Planning diaries: Opus Couture sales consultant bride-to-be Sophie Taylor shares her wedding plans

Sophie Taylor and Alan are already engaged, but the Opus Couture sales consultant is counting on a second proposal… 

September 2025 update – love story and romantic engagement

Alan and I met twelve years ago while working on board a cruise ship – me as a dancer, him as an engineer.

Not exactly your typical office romance! I still remember the first time I clocked his cabin. It had portholes. Mine didn’t. I thought, “Right, he’ll do,” and, honestly… the rest is history.

What followed was many years of long-distance living in different time zones, before I finally moved to Scotland in 2021.

That’s when the real countdown to a sparkly ring began – especially once I started working at Opus Couture; helping brides find their dream dress only made me more excited for my own turn.

It’s such a joy to be part of those once-in-a-lifetime moments with our brides, and I was ready for it to be me walking into the fitting room!

Find inspiration for wedding dresses and elegant veils, plus statement accessories here

Then, last May during a European road trip, it finally happened.

We were in Lake Como, on a very hot, very sweaty walk – hair frizzing, sunscreen melting – when out of nowhere, Alan casually dropped to one knee. I was in complete shock.

He proposed with the most thoughtful emerald placeholder ring, knowing I’d want to be part of designing my own engagement ring (he was very correct about that). It was romantic, spontaneous and very us.

But… over the years, I’d casually mentioned that I had a couple of ‘proposal rules’ – namely: not abroad, and not coinciding with any big events.

So, a surprise proposal in Italy one week before my brother’s wedding meant both rules were broken! We decided to keep it between us for a month, so the focus could stay on my brother’s big day – and I could secretly enjoy being a fiancée without all the questions just yet.

That said, it was still incredibly special and, since I love any excuse to extend a celebration, we’ve decided to have a little ‘re-proposal’ soon once my engagement ring is ready. I can’t wait to relive that buzz all over again!

We designed my dream ring last month and she’s an absolute beauty. I can’t wait to see her in person – and to find out what Alan has planned for Proposal 2.0. No pressure…

Find guidance on choosing engagement and wedding rings here

We’ve now booked Holkham Hall in Norfolk for next September. I always knew I wanted to get married there. It’s just the most magical setting – completely timeless, with the kind of views that make you catch your breath.

It’s also the perfect middle ground for our Scottish and English guests to travel to. 

Technically, we’re both planning the wedding… although the other day Alan had to ask me what date we were getting married on, so make of that what you will!

We’ll also be getting legally married in Scotland at some point before the big day, but we haven’t planned any of that yet. Makes sense, though… two proposals, two weddings! Why not go all in? 

What’s next in our wedding planning journey?

Next up on my list is dress shopping, which feels surreal considering I spend my working days helping other brides find their dress.

I’m curious (and a little nervous) to see how I’ll be on the other side of the mirror. This first chapter of our journey has been full of laughs and surprises, and learning to lean into the chaos.

If Proposal 1.0 was anything to go by, I’ve no doubt Proposal 2.0 and the rest of our planning will be just as memorable. Until next time – hopefully with a sparkly new ring on my finger (again), and a dress of my own!

October 2025 update – dream wedding dress and planning a wedding in Norfolk

Hello again! If my first diary entry was all about proposals and first steps, this is the one when things really start to feel official.

We’ve booked our civil ceremony in Scotland for the week before the big day in England – so yes, we’re officially going to have two weddings!

Double the vows, double the champagne, and (most importantly) double the excuses for new outfits.

In between the planning, we squeezed in an incredible trip to New York to visit my best friend. And of course, no NYC trip would be complete without a little wedding dress adventure.

First stop? Kleinfeld, the original ‘Say Yes to the Dress’ shop. Walking through those doors felt surreal, and the day only got better when I actually met Randy Fenoli himself. He’s every bit as fabulous in person as you’d imagine, and has the softest hands.

We also visited the Berta flagship store, and wow… what an experience. The gowns were everything – glamorous, sparkly and so cool.

Everything you need to know about wedding dress alterations and fittings

Standing there wearing one of them was a pinch-me moment: after years of helping brides find their gowns, I found myself on the other side of the mirror. While we were there, I nervously showed my friend the Berta dress I’d found at Opus.

It’s one thing to fall in love with a gown, but another to let someone else in on the secret. Watching her face light up when she saw it was such a relief and made me even more certain I’ve found something really special.

My day dress is definitely decided (which feels surreal to say!), but then I threw a spanner in the works… I tried on a dress I’d never seen before, and suddenly I’m considering a potential night-time dress.

I’m basically doing the complete opposite of what I always tell my brides: once you’ve found the one, stop looking! Not advised at all – but here we are.

