How specialist bridal alterations perfected this bride's statement Pronovias wedding dress

Photography | SuperWeddings

Emma Bateman married Keiron Johnstone at 23 Montrose Street in Glasgow on 27th April 2026, before flying to Malta two weeks later for a ceremony at Villa Bologna and reception at Limestone Heritage.

For their celebration abroad, Emma wore the Merveilleux gown by Pronovias, which she discovered at Opus Couture in West Kilbride and had altered by Karen Rotchford Bridal Alterations in Glasgow.

The new Mrs Johnstone shares a first-hand account of her wedding dress shopping and alterations experience and doesn't leave out any details...

The search for a statement wedding dress

I started shopping for my dress around 14 months before our wedding and I was so excited. I'd always known I wanted something unique – a dress you didn't see all the time – but that still felt timeless and classic.

We were getting married in Malta, with the ceremony at Villa Bologna and the reception at Limestone Heritage, so I knew I needed a showstopper to match the dramatic surroundings.

Before my appointment at West Kilbride's Opus Couture, I'd already visited two other bridal shops and found a dress I really liked. But I'd arranged to go to Opus with my mum, sister and both my grans, so we went anyway, mostly out of curiosity.

Opus Couture’s business manager Susan Lightbody takes us behind the scenes at the multi-award-winning West Kilbride bridal boutique 

Finding the one at Opus Couture

By this point, I'd narrowed down my vision quite a bit. I wanted a bigger skirt, plenty of drama and something with a couture, fashion-forward edge. I explained all of this to my consultant, Sarah, and she pulled out a few different options for me to consider.

As soon as I saw Merveilleux by Pronovias on the hanger, I was intrigued. The peplum waistline immediately stood out, as did all the beautiful beading. We tried a few other gowns first, but when I eventually put it on, I fell in love.

The beading was incredible, the shape accentuated my waist and the peplum was so unlike anything else I'd seen.

It was everything I'd been looking for but hadn't quite known how to put into words – and suddenly I'd completely forgotten about the other dress.

Sarah told me she loved the gown too, and that a few brides had tried it before but had been scared off by how unusual it was. If anything, that made me love it even more.

There was just one problem: the sample wasn't quite my size and we couldn't get it zipped all the way up. It meant my family were struggling to picture how it was actually meant to fit and, initially, they weren't completely convinced.

Sarah and the team at Opus were so patient with us. We went over our allotted appointment time and they even kept the boutique open past closing while we tried to get the dress zipped!

Trusting my instincts

I'm the kind of person who has always put a lot of value on other people's opinions, especially my family's. So when they didn't immediately love the dress, I expected to start second-guessing myself.

But I didn't. I loved it just as much as I had the moment I first put it on, and that was when I really knew it was my dress.

Not everyone was going to love my wedding gown and, for the first time, that didn't matter – because I did.

Eventually, we managed to get the sample zipped properly and everything changed. Once my family could see how the dress was supposed to fit my body, they saw what I'd seen from the beginning and completely came around. My mum even said she'd never seen a wedding dress like it before.

How do I safely transport, store and steam my wedding dress?

The bridal boutique's perspective

For Sarah Dalziel, sales consultant at Opus Couture, helping brides explore different possibilities is an important part of finding a gown that feels right for them.

"From the first moment she came into the boutique, she had such a wonderful sense of excitement about finding a gown that felt completely right for her," Sarah recalls.

"We loved helping her explore the different possibilities and, ultimately, seeing her find her Merveilleux by Pronovias, a gown that felt so perfectly 'Emma' and suited her beautifully."

Emma's experience is a reminder that a wedding dress doesn't necessarily have to win everyone over immediately – particularly when the sample isn't the correct size. Sometimes, seeing how a gown is intended to fit can make all the difference.

Wedding dress alterations in Glasgow

I placed an order for the dress in my actual size, and it took around seven months to arrive. Opus then recommended Karen Rotchford Bridal Alterations, on Glasgow's Bath Street, as the place to go for alterations, so I called straight away to make an appointment.

I was impressed by how organised and communicative the Karen Rotchford team were before I'd even arrived. Then, from the moment I stepped into the shop, there was such a warm atmosphere. Everyone I spoke to seemed genuinely excited for me and interested in hearing about our wedding plans.

We needed to take up the length of the dress and I also wanted the waist brought in as much as possible to create a really defined silhouette.

After that first appointment, my mind was completely at ease. I had no worries about leaving my dress with them: they were knowledgeable and professional, and their attention to detail was incredible.

They really went above and beyond for me, even squeezing me in for additional fittings.

When bride Hannah fell out of love with her wedding dress, it felt like a disaster – until the team at Karen Rotchford Bridal Alterations saved the day 

Expert insight: altering a heavily beaded wedding dress

While taking in a wedding dress might sound straightforward, intricate embellishments can make the process considerably more involved.

"Emma came to us with her stunning gown from Opus Couture, a beautifully structured strapless design with a fully hand-beaded bodice," explains Jasmine Rotchford, operations manager at Karen Rotchford Bridal Alterations.

"With the weight of the beading, achieving the perfect fit required careful consideration and precision to ensure the bodice was taken in securely while maintaining the structure and integrity of the gown."

It's an important consideration for brides choosing heavily embellished or structured wedding dresses, where alterations need to account for more than just the measurements.

"Every gown we work on is treated with the same care and attention to detail. We look at the construction, fabrics and embellishment before deciding exactly how the alterations should be carried out, ensuring the finished result feels completely natural to the original design."

Getting my wedding dress ready for Malta

At my final appointment, I was able to put everything together with my shoes and accessories, and I was overjoyed with the result.

As Keiron and I were marrying overseas, the team steamed my dress and placed it in a box specially made for destination weddings so that I could take it on the plane as my carry-on.

Finally getting to wear my dress on our wedding day was everything I had hoped for and more. All of the anticipation was worth it because I have truly never felt better or more confident.

My cathedral-length veil was scattered with diamantés, so I kept the rest of my accessories simple and let the dress really shine.

When I look back at the photos from the day, I remember how comfortable and confident I felt – and that's all thanks to the staff at Opus Couture and Karen Rotchford Bridal Alterations.

For Jasmine, seeing the finished result is the most rewarding part of the process.

"Emma was an absolute pleasure to have with us and we loved sharing the fitting journey with her and her family. Seeing everything come together and helping a bride feel incredible in her gown is what makes our work so special."

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