Jennifer’s Wedding Cape

“An heirloom bridal piece handcrafted in lace”

When Jennifer first reached out to me, neither of us could have known that her custom wedding cape would become one of my most meaningful projects — one that would span several years, two ceremonies, and countless thoughtful details.

Jennifer lives in Monaco and is the founder of The Mama Bag. We were introduced through a mutual friend — a former dancer with Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, just like me — and that shared background immediately created a sense of trust and understanding.

Jennifer originally contacted me three years ago, when she was first planning her wedding. Life, however, had other plans — babies arrived, priorities shifted, and the wedding was postponed. Then, in 2024, she wrote to me again. This time, it was finally happening!

From the very beginning, Jennifer knew exactly one thing: she had always dreamed of wearing a wedding cape. For as long as she could remember, she envisioned herself walking down the aisle wrapped in something dramatic, romantic, and entirely her own. She didn’t want something off-the-rack — she wanted a custom wedding cape, designed uniquely for her, something no one else had ever worn.

The Dress Was Chosen — The Cape Was Missing

Jennifer had already chosen her wedding dress during a spontaneous shopping trip in the US with her mother and sister. While trying the dress on, she experimented with veils and boleros, using them as stand-ins to imagine what a cape might look like. In that moment, she knew — a bridal cape was exactly what her wedding look needed.

After a few thoughtful emails and a lovely Zoom meeting, I began designing. Jennifer envisioned a long, flowing cape with sleeves, a short collar, and a hood — all covered in delicate floral lace appliqué. It was an absolute dream of a brief.

After one or two design refinements, we settled on the final concept.

The Final Sketch

The design features a sheer tulle cape appliquéd with floral motifs, sleeves and a hood.

Choosing Lace & Designing Something Truly Custom

Jennifer and I finally met in person in January 2025 to finalise the details. Together, we selected a beautiful embroidered floral tulle from Couture Lace. Rather than applying the lace as-is, I carefully cut out each floral motif and individually appliquéd them back onto a sheer tulle base. This process allowed the lace to appear as though it was floating — creating a truly bespoke bridal cape with depth, movement, and a couture finish.

A Veil, a Heirloom Dress, and a Special Civil Ceremony

Civil Ceremony 28.06.2025

Jennifer wore the classic shoulder length veil in ivory with a pencil edge to perfectly compliment her grandmothers lace wedding dress.

Jennifer also became the very first customer of my veil collection, choosing my classic shoulder-length veil for her civil ceremony held in Nice in June. For that same occasion, she wore her grandmother’s handmade dress, which I had the honour of repairing — a quiet, meaningful tribute to family and heritage that made the day even more special.

Every fitting with Jennifer was an absolute joy. We immediately clicked, and as fellow founders of our own brands, we found ourselves talking about everything from Instagram reels to websites and SEO. She generously shared invaluable advice, for which I was deeply grateful.

Watching her excitement grow with every fitting was incredibly rewarding — she never wanted to take the cape off.

Craftsmanship & Construction

The creation process was meticulous. The upper section of the cape — including the chest, back, and sleeves — was entirely appliquéd by hand. It took many hours of careful work to ensure every motif sat perfectly. For the larger sections of the cape, I used my sewing machine with a free-motion embroidery foot, allowing me to maintain precision while saving time.

Along the way, I also learned a valuable new technique: using a soldering iron to cut lace motifs cleanly and efficiently — a huge time saver compared to cutting each piece by hand (and no need to recruit my husband this time!).

Detail of the Lace Appliqué

The embroidered lace was meticulously sewn by hand onto the sheer tulle base.

The Final Result

In the end, Jennifer was overjoyed. The finished custom wedding cape was exactly what we had both envisioned — romantic, dramatic, and deeply personal. She wore it for her wedding ceremony held in Provence in September, and seeing it come to life on such a special day was incredibly moving.

This project was, without question, my favourite of the year.

Photos by Christophe Serrano