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How would you describe your Eleganza Experience?
Imagining your Wedding Dress is something that every little girl does and when the time came for me to find my dream dress, there was really only one store on my list… Eleganza!
The whole experience from start to finish was everything you could ask for; from the store itself, to the collections they carry, to the wonderful staff (shout out to Rachel and Leslie in particular) - everything is simply top tier!
I went for my initial appointment on a Sunday afternoon, at Four O’Clock, and although the shop shuts at Five-Thirty, we were still there at nearly Seven! There was no rushing, no pushing, no stressing, the girls simply gave me the time I needed to say “Yes” to the perfect dress for me. Even when I asked to make a number of changes to the design of the dress, the assured me anything was possible, and they’d do whatever they could to make my vision a reality! Decision making has never been a strength of mine, especially when it comes to my beloved fashion, so I think it’s safe to say that everyone who knows me, was pretty shocked that it only took one visit, to one store, for me to find my Wedding Dress, but that’s testament to the Eleganza team, and their service and their fantastic range of stock!
Contrary to the norm, I decided to take both my mum and my dad with me on my dress hunt, and I’m so glad that I did! It was a truly magical experience and I’m so glad I got to share those moments with them both, I know we’ll all treasure those memories forever!
Would you like to share with us your proposal moment, favourite part of planning your wedding or what you have planned for your honeymoon?
Having been together for almost nine years, I think on every holiday there was always going to be that thought in the back of my mind of… “oh, I wonder if this is the one where it’ll happen”! But on a Winter trip to one of our favourite cities, Paris, when I’d packed and unpacked the luggage and Gavin had no issue with me freely searching the safe for my jewellery, I’d put the hope of the proposal away for another year… but I was wrong!
After dinner one night, Gavin suggested that we walk back to our hotel, so that we could get a photo in the same spot where we’d done so on our first trip to Paris 6 years earlier. I thought nothing of it, until we reached the spot, on the Pont Alexandre III Bridge. Overlooking the glistening Eiffel Tower, there seemed to be no one else on the bridge but us… and then Gavin got (half) down on one knee and popped the question! Obviously I said ‘YES’ with no hesitation!
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Tell us more about your Eleganza Iconica gown!
I know they say not to go into Wedding Dress shopping with an exact style in mind, but surprisingly for me, I literally came out with my Pinterest board Wedding Dress of dreams!
From the minute I tried on the “Florence” Dress I knew it was the one, albeit with a minor tweak or two, just to make it extra perfect for me! The floral detail was perfect for our Spring wedding and I knew that in the surroundings of our venue, Gordon Castle, this dress would make me feel like a Princess. Naturally, I did try on a few other options - just incase - but ultimately nothing else came close. My dad commented that the back of it was by far the most stunning… and at the time I remember thinking “hmm, not the typical compliment I was expecting” but then I got the dream shot back from our incredible photographer from the big day, and WOW never has “Let’s hear it for the back of the dress” ever been so accurate!
The overskirt was just the icing on the cake! I’m a big fashion gal at heart, so always knew that I wanted to have two looks for our Wedding day, but I’ve always been a bit resistant to the idea of a full outfit change. The team at Eleganza altered the skirt so that it made my “Ceremony Outfit” look like one full, elegant, ballgown. I was then able to detach the skirt at night, allowing for my “Evening Outfit” to show off the full beauty of the Florence Dress on its own, bringing a slinkier look and more ease of movement, so I could dance the night away!
We also made a few more subtle changes to the dress including, changing the colour of the chest cups from white to nude, fully lining the body and adapting the neckline from curved to square for a more modern classic look, in line with my vision board. I added a simple pearl belt to enhance my waistline and styled it on the day with a mix of pearl and diamond jewellery.
What was your inspiration for your wedding? Did you follow a specific theme or colour palette?
We wanted our wedding to have a feel of ‘relaxed elegance’ about it; a feel good atmosphere, filled with so much love - which is exactly how is was!
Regarding the theme, we went for a modern but classic vibe, focusing our colour pallet on neutrals, with gold and black accents. I did all of the designs for the decor, stationery and signage myself, of course with the help from a few of our handiest nearest and dearest when it came to the set up and particularly with the build of our 2m by 2m Table Plan installation and custom made bar! Along with these statement pieces, we incorporated a custom monogram to our design elements, personalised napkins and a vintage-style cake and a Prosecco tower - all making my Pinterest Board Wedding really come to life!
Tell us more about your Big Day!
It really is true when people tell you that your Wedding Day is truly one of the best days of your life - there is nothing about our day that either of us would change, everything was a dream and so much better than we could have ever imagined!
When selecting an April date we knew that we might be up against it with having the weather on our side, but much to our delighted, the sun shone brighter than it had all year up to that point, adding the cherry on top of the cake for our day.
We made the decision to spilt our day into three sections, as we felt that this format really suited our beautiful venue, Gordon Castle. We had an intimate ceremony in the Orangery, followed by the Drinks and Canapé Reception in the Castle Grounds and then an evening of Dinner and Dancing in Tower Hall.
It was so wonderful to be surrounded by all of our loved ones, celebrating love on our most special day!
What was the most memorable moment?
There are so many moments from our Wedding Day that I’ll cherish forever; getting ready in the morning with my best gals and our beautiful little Page boy pup, the moments as my Mum helped me into my dress, the big reveal with Dad, the first look at Gavin and as I walked down the aisle, walking back up the aisle as Husband and Wife, our first dance… the list could go on! But, and not to make this all about me… one of the moments that will always stand out for me, was making my speech; something I have joked about doing for a long time, but always knew deep down that I really would regret not having done. Untraditional for a Bride perhaps, but perfect for me, those few moments of having everyone’s attention, although daunting to begin with, gave me the perfect opportunity to say all of the most important things - thank yous, memories and of course 'I love you’s. So my advice to any Bride, if making a speech is something that you’ve ever thought about - 100% do it!
Do you have a favourite picture from your wedding day? Why is this image so special to you?
Our amazingly talented photographer, Christie, captured our day in the most perfect way that choosing 100 favourite photos is difficult, never mind selecting just one!
However, there is one particular shot of Gavin, myself and our little pup Beau, which holds an extra special place in my heart. The way Beau is looking at the camera, so happily, in his little custom-made wedding outfit to match Gavin’s kilt, like he knew how important that day was - makes me smile every time I look at it.
And of course… not forgetting the dress; Christie definitely captured “the shot”, just before the ceremony! I’m standing in front of the most beautiful, ceiling high window, with long flowing drapes to either side of me - the framing, the lighting and of course the dress, everything was just perfect. It’s definitely the image that every little girl dreams of when she hopes of being a Princess one day, and the little extra special detail which makes me love that photo even more, is that if you look closely on the dressing table, you can see the photograph of my Granny Mary, who unfortunately couldn’t be there to share the day with us in person.
Honestly, every photo from the day is a dream, and if I could share them all with everyone - I definitely would!!
Photographer: Christie Johnston Photography | Florist: The Flower Shop, Peterhead | Venue 1: The Orangery at Gordon Castle | Venue 2: Tower Hall at Gordon Castle | Makeup: Jacquelyn McPhee | Caterer: Wylie and Wood | Music: The Nashville Heat | Videography: Orchard Wedding Films | Hair: Suzanne McMahon | Kilts: Neil Selbie & Co