How did you find out about Sophia Grace Couture?

It was through my mum, actually! One of her friend’s daughters had got her dress from Sophia Grace and highly recommended it. My parents live in Portobello, so it was quite handy for us to drive down to the store in East Lothian.

How would you describe your experience at Sophia Grace Couture?

Relaxed and luxurious! Sophia Grace was the last shop I visited when looking for my dress, so I was very nervous by this point, and a bit dejected as I was starting to think I’d never find anything. But the girls in the store put us at ease as soon as we walked in. They were friendly and spent so much time with us picking out dresses, trying and re-trying them on to make sure we were happy! Nothing was too much trouble. The store itself is beautiful too, and the selection of dresses they have is stunning. In some other shops I was struggling to pick out five dresses I liked, but here it was more of a struggle to narrow it down!

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

We met through a mutual friend at a university Halloween party in 2006! The proposal was on the big wheel in my favourite city, Málaga, the day after my 30th birthday – I had a sickness bug on my actual birthday when he was planning on proposing so I kept him waiting! It was worth it though.

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

We didn’t have a specific theme in mind, but wanted to keep the colour scheme neutral so went for cream flowers with lots of greenery and gold touches on things like the chairs and welcome sign. As we got engaged on the big wheel, we incorporated a wheel design into our invitations and seating plan which we loved!

What made you decide upon your chosen venue?

We knew we wanted to get married in Edinburgh, and had always liked the idea of a city centre wedding. I’m from Edinburgh and as we live near the centre that’s where we spend most of our time, so it just felt right for us to get married there too!

We only looked at about four venues in total, but when we walked in to the King’s Hall (the ceremony room at the Intercontinental Edinburgh the George) we just fell in love with it and knew it was our place!

What was the most memorable moment?

I didn’t tell Iain I was changing my surname until the wedding reception. It was just the two of us in the King’s Hall taking in the room before all the guests were invited in, and I showed him the cake topper I had secretly ordered that had ‘Mr and Mrs Snedden’ on it! I had always been adamant I was keeping my name but had a change of heart the week before the wedding. It was a nice surprise for him and a lovely moment for us both.

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

Don’t be nervous! Be open to trying on styles you haven’t considered, and don’t be scared to ask the girls in the shop for advice – they are so lovely and have a great eye for what looks good! Also, try to take a moment to take in the surroundings in the store itself. It’s easy to forget when there are so many stunning dresses, but the atmosphere and even the building itself is really amazing too.