life in the outfit. What was most impressive was the way she managed to consider where the flowers adorning the silk would be placed - all were symmetrically arranged. Very pleased with the result, enjoyed Michaela's company at the fittings and would recommend her without hesitation.

Georgina Scott-Dalgleisg said in Jun 2015:

I would thoroughly recommend Michaela's dressmaking talents to anybody wanting something made for a special occasion, or I am sure any alterations, or outfits of all sorts... For our son's wedding last year, Michaela made me a really wonderful dress and jacket. I felt comfortable, stylish, and absolutely right for the occasion. She couldn't have taken more trouble to get it as I wanted it, making several different types of buttons, ect, to see which I liked best, and working with me as I tried different shoes, hats and accessories. All my appointments, and all the designing, discussing and final creation of the outfit was tremendous fun, and I never worried for a moment that she would not get it right! Michaela is a really original talent, and I understand she trained in theatrical costume design as well as dressmaking, and this really gives her a creative edge! If any more of my children get married, or any other exciting great occasion looms, I will be right at her door. With best wishes, Georgina Scott-Dalgleisg

Anne Robertson said in May 2015:

Michaela made me a dress and jacket for my son's wedding in August 2013. I knew what I wanted for the dress but not for the jacket, and Michaela, made me a really smart flattering little number, which was much admired, my outfit was original, she took endless trouble, and advised me initially on exactly what sort of fabric to get so I didn't waste any time looking at the wrong materials. Not only is Michaela a really nice person but she is meticulous, reliable, patient and most important of all a very skilful and clever couturier. I recommend her most highly.

Susan Tyne said in Apr 2015:

Michaela is a very gifted couture, professional and a delight to employ. I went to Michaela with a clear idea of wanting a 1920's outfit for my son's wedding, my dream has become a reality. Michaela listened and where necessary guided. All the fittings were akin to the artist who sculptures, Michaela sculptures with the fabric and the body she is designing and dressmaking for, she has a natural feel for the fabric and the creative process is very exciting. I felt confident of Michaela's ability throughout. I felt special throughout and now I have a dress, jacket and head wear made and designed by Michaela for the wedding. I know I am not only unique, by feel truly like a princess ready for the ball. Michaela's workmanship is superb and I can recommend her for any couture task that you choose to throw at her. Thank you Michaela I am extremely happy customer.

For any questions or request please don't hesitate to contact me. I will do my best to answer you as quickly as possible.
 
Phone: 07725554309
Email: michaeladressmaker@gmail.com

Christmas Break Notice
Please note that I will be on annual leave from 24th December to 5th January, resuming work on 6th January 2026. During this period, I will have limited access to emails. For any urgent matters, kindly send a text message via WhatsApp.
Flexible hours to suit your timetable by appointment only in my home studio at:
 
2 Royston Close
Tilehurst
Reading
RG30 4LE

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