Real bride wedding dress shopping at Eleganza Sposa

Wallis married Jordan Wilmot at Finca Son Mir in Palma, Mallorca, on 18th September 2024, wearing Suzanne Neville’s Puccini gown customised by Eleganza Sposa.

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

When is the right time to start shopping for a wedding dress?

"I started shopping for my wedding dress around ten months before the big day. Jordan and I had already booked our venue in Mallorca, and while I had some decor ideas, nothing had been finalised yet. 

"I was quite laidback about dress shopping, but friends and family kept telling me to get started, so I did – I devoted an afternoon to booking appointments at four different places all within the space of a week!

"My first stop was Eleganza Sposa on 15th November 2023."

Fully custom bridal designs in Glasgow

"Every time I passed the Eleganza store in Glasgow’s Bath Street, I always admired the window displays, and my cousin had a fantastic experience finding her own wedding dress there.

"I also knew Eleganza had the ability to customise dresses, and that really appealed to me; I wanted to tweak a design to make it feel truly mine, and the store’s reputation for tailoring made it the ideal place to start."

Looking to learn more about this couture Glasgow boutique? Owner Anna Cirignaco takes us behind the scenes at Eleganza Sposa 

Why you should keep an open mind while wedding dress shopping

"I filled out a pre-appointment questionnaire and ‘love list’, but, truthfully, nothing on the website was jumping out at me. I worried I’d disappoint the stylist if I said this out loud, but as soon as I arrived I realised that was silly.

"The assistants instantly put me at ease and encouraged me to stay open-minded. I tried on a variety of styles – some just for fun – but I kept coming back to a vision I had in my head: a short dress layered with a sheer overskirt."

"When I tried on Suzanne Neville’s Puccini gown, I immediately loved the off-the-shoulder neckline and the row of buttons down the back. 

"The fabric of the bow at the back was exactly what I’d envisaged for my overskirt. The only issue was the skirt – it wasn’t quite right. When the stylist suggested the dress could be shortened and an overskirt designed to achieve my dream look, that’s when I knew I was on the right track.

"I still had three other places to visit, though, so I kept an open mind. At each subsequent boutique, I found myself mentally comparing every dress to the Puccini with an overskirt – and none of them felt quite right.

"At my final appointment, at Pretty Woman in Edinburgh, the stylist told me, “I think you know exactly what you want. Nothing on the rack will compare to the design in your head.”

"She was absolutely right. I went back to Eleganza the following week to start bringing my vision to life."

Does Eleganza Sposa offer alterations?

"The process of transforming my dress was incredible. We sent it back to Suzanne Neville to be shortened, and from there, we designed the overskirt with sheer fabric that subtly revealed my legs and my amazing JW Anderson shoes, while maintaining that classic bridal silhouette. 

"I wanted it to look as though the dress and skirt were one seamless piece, and the Eleganza team, especially seamstresses Miriam and Leila, made sure every detail was flawless – right down to keeping the beautiful buttons visible through the layers. 

"The bow at the back flowed into the train perfectly, creating the elegant yet modern look I had dreamed of."

See four dresses from Eleganza Sposa's in-house designed 'Iconica' range, modelled at the spectacular Winton Castle in East Lothian

Custom mother of the bride gown

"My mum, Samantha, was by my side for all four of my initial shopping appointments (we joked that she had enough opinions for everyone!), and when I ended up choosing Eleganza Sposa, it turned out to be the right place for her as well: she had a custom-made gown designed in-house, crafted to subtly reflect my wedding dress.

"The sheer sleeves on her dress echoed the sheer overskirt and bow of mine, while the pearl detailing on her cuffs complemented the pearls on my Florentina veil.

"It was so special to share that experience with her, and the Eleganza team made sure both of us felt incredible on the day."

Styling a transformable wedding dress

"When I finally tried on my completed gown, I was so thrilled. It was everything I had hoped for.

"I loved how my dress transformed throughout the day – first with the long overskirt and veil for the ceremony, then evolving into a fun, modern silhouette for the reception when I removed the overskirt and repositioned the bow to my waist.

"It felt timeless and elegant while still being unique to me."

A bride's top tip for wedding dress shopping

"From my experience, the best advice I can give to future brides is that it’s okay if you don’t have that overwhelming, teary-eyed moment the first time you put a dress on.

“It’s okay to find potential in a dress and tweak it so it becomes ‘the one’” 

"Eleganza Sposa’s expertise and dedication helped me create something that was truly my own, and I couldn’t be more grateful."

Experience wedding dress shopping at Eleganza Sposa

“From the start, Wallis had a clear creative vision, and we knew she wanted to be part of the design process,” says Anna Cirignaco, owner and managing director of Eleganza Sposa.

“The Puccini gown was the perfect foundation, but we transformed it into something completely unique. The custom overskirt was crafted from organza with a delicate pearl sheen – perfect for catching the Mediterranean sunlight.

"We also loved the idea of movement throughout the day, so adjusting the bow for the evening added a dynamic touch. It was a joy to bring Wallis’s vision to life in a way that felt entirely her own.”

Discover more Scottish bridal boutiques and wedding dress designers in our supplier directory 

Scroll to see more photos from Wallis and Jordan's dreamy Mallorca wedding, all captured by: Billie Media