How did you find out about Sophia Grace Couture?

Living locally, I know a few people who bought their dresses there. When looking at dresses online, my mum came across one that she thought I might like and called the shop to ask a bit more about it. I then booked an appointment to come and try that particular dress on, as well as try some others.

How would you describe your experience at Sophia Grace Couture?

It was very relaxed and stress-free. It was very easy to book an appointment and the communication by email was good.

The shop itself is very luxurious and I was surprised by the range of different styles and designers that were available. I liked that I had the space to myself, as it didn’t make me feel rushed when browsing and trying dresses on.

It was Hannah who assisted me in my appointments. She helped me to pick out dresses that were the style I liked, but I also had the opportunity to try different styles to rule them in or out. She was very knowledgeable about all the dresses and designers. She didn’t make me feel pressured to buy anything on my first visit - I was able to go home to think about it and come back another time to try the dress on again before buying it. Overall, everything just felt very easy and straightforward.

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

My dress was Mindy by Wona Concept. I had originally gone to try on Edwina by the same designer but Hannah showed me this one as well and I really liked it.

I knew I wanted something girly and sparkly with lots of embellishment and that’s definitely how I’d describe my dress! I liked that it had the illusion of being off-the-shoulder but it actually had short sleeves, meaning I didn’t have to worry about it slipping down as the night went on. The 3D flowers were so detailed, as was the sparkly lace. It had a flowy skirt and a long train - I felt like a princess! The seamstress I visited added an infill panel at the deep V neckline made from the offcuts from the bottom of the dress.

I have had lots of compliments on my dress, with lots of people commenting that it was really unique. I had a long glittery veil, also from Sophia Grace.

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

We met 12 years ago, introduced by a friend at a New Year’s party. We added each other on social media and took it from there. We were only teenagers, so we didn’t really have any romantic dates!

The proposal was very low-key, which I think sums us up. We were going out for dinner after work to celebrate being together for 10 years. I came home and Scott had bought me flowers and written a nice card. He then got down on one knee in our living room! It caught me by surprise even though we’d talked about it. We then had to rush out the door to catch a bus into town to get to our dinner!

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

We didn’t have a really strict theme but I knew I wanted a pastel, wildflower feel to our decor. We ended up getting a big moongate with flowers that matched my bouquet and we had wreaths and garlands on the tables. We also decorated the chairs in the church with thistles and foliage to match the buttonholes. My bridesmaid wore a sage green dress with a wildflower bouquet and we incorporated this into our stationary and table runners.

Scott and I do a lot of travelling and this is what we’re known for as a couple, I’d say. We themed our table names around places we’ve been, including a postcard from each city and polaroid photos of us in front of landmarks.

What made you decide upon your chosen venue?

The Seton Garden was exactly what we wanted - a big marquee in lovely grounds. It had so many nice touches, such as a swing, a fairy-lit woodland walk and even a horsebox cocktail bar! We would really recommend it. Everything was beautiful.

Next to the garden is also the Seton Collegiate Church, which we chose to hire. We felt this might offer a wee change of scenery if the weather didn’t go our way, rather than being inside the marquee all day. The church was atmospheric and impressive inside and the ruins in the ground made a good place to have photos taken.

Tell us about your wedding

It was the best day ever! We’re so happy with how everything went. Lots of our guests have said it’s the best wedding they’ve ever been to (and I think they mean it!). We started the day off with a drinks reception so that people could catch up and also so that Scott could welcome everyone. Our ceremony took place in the church and our celebrant was great. We kept the ceremony short, light-hearted and funny. We’d made our own programmes which had some guest shout-outs as well.

Everyone then returned to the garden for drinks and canapes in the sunshine. We had music on and also a giant crossword! Scott and I got some photos taken in the church grounds before having our group shots in the garden and then mingling with our guests. We loved this part of the day as everyone was so excited.

We had speeches from my dad, Scott and our best man Michael and they were all heartwarming and funny. It was satisfying to see people chatting to and laughing with the people we’d sat them with when doing our seating plan! I had made up quizzes for some of the tables where there was a mix of friend groups. We had a three-course meal and the food was so good.

For our evening reception, we had a DJ and the dance floor was never empty. We’d gathered song requests from everyone in the lead up to the wedding so the music was really varied which worked well. We had a photo booth which was really fun and also an audio guestbook, which I’d really recommend. The messages are hilarious to listen back on, especially as the night goes on and people get more drunk. Because it was a summer wedding, it didn’t get dark until late on, which meant people could still go out to visit the cocktail van and get nice photos with the sunset.

All in all, a perfect day!

What was the most memorable moment?

Honestly, the whole day. However, what was really special was having all of our nearest and dearest in one place and being surrounded by people who were there to support us and have fun.

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

My advice would be to have an idea of what kind of dress you want, but not to get too stuck on it. Be open to trying styles that you wouldn’t usually like, but at the end of the day, you know what feels good. I would also recommend taking people who will be honest with you and helpful, but don’t feel like you have to just go along with what other people choose for you.

Finally, I would say that there is a lot of pressure to have a big emotional “this is it” moment when choosing your dress. If you do, that’s great, but I didn’t, and I worried that this meant I hadn’t made the right choice. However, I liked my dress in the shop and then it looked even better with my hair and make-up all done!