Wedding of Lauren and Graham
How did you find out about Sophia Grace Couture?
My cousin had visited the shop and raved about it. Her dress was also so beautiful.
How would you describe your experience at Sophia Grace Couture?
Really special, I was really nervous going into it, but the team are so relaxed, friendly and warm. I was made to feel at ease straight away. I never felt rushed, I loved that Hannah gave me her genuine opinion on dresses, I loved that you get another appointment in a separate boutique to feel special again to pick your veil. I can’t rave about it enough, it felt like a safe space to feel whatever you were feeling and really enjoy and soak in that experience of picking a dress with your friends or family.
Tell us about your dress and why you choose your particular gown
It was not what I had in mind! But I just loved it. None of the other dresses I tried on after compared. It was just so different to any I had seen. I’m genuinely went in so cynical thinking “it’s just a dress”, but it really felt right to me. I just wouldn’t love any other dress the same.
How did you meet? Are you happy to tell us about the proposal?
We met through friends and we had a very low-key proposal a few days after Xmas in our living room at the Xmas tree. But it felt so right for us as it was a really emotional moment and I’m glad it was private. We then ran to our families’ houses after to tell the news.
What was your inspiration for your wedding? Did you follow a specific theme or colour palette?
The vibe was just what we just like really, so it was a bit of a miss mash of things, but it all worked because I think it suited us. There were lots of retro elements without us even trying to make that a theme (and old car, vintage pieces I own as décor, and we had a blues band play). Without me knowing it as well my dress had retro elements with the bow and high neck!
Colours wise I just went with what I thought suited the venue which is blue inside, and it all fit in nice as a palette without thinking about it too much thankfully. However, Pixie Rose flowers just got it straight away, I described what I wanted (which was a bit confusing) and they went over and above. I didn’t want to be tied down to a colour or theme, we just went with what felt right for us.
What made you decide upon your chosen venue?
It was just so different to any I had seen, it’s a stunning small old chapel that’s been renovated into an events venue, so we could have a humanist ceremony in a beautiful chapel for the ceremony, there is a bar in the building also, so while you wait there the chapel is then turned into a unique dining space where you sit at chapel pews for the meal, and it’s then totally transformed again for the evening into a dancefloor (our live band played at the chapel alter covered in fairy lights it looked AMAZING. Very cool)
Tell us about your wedding
I had the most amazing morning at my mum and dad’s home, where I felt really comfortable and at ease. We just relaxed in the garden all morning and had a dance. Lindsay from Belle beauty and Erin Stewart also go caught up in the emotions of the day as it got closer to it being time to leave. Then my Dad and I were picked up in retro open-top car, a Bentley Corniche (which was the best for photos, so so worth it.) We then arrived for our chapel ceremony and I walked in with a string quartet playing. The quartet had been playing covers of songs all morning for guests when they arrived. (They are so so cool, I was told it was very ‘Bridgerton’)
Our ceremony was then humanist and really personal to us, we really opened up to our humanist Marjorie (which isn’t like us) and she told our story. We had every family member take part in elements of the ceremony (our mums signed the register, our dads drank from the whisky quaich and I had my sister by my side) and some close friends also did readings from some of our favourite books.
We then did a confetti walk out with dried lavender (our confetti cones were made from Jane Austen pages! You can get them on etsy) and we headed back into the open top car for a photoshoot down Dunbar harbour. Our photographer and videographer were both incredible, they were just so chilled out, really made us comfortable and we actually had a lot of fun and had a laugh mostly. Never felt awkward. When I saw the end results I was like how!!! As all we did was laugh.
Then it was speeches, which blew me away, and most definitely the most emotional moment of the day. Each speech was also from the church pulpit, so there are no speech photos like ours! And a delicious three course meal followed from our chef Kris and her fantastic catering company. It really felt like a fine dining experience. Our table numbers theme was also years of previous family weddings which was a way to incorporate old photos as many people do. Our favours were also for a charity we both care about.
After our cake cutting (which was a delicious hummingbird flavoured cake by Jane!) The wedding then transformed into the ultimate party, it was a very hot day so we had fans for guests, and a blues band that played soul covers all night, so it felt like a night in New Orleans! Everyone just embraced the hot sweaty party atmosphere, and the photos kind of stopped there – which is sign of a good party! I really really let go, and just danced all night.
What was the most memorable moment?
There is an upper balcony in the chapel, which is used for just storing personal items, but it looks down on the dancefloor. So as I was picking a few things I just started dancing to a bluesy version of Shania Twain that was playing and all then all the guests were clapping and cheering, including my new husband and I did a wee dance performance up there not a care in the world. There was just so much love in the room on the day, and it felt so nice to let go.
Do you have any advice for future brides visiting Sophia Grace Couture?
I don’t think I appreciated how stressful a wedding is, but so much of that stress was pressure I put on myself. So I’d just say if you’re not enjoying it or it’s not something true to you don’t do it, i.e follow some trends/traditions ect. And it all falls into place on the day, I had so much trust in each of my vendors.
Suppliers:
Photographer: Solen Collet
Videographer: Stephen Lamb
Ceremony Venue: Harbour Chapel Dunbar
Catering: The Good Table Catering
Humanist: Marjorie Russell
Florist: Pixie Rose Flowers
Cake: Janey Bakes
Make-up Artist: Erin Stewart
Hair Stylist: Belle Bridal Hair & Beauty
Transport: Majestic Wedding Cars Edinburgh & Coach Hire from ACs Taxis
Music by: Cairn String Quartet and Borrowed Blues