After planning her wedding day since she was young, Sheryl was looking for nothing but perfect sophistication and style for her gown. Luckily, the stars aligned for her at Eleganza Sposa and she was able to enjoy the best day of her life feeling the most beautiful she had ever felt in her custom Suzanne Neville gown.
How would you describe your Eleganza Experience?
From the moment I first walked through the doors I knew I'd come to the right place. We hadn't even booked our venue yet but I can be very specific about things and so I wanted to give myself lots of time. I've been waiting my entire life to try on wedding dresses so I was very excited. My stylist Laura took time to understand my style and what I was looking for. I put complete trust in her and when I tried on the second gown she'd pulled for me, I knew in an instant. We customised my dress by adding lace, a sash and various other elements. It was truly the dress of dresses. Classic, timeless and utterly me. The team, especially Laura were with me every step of the way making sure everything was inch perfect. I honestly cannot thank them all enough.
Tell us all about your Suzanne Neville gown!
I've envisioned my wedding dress for as long as I can remember, collecting pictures from magazines for most of my childhood. Nothing could have prepared me for how truly spectacular my dress was. It was the perfect balance of class, sophistication and style. The shape and cut was perfect for my curves. My body has never looked better. We added lace to the strapless gown and a simple sash. I honestly felt like a million dollars. Everyone has commented how perfectly “me” the dress was and I couldn't agree more. I've been on a long fitness and weight loss journey and so to celebrate a body I'm incredibly proud of on such a monumental day - it was nothing short of a dream.
We’re so glad we could help you feel so beautiful - you looked absolutely breathtaking We’d love to hear how it all began - tell us about your proposal moment?
My husband and I had been dating for 3 years when I got offered the job of a lifetime and a secondment to Hong Kong. My career has always played a central role in my life and this opportunity to was too big to turn down. Equally my husband has a job, hobbies and close family and so we decided I would go ahead on my own. Those months apart, whilst wonderful in so many other aspects, showed us both that we were meant to be in this life together. I returned home in November and on Christmas Day a few weeks later, in our home in Biggar, Stewart got down on one knee. It was one of the most incredible moments of my life.
We’re not crying… When the wedding came along, did you have a particular theme or style you wanted to stick to?
Classic with a contemporary twist is very much my style and I wanted the wedding to reflect that. Everything was white with accents of gold. We also chose a damask print for the linens and invites to add a hint of elegance and avoid things looking to sterile. The flowers were very important to me and we stuck with a palette of white with only small touches of foliage. The bridesmaids wore a champagne blush dresses and the men were all in grey kilts. We were absolutely delighted with how everything looked.
It sounds utterly beautiful! Tell us all about your big day…
It was perfect. I woke up at 3am and finally gave in to the nerves at 4am and went a walk with my best friend Polly. We watched the sunrise then returned to my bridal suite in Mar Hall. As the morning sun beamed through the windows, I was all at once perfectly calm. I spent the morning surrounded by my parents, sisters and best friends. Everything ran smoothly and before I knew it, it was time to get into my dress. Seeing my Dad was probably one of the most special moments of the day. He was emotional and lost for words. We made our way downstairs to the ceremony and I've never felt more ready for anything.
The string quartet played Elvis Presley Can't Help Falling in Love as I made my way down the white aisle towards my groom and the rest of my life. The service was a great mix of humour, emotion, singing and music. My friend Colette read Arrow by e.h. After we signed the marriage license, we made our way out to the gardens where our guests were served champagne and canapés whilst the string quartet played some of our favourite songs.
The afternoon flew in and suddenly it was time to head over to the garden pavilion for speeches and dinner. We had a few speakers on the day including myself so had laid on plenty of champagne and chocolates to keep our guests in fine form. I'm not typically a nervous public speaker but after my Dad’s very touching words, I wasn't sure I'd make it through my own. I felt, given how much work, time and passion I'd put into the wedding - and that I often speak publicly, it would have been odd for me to not take a few moments and thank my groom, parents and guests for all their love and support during such a special time. My husband, Stewart, done a brilliant job as did his brothers who were his best men. My sister also read a short poem she'd written. It was beautiful. After all that talking, we tucked into an incredibly delicious meal.
We then had some golden hour photos taken by the incredibly talented Blue Sky before greeting our evening guests. Our first dance was to an acoustic version of Ocean Colours Scene’s The Circle. Our incredible band got the party started and the dance floor was full for the rest of the night. Stewarts family, who are very talented musicians, had formed a Scottish Country Dance band for the occasion and played a few short ceilidh sets. I woke up the next morning feeling like I'd perhaps dreamt it all. It was genuinely the best day of our life and we feel so fortunate to have been able to plan and host such a once in a lifetime event.
Thank you so much for sharing! Your day sounds perfect. Finally, have you got any advice for brides visiting Eleganza in the future?
Trust your stylist. They will be able to understand your style and taste and will also be able to advise and what works best for your body. I'd also make sure you take at least one friend to remember all the details. I only had one glass of champagne but with the nerves, excitement and adrenaline I couldn't remember any of the business information i.e. when my dress would be ready, payments etc. Overall, the whole experience was above and beyond - the stars aligned for me at Eleganza!
Photographer: Blue Sky Photography
Film: Cherry Tree Films
Florist: Mood Flowers
Venue: Mar Hall
Makeup: Rachel Hunter Makeup
Hair: The Aisle
Shoes: Dune
Cake: 3D Cakes
Music: Capella, Arkleston Piping, Emma Hale Music, Woohoo Band