How did you find out about Sophia Grace Couture?

Sophia Grace Couture was recommended to me by two of my friends that had previously bought their dress there. It was the first and only shop I decided to visit.

How would you describe your experience at Sophia Grace Couture?

The staff at Sophia Grace Couture were wonderful from start to finish. When I first went to try on dresses the let me choose as many as I wanted and encouraged me to try all different styles. Even after I had decided on the 3rd dress which I tried on, they brought in other dresses from the floor for me to try to ensure I had actually picked ‘the one’. After alterations Naydene was there to ensure the dress was perfect before I was allowed to take it home.

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

The dress I picked was not the one I had in my head when I went to the shop. I had imagined something completely plain… when I tried this ‘dream’ dress on I hated it. The dress I went for was like a princess dress. It had lots of detail/beading at the top, a full tulle skirt down the bottom, I absolutely loved it! As soon as I tried the dress on I knew it was made for me. The style completely flattered my shape and I felt amazing in it.

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

I first met Chris at work… thankfully we do not work together anymore. We went on holiday to Belgium, and while there Chris took me to have a ring made and proposed with it after we collected it.

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

I chose pastel colours for my flowers, designed by the amazing Save The Date Collective, and tended to follow that theme throughout the venue (since they were obviously the biggest part of the decoration). It was also Easter weekend when we got married so we had Lindt chocolate bunnies as our favours and bunny baskets for the kids.

What made you decide upon your chosen venue

When I went to visit Newhall Estate I fell in love with it. It was about to be a relatively new venue space as before although they allowed marquee weddings they were now building a coach house to hold the reception in and the Estate house was also yours for the weekend. As the building works were still going on it required a bit of a leap of faith but from the drawings you could see the huge potential the venue had – the owners were also lovely and so welcoming!

Tell us about your wedding

The whole wedding took place at Newhall Estate starting with the ceremony out in the grounds. The weather was amazing and everyone was able to spend time out in the sunshine all day. Following the ceremony there was prosecco and canapes for the guests while the bridal party and families had pictures. We then had the meal in the coach house followed by the evening band – the day was perfect. The bridal party were able to stay at the venue the night before and after the wedding, and guests were able to hire the cottages on the grounds also.

What was the most memorable moment?

I honestly don’t think I could pinpoint one moment. The day went far too fast but we both loved every minute of it from the ceremonies to the speeches to the first dance. Couldn’t have had a better day.

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

My main bit of advice would be to trust Naydene and her team – they are brilliant at what they do and will make sure everything is perfect before the day. They are more than happy to alter dresses to make it your dream dress so don’t be afraid to change things from the sample to make it your own, they will make sure it is exactly what you want.