The highlight of the trip wasn’t just the dresses, though. It was asking my best friend to be my maid of honour. She said yes (phew!) and I can’t imagine doing this without her by my side

And now we’re on the countdown to Proposal Number Two. (Alan, you may recall, first proposed in Italy on the eve of a major family event – two big no-nos!).

My engagement ring is almost ready, which means he is under strict (self-imposed) pressure to pull off round two of popping the question. I have absolutely no idea what he’s planning this time, but let’s just say the anticipation is very real.

How to clean and store your wedding jewellery

So that’s where we’re at: ceremony booked, day dress chosen (night-time dress tbc), bridal party starting to take shape, and a second proposal pending any day now.

If the last year has taught me anything, it’s that nothing about this engagement has been predictable – and, honestly, that’s what makes it so much fun.

What's next?

Until next time, hopefully with a shiny new ring on my finger (for real this time!).

*Note to my brides: do as I say, not as I do – once you find your dress, close the Pinterest tab immediately. Trust me!

December 2025 update – things are (finally!) official

Well… it finally happened. Proposal 2.0 has officially happened! And, of course, it was both absolutely lovely and ridiculously funny – the perfect combination!

It all started in London, where we’d gone to pick up my engagement ring from the lovely and very talented Grace from @ringswithgrace. Seeing it in the box was just so unreal.

I couldn’t believe it was FINALLY mine!

It was also very nerve-racking putting it on for the first time, as we had decided to go for a slightly smaller size. There was a scary moment as I struggled to get it over my finger joint, but once it was on… pure magic and I couldn’t stop staring at it!

We celebrated the milestone with afternoon tea (the same way we celebrated when we went to design it), and Alan let me wear the ring for a few days while we were in London. Then, of course, I had to take it off and await his proposal.

How to clean and store your wedding jewellery

Fast forward a few weeks (seriously, Alan?!), I’m getting ready for a nail appointment, and I pointedly ask him, “When are you going to propose to me again? I was thinking you’d have done it by now. I’m getting my nails done today, so I was hoping I’d have it by now so I can start planning wedding nails.”

(Yes, wedding nails are most definitely a thing.)

His only response? “You’ll have to wait and see.”

Little did I know, our two dogs, Rez and Louis, were about to take matters into their own paws.

As I was getting ready, I could hear Alan calling them upstairs, and then both boys came running in wearing their posh bow ties and with something dangling from their collars. Two tiny jewellery boxes.

Rez’s box had a 1 on it, and Louis’s had a 2. I opened Rez’s first… only to find an empty box with a note saying, “Dad needed help this time in case he got it wrong again.”

Classic. So then I opened number 2… and inside was the ring, with a note that said, “Will you marry him?” It was so special, so funny and so utterly us.

And of course, the boys were barely paying attention – they were far more interested in play-fighting with their new toys than delivering my proposal.

But it made the moment even more memorable.

In other wedding news, I’ve been having a blast designing our save-the-dates. We’ve finally started sending them out, and it feels amazing to see the excitement spreading to our friends and family.

Wedding planning timeline: everything from the engagement to the big day

And just a few weeks after the engagement, we went for a meal at one of our favourite restaurants to ‘celebrate our future wedding date’.

Alan insisted this was just something I’d made up to be a thing to celebrate – and for once he was actually right!

Any excuse to celebrate!

But it was so lovely anyway and felt like the perfect evening to mark a year’s countdown.

So that’s where we are: ring finally back on my finger (for real this time), Proposal 2.0 done and dusted with a little chaos courtesy of the dogs, and the save-the-dates out in the world. 

What's next?

It’s Bridal Beauty Bootcamp: facials, treatments and basically anything that screams ‘wedding glow’. Until next time, probably with more dress fittings, planning chaos, and maybe a few more dog-assisted wedding moments!

February 2026 update – tash, teeth and tulle

So… big news. I have officially said yes to the dress! Or is it… dresses?! (Alan, if you’re reading this – it’s just the one, I promise!)  I went ahead and placed my order, delighted with myself for being decisive for once.

Then, about a week later, a wave of brand-new dresses arrived at the Opus Couture store in West Kilbride.

And just to add a little fuel to the chaos, we also had a photoshoot – where I ended up being a very last-minute stand-in model. 

One minute I’m quietly working, the next I’m zipped into stunning new gowns I’ve never seen before, standing there, thinking, “Oh, these are nice…”

But fear not! For the first time in my bridal-consultant-turned-bride career, I actually practised what I preach.

Even with all those gorgeous gowns in front of me, I remained genuinely happy and chilled about my choice.

No doubts. No wobbles. No Pinterest spirals at 3am. Who even am I?!

Meanwhile, Bridal Beauty Bootcamp has officially kicked off – and, wow, has it been a journey already.

