How did you find out about Sophia Grace Couture?

I was on Instagram scrolling various designers looking for some inspiration one day when I stumbled upon the ‘ARLEIGH’ dress from Pen- Liv. When I checked to see where it was stocked, I noticed that it was being featured in a trunk show at Sophia Grace the following week. With the boutique being less than an hour from me, I had to get an appointment to try it on straight away and I was in luck.

How would you describe your experience at Sophia Grace Couture?

I did think as soon as I’d seen the dress online, that it was the one. However, Hannah told me to be open minded and I tried on a bunch of other different styles in the boutique. They were all beautiful but I immediately knew when I put the dress on that it was the one for me. We also discussed practicalities - for example, the Italian heat and transporting the dress to Italy - which were factors that I had to consider in choosing the best style.

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

It was an experience I’ll remember forever. From walking into the charming building, the beautiful boutique, the comfort I felt with Hannah and then feeling like a princess in all the dresses, it was magical. She was amazing in guiding me through the try on process and with the following after sales care. Namely, when I found out I was pregnant before my dress arrived back in the shop. I was having a slight melt down at the next appointment, fearing that my dress wouldn’t fit. However, Hannah put my mind at ease and provided me a contact to make the alterations, explaining the process in full - that made me feel instantly a lot less nervous.

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

My husband Alan and I met in 2015. I was working in a restaurant behind the bar when he walked in with a some of his friends for some drinks.

He proposed 5 years later in 2020 when we were out for a walk in St. Andrews, having spent a nice relaxing weekend there. He told me he had it all planned to propose in Rome, our favourite city to visit. However, COVID meant that he had to quickly think of a backup!

Fast forward to now we are in our second home and this year we welcomed our beautiful baby boy Rory who is now 6 months old.

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

I suppose the inspiration for the wedding was our love of Italy and wanting to experience it with our family and friends.

I knew that it was important for me to keep the decor simple and stripped back, as I wanted the breathtaking backdrop of the Gulf of Naples and Capri to be the main point of focus. Therefore, I decided to keep all the floral arrangements white, with plenty of my favourite flowers - roses. The bridesmaids’ dresses were oyster and Alan and his groomsmen opted for nude trousers and a baby blue blazer. I obviously had to buy Rory the matching outfit, so he was twinning with his dad.

What made you decide upon your chosen venue?

We both agreed that we wanted to have our wedding somewhere that had plenty of sun, great views and amazing food. Alan and I had travelled to Italy numerous times prior, and it is one of our favourite places, so it just felt right to search for wedding venues there. We headed out to Sorrento for a few days in 2022 to do some searching, and we immediately knew that it was our venue as soon as we stepped onto the terrace and experienced the view.

Tell us about your wedding

It was everything I’d hoped for. After the intimate ceremony in one of the hotels gardens, we all enjoyed some Spritz’s on the terrace and took in the view whilst a violinist played some music and aperitifs were served. We then moved up to the top terrace where we ate a gorgeous meal and watched the sun set under a net of fairy lights - so magical. This was such a special moment as we were told that we wouldn’t see much of a sunset with the cloud cover / humidity that we’d experienced that week. However, our luck was in and it was beautiful. We then spent the rest of the night dancing under the stars, a night I’ll never forget.

What was the most memorable moment?

Seeing Rory in his little suit walking down the aisle will always be such a core memory for me. It was very stressful taking care of a baby whilst trying to enjoy the wedding. However, the memories we now have together as a family are so special and I will always cherish him being there.

One moment that sticks in my head is standing in a circle on the dance floor later in the night with my bridal party screaming Natasha Beddingfield “Unwritten” My friends mean the world to me and having them by my side was everything.

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

My advice would be to just enjoy every moment of the process as the time does fly leading up to the wedding so soak it all in. Bring whoever makes you feel most comfortable, try on a bunch of dresses, and just have fun with it. It is such an enjoyable experience and I wish I could do it all over again!