Some brides arrive with Pinterest boards bursting. Ellie arrived with something far more precious – a dream that had been quietly tucked away since her first encounter with Jane Austen. She wanted a gown that looked as though it had slipped out of a Regency ballroom but still felt modern enough to glide down the aisle in 21st-century Aberdeen.

The star of the show was her fabric: a soft antique ivory lace, light as air and rich in detail. Layered over the palest blush pink, it created exactly the mood Ellie wanted – a subtle nod to the past, romantic without feeling like costume. There was just enough left from the supplier’s final bolt to make her gown. When I say it was meant to be, I really mean it.

Her silhouette was graceful and timeless – slim in the bodice, softened by the blush underlayer, and flowing into an elegant skirt that moved with ease. But if the gown was the romance, the veil was the love affair. From the very first fitting, Ellie couldn’t stop talking about it. Ten whole metres of antique-style lace were stitched to the tulle, echoing the trims of her gown. Every time she put it on she positively lit up – the dress was her dream, but the veil was her indulgence.

On her wedding day, Ellie carried a bouquet of flowers grown in her own garden – another Austen-worthy detail that captured her tenderness of heart. Her bridesmaids, Kristen and Emily, stood beside her in pastels of sky blue and pale pistachio. Kristen’s dress was dramatic with a plunging V back and a kick-out skirt, while Emily’s was soft and romantic with a draped cowl back and a hemline full of volume.

Together they looked like they’d stepped out of a period drama, but with a freshness that was wholly their own. And in the words of Jane Austen herself, “There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart.” Ellie’s gown and veil were the perfect embodiment of that sentiment – a bespoke creation stitched not only with lace and tulle, but with personality, imagination and a love of stories.