DRESS: Foster
DESIGNER: Laure de Sagazan
WHERE: The Mews Clifton
Tell us a little about yourself?
I grew up in Scotland, but lived in Minnesota for 3 years (where we got engaged) before moving back to Edinburgh. The past year we’ve bought a house, acquired a puppy, both started PhD’s and planned a wedding so I’m enjoying the post-wedding calm! I love travelling (spending too much money on fancy meals wherever we go) and being outside, but I also love a cosy night in, listening to it rain outside, with a great book.
How did you meet your Groom?
We met in 2007 while we were both studying at the University of Edinburgh. Cue a global game of tag for 10 years (London-Edinburgh, Gloucestershire-Kazakhstan, Wales-New York, Minnesota-New Zealand) and in 2017 we both managed to get jobs in the same place and moved back to Edinburgh.
How did you come across The Mews?
I first found Laure de Sagazan while browsing wedding dresses online.
I loved the loose, relaxed and natural feel to her dresses and although the nearest boutique to me ended up being 376 miles away at the Mews Clifton, I knew I’d regret not trying on one of her beautiful designs.
What styles were you channeling whilst dress shopping?
I wanted something light, simple, natural and chic – something French!
Tell us about finding your perfect Wedding dress?
I visited a few boutiques in Scotland before my appointment at the Mews. Although there were many wonderful dresses, nothing felt like ‘me’.
On arriving at the Mews, I was slightly overwhelmed by the selection of beautiful dresses and having to cut it down to only a few to try. The dress I finally chose, was actually one that the absolutely wonderful Grace picked out for me to try after I had paired a skirt and top of similar fabrics.
The lightness of the dress felt a million miles away from many of the stiff heavy dresses I had tried on elsewhere, and I knew it was right for me and for our wedding day.
I took my best friend back with me for a second opinion – she cried – and I was sold!
Where did your wedding day take place? Was there any themes or inspiration behind your day?
We got married at Crear, on the west coast of Scotland. My parents are from Skye and the Mull of Kintyre, and Joe’s parents met on Erraid – a tiny Island off of Mull, so it was nice to have a connection to the west coast.
Joe found Crear while I was living in Minnesota and he New-Zealand, and after a video call with the venue, we booked it there and then (we actually didn’t visit in person until 4 months before the wedding.) It had everything we wanted – the possibility of an outdoor/beach wedding, a light and airy space for dinner/dancing, and a 3-day booking, which allowed us to enjoy much more time with friends and family who had travelled far than a typical wedding day might.
There wasn’t a theme as much as a collection of things we loved which all came together wonderfully in the end, but we wanted the day to be relaxed and as connected as possible to the landscape and surroundings as possible. Our flowers were grown in Scotland which was important to me, and we sourced as much as we could from smaller businesses in Scotland.
What did he wear?
He wore a navy modern fitting Paul Smith suit and a liberty tie, and got married in bare feet on the beach.
What was your favourite detail of the day?
Getting married outside on the beach was the most wonderful part of the day. I loved walking down the beach, led by a piper, towards the group of our friends and family, who parted to reveal Joe waiting.
During the ceremony, the sea lapped quietly at the shore, and the sun came out from behind the clouds to bath us all in glorious light. Later, we watched rain showers fall across the sea on the Isle of Jura.
What advice would you give out to a bride to be about finding the perfect dress?
I think it is easy to be caught up in the stress of finding ‘the one’, but you don’t have to have an epiphany when you find your dress. I loved the dress I chose, but I didn’t immediately burst into tears or put a down payment on it immediately.
I took some time to think about it, and took a friend back for her opinion. The thing that made it the ‘one’ is that I wore it on a magical day, surrounded by friends and family and for that reason it is one of the most special dresses I’ll ever wear.
Words of wedded wisdom?
Don’t do anything you don’t want to just because you are ‘supposed to’- it’s your day! – and don’t worry about clouds, sometimes the sun comes out just at the right moment.