We persuaded this recent Scottish bride to spill all the details, high points, stresses and dilemmas she encountered in her quest for the perfect wedding dress
Erin thought she’d pick something simple with a high neck – but then she tried on this A-line sparkler from Essense of Australia… (Photo: Eaglesham Photography)
Erin McKeich married Paul Scott at Balbirnie House on 3rd April 2024, wearing Essense of Australia style D3151 from Kudos Bridal Boutique Edinburgh.
The Kudos Bridal bride shares a first-hand account of her wedding dress search story and doesn't leave out any details...
How many bridal boutiques did you visit before finding 'the one'?
When I walked into my Friday appointment at Kudos Bridal Boutique Edinburgh with my mum and my good friend Nicola by my side, I was just one week into my dress search – but I had already crammed in visits to five other bridal boutiques.
With my wedding only five months away, I knew I was up against it timewise, and I was no closer to finding what I was looking for. But I was hopeful: Nicola had bought her wedding dress from Kudos a few years earlier, and highly recommended the shop – plus I could see from looking online that it stocked Rosa Clará, which I thought might be a designer who would suit me.
Is it still possible to have the full bridal boutique experience with only six months until the wedding day?
When Paul and I booked Balbirnie House Hotel as our venue at the end of October 2023, we had just six months to plan – it meant a really quick turnaround on everything, including the dress.
I called Kudos ahead of my first appointment and had a really helpful chat not only about the styles that were in stock, but about the timescales of everything. It completely put me at ease that even given my limited time I would still definitely be able to order a dress from the boutique if I found one I loved there.
The plunging neckline on Erin’s gown ended up being one of her favourite features (Photos: Eaglesham Photography)
Was the wedding dress you chose what you originally expected?
My appointment that Friday was led by Alana, who was absolutely amazing. She was very calming, supportive, encouraging, and just incredibly helpful, especially as I had been a bit stressed coming into the appointment knowing I was running out of time to find and order a dress and deal with fittings and alterations.
My initial thoughts were that I would go for something very simple, classic and fitted, with a higher neck, and potentially with bow details and pearls. What I actually ended up with was very different to this.
As soon as I put on the much bigger, more princess-style dresses I felt so confident and comfortable.
Alana was brilliant at finding different styles based on the feedback I was giving her, and provided lots of advice on the fit and how each one would look and feel in my actual size.
The way that lovely, frothy tulle skirt skims the ground is just dreamy… as is the way the couple can’t take their eyes off each other (Photo: Eaglesham Photography)
Is it okay to go away and think about it before saying 'yes' to the dress?
After getting in and out of about 50 dresses in total that week, there were two clear front-runners at Kudos – one by Rosa Clará and one by Essense of Australia – and I tried on both of these several times during that Friday visit.
I couldn’t make up my mind, so I arranged to return on the Sunday to try them again and make the final decision. At the end of that second appointment, Kudos went ahead and placed my order in ivory and I paid for fast-track delivery just to make sure it arrived in time.
When it comes to your wedding dress, and, most importantly, how you feel in it we’d argue there’s absolutely no room for compromise. Read more in confidence without compromise: bridalwear edition
How did you know your wedding dress was the one for you?
The Essense of Australia dress was beautifully detailed, sparkly with lots of beading, and I immediately loved the neckline – a low-cut V at the front and another lovely V at the back.
It’s definitely a real princess dress. Kudos only had it in blush in the store, but Alana was brilliant at encouraging me to try it on even though I knew I wanted an ivory dress.
I definitely felt more confident and relaxed in the Essense dress – it was the one for me!
Newlyweds Paul and Erin are all smiles for a confetti shower outside their Fife venue (Photo: Eaglesham Photography)
What was the alterations process like with Kudos Bridal Edinburgh?
I got a call to let me know my dress had arrived at Kudos and that it had been sent on to Edinburgh bridal fitting and other alteration specialist Catriona Garforth. After that, Kudos brought it back to the boutique so I could pick it up directly from there two days before the wedding.
The dress didn’t need any significant changes, just shortened and brought in a lot at the side. I loved seeing the dress in ivory for the first time and trying it on with my shoes. Overall, it was a very smooth process.
How did you feel finally wearing your dress on your wedding day?
I absolutely loved wearing my dress! It felt incredibly special. I’m usually quite self-conscious, but it really gave me a lot of confidence. I felt comfortable and well supported, and even though the skirt was quite big, I could still dance all night.
The team at Kudos were very supportive and had taken the time to give me loads of guidance on buttoning the dress, how to bustle it up and how to attach the sticky attachments with the shoulder straps to keep it in place.
This happy couple was more than ready to get their party started at their Balbirnie House reception (Photo: Eaglesham Photography)
Erin's top wedding dress shopping tip:
Never feel pressured, it is a minefield and there are so many stunning, incredible dresses. It is okay not to be 100% sure straight away, as the whole experience can easily become overwhelming. Be open to anything.
