‘Masterpiece’: Bride’s dress to feature at international event

Many girls grow up dreaming about their wedding day but few brides can say their handmade dress will be showcased on a global stage.

When newlyweds Carol D’Silva and Mark Wiemers swiped right on Tinder, they soon discovered they were a perfect match.

Drawn to each other’s kind and attentive nature, little did the pair know it would be three long months before they would meet.

With Mr Wiemers stranded in Western Australia due to the 2020 Covid-19 lockdowns and Ms D’Silva in Brisbane, the couple finally united and were engaged a year later.

When the time came to start planning the wedding, Ms D’Silva knew two things – she wanted to make her own dress and it had to have lace.

Carol D'Silva has been invited to showcase her wedding dress she and her mum made at a lace exhibition in France and Portugal. Picture: Sunlit Studio

Her mother Nelinda Da Silva taught her daughter the art of bobbin lace – a highly detailed technique which braids and winds thread onto bobbins to form a weave which is held in place by pins.

Originating in Italy in the 16th century, the textile art has been passed down in Ms D’Silva’s family for generations.

The white dress took a year and a half to make and weighed in at a bulky 8kg, measuring 3.5m from the waist down.

As lockdown meant loved ones from across the globe were unable to attend the ceremony, the bride asked 15 of her friends from different countries to create a lace panel which she then stitched into the back of the dress.

With each panel depicting a design or technique which represented the country the lacemaker is from, pieces were sent from Australia, Canada, Asia and Europe.

Carol D'Silva, pictured with her mum Nelinda Da Silva, has been invited to showcase her wedding dress that she and her mum made at a lace exhibition in France and Portugal. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Both the bride and groom’s initials were stitched into the back of the dress.

Her friend from Belgium also gifted Ms D’Silva something old – a family heirloom and handkerchief made of lace.

Excluding her shoes, Ms D’Silva’s entire outfit was made out of lace including two headpieces.

“Making my own wedding dress has always been a dream of mine because I wanted it to have a piece of me and my family,” she said.

“Everything is fast fashion and made in a factory these days, so it’s important to us to celebrate our heritage and keep the art of bobbin lace alive.

Carol D'Silva has been invited to showcase her wedding dress she and her mum made at a lace exhibition in France and Portugal. Picture: Sunlit Studio

“People spend so much money on their wedding dress and it just ends up sitting in a cupboard, but that will never happen to this dress because it encompasses all the friendships we have built over the years – it’s a masterpiece.”

A mechatronics engineer by profession, Ms D’Silva said she was a “fashion designer by passion”.

Ms D’Silva and Mr Wiemers got married at St Patrick’s Cathedral in the groom’s hometown of Toowoomba on October 23, 2022.

They celebrated their reception at Gabbinbar Homestead.

Now Ms D’Silva and her mum are set to travel to Europe next month to showcase the dress at the Biennial International Lace exhibition.

Carol D'Silva has been invited to showcase her wedding dress she and her mum made at a lace exhibition in France and Portugal. Picture: Sunlit Studio

The project didn’t come without its challenges though with the bride-to-be battling back pain and completing her embroidered reception dress the night before the wedding.

“Both dresses are literally my blood, sweat and tears … if you look on the inside of the dress there are a couple of drops of blood from where I pricked myself with the pin,” Ms D’Silva said.

“When you’re working for a company you’re living someone’s else’s dream but when I create fashion I’m living out my dream.

“My mother has been my biggest inspiration … I’m not sure this masterpiece of a dress would have come together without her continued support and determination.”

The lace exhibition will be held in France on June 10 and 11 and in Portugal on July 14 and 16.

After the exhibition, the mum and daughter hope to open a bobbin lace museum and showcase the dress to inspire others.

Detail from the wedding dress that Carol D'Silva has been invited to showcase at a lace exhibition in France and Portugal. Picture: Kevin Farmer