How did you find out about Sophia Grace Couture?

I spent a lot of time searching for the perfect dress and found that most of the styles I liked were from Stella York. After telling a friend, she informed me that Sophia Grace Couture had their stock and we made an appointment.

How would you describe your experience at Sophia Grace Couture?

It was like a dream. The team took such wonderful care of me. They really listened to the kind of dress that I was looking for and had excellent suggestions. With their help, we selected around 6 dresses to try on for the first try and to my surprise my perfect dress was among them. I had gone to around 10 other bridal stores and tried on more than 30 dresses and never had this kind of luck.

Tell us about your dress and why you choose your particular gown

I chose the Stella York Pink Floral Lace Dress. I was immediately attracted to the textured skirt on the dress. It was bouncy and full without being too much. It felt comfortable and flowy, and had the romantic feel I was looking for. I chose to have straps on the dress, which added to the security and overall feel of support I needed. The bodice is blush lace, with a dreamy Diamante belt that gives it a little sparkle. The fit of this dress is very flattering, especially after the Sophia Grace team had it altered, I felt like my waist was tiny.

How did you meet? Are you happy to tell us about the proposal?

My now husband, Aidan, and I were first introduced at my housewarming party back in Brisbane, Australia. He was a friend of a friend of my roommates. We connected instantly and spent most of the night following each other around. After he ‘accidentally’ left something at our place, he came around the next day to pick it up, which turned into an all day hangout.

Five years later and he popped the question a week before we planned to move to Edinburgh, Scotland. He was super relaxed about, waking me up with coffee and breakfast before getting down on one knee. It was exactly the proposal I wanted. We both come from very large families, so we had panned to elope. However, he asked my dad for permission which gave our secret away and after my parents found out so did a few others! Soon our elopement turned into a small wedding, but we weren’t upset about it at all. If our loved ones were going to fly all the way over from Australia, it was worth them being there with us.

What was your inspiration for your wedding? Did you follow a specific theme or colour palette?

I’m a very romantic sort of person, which means I love blush colours and intimacy. I’m also the sort of bookish/historian type, so things like old buildings, antique furniture and classic details really appeal to me. The venue was going to be the most important part and after we found the Branxholm Park House, our colours, favours and decorations fell into place.

What made you decide upon your chosen venue?

The Branxholm Park House was recommended to me by a friend. She showed me the website and I instantly fell in love. It was a small country mansion in Hawick and turned out to be everything all in one. It accommodated all of our guests, the bedrooms each having their own enchanting style. It also had a wedding chapel on the estate, which fitted the intimate feel we wanted. The venue also included a pool table, spa, sauna, karaoke room, pool table, gym, media room and more. Every turn you take there’s a hidden activity or treasure you’re likely to find. But mainly, we chose the venue due to the glass greenhouse that was renovated into the main dining area. It was decorated with hanging vines and lights that made you feel like you were in a fairytale. You looked up from your dinner and you could see the stars.

Tell us about your wedding

Our wedding was a 16 guest, small and intimate affair. It was on 17th of December, but we were granted with a lovely sunny day that ended with a little snowfall in the evening. I was separated from Aidan the night before, so I spent the morning completely alone to get ready. I loved having a few hours of quiet time, it made the day very peaceful. I only had a few knocks on the door from mum coming in with breakfast and champagne and little last minute questions, but other than that I was left alone to do my make up. Soon, my hair dresser arrived and then the photographers and before I knew it I was walking down the aisle.

Our ceremony was personalised to us completely. It was short and intimate with our own written vows. We ended it with a Scottish Fast Handing Tradition and officially tied the knot. Afterwards we had drinks around a beautiful fire pit before running off to the mountains for our photoshoot. We may have snuck into a few people’s paddocks in the process…

After a dress change and dinner in the glass greenhouse, we spent the rest of the night dancing, singing and laughing with everyone we love.

Do you have any advice for future brides visiting Sophia Grace Couture?

Go in with an idea of your perfect dress, but also be open to finding a dress that’s different to what you thought. Trust in the girls at Sophia Grace to help you, they know what they are doing.