Hannah & Ian

Wedding date: August 10th 2024

Venue: Borthwick Castle , Gorebridge, Scotland, UK

Photographer: Bernadeta Kupiec

Tell us about your experience at Iconic Bride Dallas: I had a fantastic experience at Iconic Bride! I originally went just to look at the Lotus Eisen Stein dress which was the main dress I found on Instagram that I couldn’t get out of my head! Then when we looked around the store a bit picking out other styles, and came across the Pearl Leah da Gloria dress which I ended up picking. My family had to convince me to try it on because I really wasn’t sure I wanted a tight fitting dress and always saw myself in something more flowy. But once I tried it on, I just felt like the best version of myself and then we just threw my hair into an updo which is what I eventually went with because of how much I loved it that day. The first day I tried on the dress, I still had one more bridal appointment to go to but I felt very set on that dress. But after that appointment I wanted to just try on the dress one more time before we left the next morning and they kept the shop open a little later than usual. I tried it on right at sunset and in front of the big beautiful windows we had just radiant photos of the dress and pearls shimmering by in the sun and so I made the decision that next week because I couldn’t stop looking at the dress in the photos. I felt so comfortable with James and Jair immediately and they helped me achieve the vision I was hoping for! I will cherish my dress and the memories made when finding it, including Valentino stealing socks!

Tell us about your wedding: Our wedding weekend was a three day extravaganza at the beautiful Borthwick Castle 30 minutes outside of Edinburgh, Scotland. Ian and I had been on a trip to Scotland the year prior and it is a special place for us and our relationship. We decided to get married in Scotland and found Borthwick Castle from a Vogue article showcasing the castle and the wedding of Graham Mactavish. The castle was exactly what I wanted in a venue as our family could stay all weekend at the castle and we could be with each other leading up to the wedding. All of our events for the weekend could be held in one place and its unique place with striking natural beauty. It was important to Ian and I to have a very intimate wedding as it allowed us to enjoy the company of every guest and feel connected to everybody involved. Rather then settling on one color palette for the weekend, each day the florals were a little bit different. Thursday August 6th was the first day at the castle and we had an intimate rehearsal dinner with family and very close friends. I wore a Victoria Beckham dress with my grandmother’s pearl necklace and earrings, throwing in some Easter eggs/ hints to Ian as to what my wedding dress would look like (I am a Swiftie if you couldnt tell). I love books and one of the decorations I imagined at the wedding was a table runner composed of book pages. Our incredible wedding planner connected to the castle, Amy, delivered and there was the table runner, stacks of books, and cloches of babies breath and other beautiful white flowers covering the long table. The well appointed table softly glowed from the candlelight. After the delicious dinner, we had a welcome cocktail party where the rest of the guests came and could enjoy refreshments and desserts at the castle. This was an exciting night as we had not seen many of the people for a while and it was the first night we saw all our friends and family in one room together. Friday August 7th was a big day! We had a fish and chips food truck come for lunch on the castle lawn and played newlywed games, my favorite being the shoe game!! That evening, all of the men wore kilts and the ladies wore a black cocktail dress and tartan shawl. I wore the Lotus dress from Iconic Bride by Eisen Stein. This dress was the reason I went to Iconic Bride because I saw many of Eisen Steins designs on Instagram and really wanted to try it on. I purchased the sample and decided to have it altered to fit my Audrey Hepburn-esque vision for this day. We altered it to be tea length and I wore pearl detailed shoes, again more Easter eggs to hint at the wedding dress I chose! Dressed in our traditional Scottish formal wear, we ventured to Rosslyn Chapel about 20 minutes from the Castle. Built in the 1400s this chapel is exquisite and we highly recommend visiting if you get the chance to go to Scotland! Our guests enjoyed a history tour and hors d’oeuvres and champagne at the chapel. We returned to the castle for dinner and enjoyed a Scottish feast themed evening. The flowers and decorations perfectly fit the theme with moody burgundy blooms and fruits covering the table. It was important to me to find an avenue to contribute personally and I found a creative way to do that in drawing our menu’s artwork for this feast night, with important images of Ian and my life together. We surprised all our guests with Clanadonia at dessert, a Scottish drum and pipe band. The final event of that evening is what we called a “roast and toast.” Ian and I were able to give a speech to one another and some friends and family were able to tell stories about each of us if they wanted to. Many happy tears were shed with the stories painting a more complete picture of Ian and my journey together, which started when we were children living on the same street, to being middle school boyfriend/ girlfriend and after moving and not seeing eachother for 10 years, rekindled our relationship when we each moved home during COVID. Saturday August 8th was the wedding day. The flower that I wanted to be most prominent throughout this day was babies breath/ gypsophilia. I wanted it to feel like babies breath and fauna was sprouting from the castle walls and floors and fireplace to create a whimsical but elegant feel to the whole day. The floral arrangements offered a striking and natural contrast against the stone of the castle. One of my favorite decorations were the castle’s knights in armor with babies breath bursting from the armors hinges. I wore a pearl dress from Iconic Bride by Leah de Gloria with Stuart Weitzman platform silver heels. Although I would not have pictured myself in this style of dress, once I found it, I knew it was the one. Ian, the groom, wore a custom black watch tartan tuxedo and custom monogrammed dress loafers. The wedding ceremony was the most intimate event of the wedding. Our Scottish minister, Reverend Tom, led our vows in the castle’s Garrison Hall on the top floor of the castle under an arch of gypsophilia. After our vows, we enjoyed refreshments on the castle lawn and our fortune held as we enjoyed a beautiful sunny day in Scotland with only a little bit of wind. The evening continued with a spectacular dinner in the Great Hall where Ian and I sat in front of the large fireplace which had been decorated to have babies breath billowing over the top like a cloud.we heard moving speeches from the best man, father of the groom, father of the bride and were serenaded to tears and laughter by my sister Sydney, my matron of honor. We cut our heart shaped retro cake and danced our first dance together, which was only the beginning of our dancing into the early hours of the morning, thanks to Tartan entertainment and Borthwick Castle Chef Craig, who had delicious late night snacks to keep our energy up. My dress sparkled all night long and made twinkling sounds everywhere I walked as the pearls came into contact with stone steps and on the dance floor. Reflecting on it now, the weekend feels like a dream. We are grateful we had the opportunity to celebrate our love in such a special way and at a stunning place. The dresses we found at Iconic bride were the showstoppers of the weekend and made me feel most like myself as I married the man of my dreams. I am grateful to the Iconic Bride team and the ladies at Altered for the Altar who made the experience so magical and special.