Must-read wedding beauty guide for brides-to-be

I’ve just finished my monthly treatments at Natural Beauty in Glasgow, where I’ve been getting electrolysis on my upper lip.

I had never once noticed the existence of my tash until Alan helpfully pointed it out one day… so, thank you, Alan, for that character-building moment.

Now that Operation Tash is complete, I’m turning my attention to my skin treatment plan, because along with the electrolysis area, I also have melasma on my upper lip – really committing to the moustache illusion!

Luxe bridal beauty tips for your big day

Thankfully, I’ve had brilliant results before with the team at Clinetix. Dr Caroline has mapped out a plan for me, and I’ve also been in for SkinPen and Hydrafacials. 

Because of my melasma, I’m limited in what treatments I can have, but between them my face is slowly transforming into a glowing, poreless, radiant orb.

And finally… the teeth. I went for a consultation at Haus of Dentistry in Prestwick. I’ve had very old composite bonding on my teeth for years and assumed I’d just get it replaced.

Easy, done, next. But once we got chatting, Dr Conor explained the benefits of Invisalign paired with a touch of fresh composite bonding, and suddenly my entire tooth-related life plan changed. 

I’ve known for years that my bonding needed sorting, but Invisalign means everything will be aligned and perfected before the wedding – and I’ll feel super-confident on the big day. 

The ultimate guide to bridal beauty – find out more here

Wedding planning might feel slightly chaotic and un­predi­ctable, and occasionally involve removing unwanted facial hair you didn’t know you had…

But every week it all feels more real, more exciting and more me!

What's next?

This month we’re meeting our caterer to choose all our food (arguably the most important decision I will ever make) and having a big catch-up with the venue team at Holkham Hall in Norfolk.

A very exciting, very grown-up couple of wedding-planning months ahead.

So that’s where I’m at: dress ordered (no comment on how many), new gowns resisted (miraculously), Bridal Beauty Bootcamp in full swing, and my teeth about to begin their own glow-up journey.

April 2026 update – big wedmin energy

January meant two things: celebrating my birthday, and aggressively tackling wedmin.

So, naturally, we went to Norfolk for the week because nothing says ‘romantic birthday trip’ like back-to-back wedding supplier meetings.

The plan was simple: cake for me, contracts for us.

We met with the venue team at Holkham Hall for a catch-up, which suddenly made everything feel very real.

Timelines, layouts, logistics – all the things that take a wedding from Pinterest fantasy to an actual event with real humans.

The TTKS team share their wedding Pinterest mood boards

Then came the food (Andy Parle Catering) and arguably the most important appointment of my life. We tried canapés, talked menus, debated options – and honestly, we could have picked almost everything we tasted.

But at some point I realised: as long as it tastes amazing, that’s all that matters. Our guests won’t remember whether we chose option three or option five – but they will remember if they were well fed and happy.

So we made quickfire decisions. No overthinking. No spiralling. Decision made, move on.

Next up: the marquee company (Weatherfield Marquees), and the event hire team and the florists (Floral Sistas). 

Find your wedding dream team of suppliers here

Every meeting brought a hundred tiny choices, and I could feel myself wanting to control all of them. And then, suddenly, I thought – why? These people are experts. I’m not a florist.

So after we’d chosen our colours and mapped out a rough plan for the tables and ceremony space, I actually said to my florist, ‘The rest, I don’t want to know.’

Because truly, they’re the experts, not me. Why do I need to know the exact stem count or which vase is going where? I don’t.

So we made decisions confidently. And then we let it go.

For me, this is how I need to approach the whole process if I want to keep it fun and keep the stress at bay, both now and on the day itself.

Less micromanaging, more trusting. Less overthinking, more enjoying.

Speaking of enjoyment, Alan did exceptionally well. He was lovingly dragged from meeting to meeting, nodding enthusiastically while I discussed linen colours and cutlery.

At one point, he was fully invested in a conversation about table configurations, and I felt a small surge of pride. Growth. Development. Character arc.

He earned at least one large birthday dinner for that performance alone.

And because I cannot do anything by halves, I also squeezed in my hair trial with Flamingo Amy while we were there.

Just me, a mirror, and the sudden realisation that I will be perceived from every possible angle on this day. I got to trial two different hairstyles, which felt very efficient and very decisive of me. 

The first one? Loved. Felt like me.  The second one? Also loved… until I got back and showed Alan.

His review was simply, ‘It’s a bit American.’ A bit American. What does that mean? Big? Bouncy? Pageant-adjacent? Who knows. 

But what I do know is that when your future husband describes your bridal hair as ‘a bit American,’ you quietly take that as feedback and go for the other style.

What's next?

Jokes aside, seeing everything starting to come together – the dress, the hair, the vision – gave me that little bridal buzz all over again. It shifted everything from ‘someday’ to ‘soon’.