How did you find out about Sophia Grace Couture?

I first heard about Sophia Grace years before getting engaged. A friend of a friend had got her dress from Sophia Grace, and she had tagged the boutique on her profile. I instantly followed the page as I thought that the dresses were stunning and put it on my list of boutiques to visit when the time came, a dose of wishful thinking on my part!

How would you describe your experience at Sophia Grace Couture?

My experience at Sophia Grace was so magical and stress free. I booked the VIP suite meaning that I could bring 6 of my nearest and dearest to help me find my dream dress. The VIP suite was completely private and relaxed which was the vibe I wanted. My mum, aunt and bridesmaids were treated to prosecco and chocolates while I had the very difficult job of trying on beautiful dresses. I had visited two other dress shops already meaning that I had quite a good idea of the style that I wanted at my appointment. That being said, my stylist Ines made sure that no stone was left unturned, and we worked together to ensure that I found my dream dress. She was so incredibly patient and allowed me to have a look through the dresses to make sure that I hadn’t missed anything. She didn’t rush or pressurise me into making a decision, and really listened to what I wanted – a true angel!

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

I picked the stunning Thalia dress by Calla Blanche with the matching veil. When I got engaged, I had a specific style in mind for my wedding dress (fitted, low V, detailed and a statement train) and Thalia instantly caught my eye when I spotted it on Sophia Grace’s website. I then saw on social media that it was going into the sample suite; I panicked as my appointment at the boutique was not for a couple of months and I was worried that it would be sold before then. My mum and I rushed to the shop that weekend to try it on just in case it wasn’t there at my appointment, and I instantly fell in love with it. I always said that I would never say yes to the first gown so I went away to my other appointments, hoping that the dress would still be there at my actual appointment with my bridesmaids. Thalia set the bar high and, honestly, no other dress in any other shop compared. Fast forward to my actual appointment and, low and behold, it was still there. I took that as a sign that it was definitely “the one” and, after trying it on again, did not hesitate saying yes to the dress.

I felt like an absolute princess wearing it on my wedding day. It was exactly what I dreamed of:- figure hugging, detailed and glamourous, and topped off with the most beautiful matching veil.

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

How does every modern-day love story begin.. Bumble! Jamie’s profile picture caught my eye as it showed him holding up a seriously cute dog which I then found out later wasn’t actually his dog but his boss’s dog. Despite being misled, we hit it off straight away.

The actual proposal was so unexpected. We were due to go on holiday to Croatia and he had planned to propose there. Jamie went to my parents’ house the day before our holiday to ask their permission and after saying yes, my mum happened to make a passing comment about how tricky it would be to keep a ring safe in an Air BnB in Croatia... That slightly panicked Jamie and he decided to propose later that evening. He tried to get me out the flat for a nice walk or for some food, but I was not up for either option. I genuinely had no idea that he wanted to propose and thought that he just wanted to avoid having to pack his suitcase! I then turned around and there he was on one knee. Honestly, I was so shocked that I burst out crying – not a good idea after just having lash extensions applied. Jamie ended up fanning my lashes with one hand and holding the ring with another until I finally calmed down to say yes.

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

My theme was ‘rustic glam’ (if you can call that a theme?). Essentially, I wanted to keep the rustic vibe of the venue but put my own spin on it and “glam it up” by incorporating pink/neutral florals and blush colour palette throughout the venue.

While the venue came with runners and foliage, I removed these items choosing instead to hire my own linen and charger plates from 88 events and bought blush tapered candles for the tables to create elegant dining vibes.

A special shoutout needs to go to my florist, the truly amazing and incredibly talent, Vicky. My flowers were nothing short of ICONIC, and I still haven’t stopped talking about how amazing they were almost 6 months later. I had so much faith in Vicky and her abilities that I relinquished a lot of creative control to her; girly and glam was the brief and she absolutely nailed it. She created the most spectacular floral arrangements for the aisle – the pictures speak for themselves – that truly brought my vision to life.

What made you decide upon your chosen venue?

I found picking a venue so hard. Jamie and I live in Edinburgh, but most of his friends and family are in the Scottish Borders and mine are in Glasgow, so we needed a venue that was convenient for all. I also loved the idea of making a weekend of it and finding a venue that had enough accommodation for the bridal party and parents to stay the full weekend

We saw quite a few DIY/barn type venues but many of them were too rustic and I was put off by having to source my own tableware, chairs, caters and so on. Cairns Farm ticked all off my boxes. It is rustic yet modern, had beautiful views and on-site accommodation. It was the barn venue where I could put my own spin on things yet came with ease as it has its own in-house caters.

Tell us about your wedding

Our wedding was the most magical and memorable day of our lives. Our humanist, Alan Barr, conducted the most beautiful ceremony; a perfect bend of funny yet sincere to reflect us as a couple. We then had a drinks reception in the sunshine on the terrace, where the guests could take in the spectacular views of the Pentland Hills. We were joined in the afternoon by our 8-month-old puppy, Miss Coco, who was undoubtedly the star of the show and stole my thunder a little bit… I had booked some surprises during the day and in the evening for the guests day including Billy Reid Magic, Singing Servers and Sticksnkicks. They all kept the fun and party atmosphere going all day and night! There is nothing I would change about our day; it was full of laughter and fun which is everything I hoped for and more.

What was the most memorable moment?

Walking down the aisle with my wee dad in the ceremony room of my dreams, to the most beautiful version of Love Story played by the Amarone music and seeing Jamie at the end of the aisle was a core memory that I will never forget.

One of my unexpected highlights was our first dance. We picked quite an unknown first dance songs that wasn’t on our band’s (The Jordan Murray Band) usual repertoire. Jordan didn’t just learn the song for us but created a version unique to them and therefore unique to us. The song started off slow and then got faster – the whole wedding party was on the dancefloor by the end of the song which was so much fun!

Our sunset photoshoot with our photographer, John Clark, was the best way to end a magical day. John captured our day so perfectly and is such a lovely, funny and genuine person to have as your wedding photographer.

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

Have an open mind and try on a lot of different styles so that you can narrow down exactly what you want. Don’t be afraid to say your opinion but also listen to the girls in the boutique and ask questions – they know their stuff.

Vendors:

Photographer: John Clark

Ceremony venue: Cairns Farm Estate

Celebrant: Alan Barr

Florist: Vicky’s Flowers

Cake: Edinburgh Wedding Cakes

Make-up artist: Nicola at Honey Love Makeup

Band: The Jordan Murray Band

Ceremony/reception music: Amarone Music