Jenelle Hamilton has been the public relations representative for fashion and costume icon Bob Mackie for more than 15 years. As she puts it, “He’s family at this point.” So when it came time to choose a wedding dress for her August ceremony, she knew it had to be Bob. “I just couldn’t imagine wearing anyone else’s design. If I had picked someone else, I’m sure he would have critiqued it or tried to redesign it for me,” she jokes.

Although Mackie has officially retired and is no longer creating new collections—instead, he’s been lending archival pieces to celebrities like Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus—he made an exception for Jenelle.

Having Mackie design her wedding gown felt natural, as he had known the couple from the start. Jenelle, who is from England, first met Bart Williams, a lawyer from Los Angeles, in 2021 through a dating app while both were living in Beverly Hills. “He was only eight minutes away,” she recalls, “but we moved in different circles. Without technology, I don’t think we ever would have met.” Their first phone call lasted two and a half hours. “We had great chemistry and just started dating from there,” Jenelle shares. Two years later, they were fully integrated into each other’s lives and blended families, and began talking about engagement rings.

Bart surprised Jenelle with a proposal at home in their kitchen. “I love to cook, and we were having a very casual dinner,” Jenelle says. “After the meal, he asked if I would cook for him forever. I thought it must have been a really great meal. Then I saw the ring.” She adds that she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way: “It was just us being our natural selves.”

The couple wanted their wedding to reflect their backgrounds, blending classic Los Angeles and English aesthetics. They began the celebrations with a speakeasy-style welcome party at the Hollywood Roosevelt, a historic hotel rumored to be haunted by stars like Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift. The next day, they honored Jenelle’s upbringing with an English countryside-inspired ceremony in the backyard garden of their Beverly Hills home, followed by an Art Deco-themed reception at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills.

Jenelle had long admired a two-piece look Mackie designed for The Cher Show, which the singer later wore for her own wedding. “It was designed in the ‘70s but still looks so current,” Jenelle notes. She asked Mackie to create something inspired by that look and to “do his thing.” So the designer pulled the original sketches from his archive and selected a bronze fabric he felt would complement both the design and her complexion for the outdoor ceremony. When Jenelle first saw the sketch for her gown, she told him, “Bob, you nailed it.”

“He captured my personality perfectly—his sketches are very personal,” she continues. “He was inspired by the original design, but this was truly for me. He loves my legs, so he said, ‘I need to put a slit in there.'” Mackie also felt the outfit should include a veil, so he added a romantic, ruffled cathedral-length veil with face-framing floral details to complete the look.

Going through the fitting process, with multiple muslins and draping sessions, showed Jenelle just how skilled Mackie is. “The way he thinks about form and placement—I knew the sketch would look exactly like the finished product,” she says. “Every seam, every jewel was placed exactly as he envisioned and put on paper.” Along with his design director, Joe McFate, and alteration specialist Dorothy Crutcher, Mackie brought the vision to life. “I got emotional during the fitting and again on my wedding day when I saw the dress.”“He did it from the heart,” says the bride.

With his background as a costume designer, Mackie carefully considered not only how Jenelle would look in her wedding ensemble, but also how she would move. “He wanted the corset to stay in place while still allowing me to move freely,” she explains. “He thought about how it would feel when I danced, from every angle, and made sure it was practical. He even showed me how to walk down the aisle, how to pose, and how to arrange the dress. He gave me instructions on how to perform.”

Jenelle shares that Mackie wasn’t just there on her wedding day to help her get dressed and make final adjustments—he was also a guest at every event. “He was with me from the moment I arrived, riding in the car to the house, and was literally in the room with me right before I walked down the aisle,” she says. “He’s like family.”

Mackie wanted the bride to look her absolute best throughout the entire wedding weekend, so he had Jenelle and McFate browse through his archive books to select outfits for every part of the celebration. For the welcome party, Jenelle chose a green hand-beaded couture gown from his spring 2004 collection, and Mackie personally selected a gold beaded gown from his fall 1997 collection for her to wear while dancing at the reception.

“I was determined to do the dresses justice,” Jenelle says. “I thought they were on loan, but after the wedding, Joe told me, ‘Bob said no one else should ever wear these gowns that you wore, and he will be gifting them to you.’ Now I have them, and I’ll probably end up cleaning the house in them.”

Jenelle describes the transformative effect of wearing Mackie’s designs: “You put on that dress and you literally transform. You feel so sexy and empowered. You become who you really are.” Throughout the wedding night, she knew she could count on Mackie’s presence. “He just stood there, admiring his work, and enjoying seeing me in every outfit.”

Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about Bob Mackie designing a custom wedding gown after his retirement

General Information

Q Who is Bob Mackie
A Hes a legendary and highly influential fashion designer famously known for creating glamorous often beaded and sequined gowns for celebrities like Cher Diana Ross and Carol Burnett

Q I thought Bob Mackie was retired Is that true
A Yes he had largely stepped back from the fashion industry and was considered semiretired before taking on this project

Q Why did he come out of retirement for this specific bride
A While the exact personal reasons arent always public its typically because he had a special connection to the bride or her family or he was incredibly inspired by her vision for the gown

About the Gown and Process

Q What makes a Bob Mackie wedding gown so special
A His gowns are known for their exquisite craftsmanship incredible attention to detail use of luxurious fabrics and often feature his signature elements like elaborate beadwork feathers and dramatic silhouettes

Q How much does a custom Bob Mackie wedding gown cost
A Custom gowns from a designer of his stature are extremely expensive likely costing well into the six figures reflecting the materials and hundreds of hours of handiwork required

Q How long does it take to create a custom gown like this
A The process can take many months from initial sketches and consultations to multiple fittings and the meticulous handsewing of embellishments

Q Did the bride get to help design it
A Absolutely The process is a collaboration The bride brings her inspiration and vision and Bob Mackie uses his expertise to translate that into a oneofakind piece of art

For Potential Brides

Q Can I hire Bob Mackie to design my wedding dress
A It is highly unlikely He is very selective about the projects he takes on especially after his retirement Its not a standard service offered to the public

Q Whats the best way to get a dress that looks like a Bob Mackie
A Look for designers who specialize in couture beaded and dramatic eveningwear You can also look for vintage Bob Mackie gowns though finding