I always knew I wanted to find my wedding dress off the rail. I just didn’t know what would suit me or make me feel like a bride, so I didn’t want to design a dress that might not feel right when I finally put it on. On a sunny November afternoon, I stepped into Bo & Luca’s Cape Town studio and I knew I would find something that very day. The rails were heavy with silk and beading and soft fabrics hand-dyed in tea. It felt like stepping into a dream. With the help of their lovely studio team, I tried on about 15 dresses – even the ones I would never have selected myself – and loved something about each of them. But it was the one that made my friends say “you look so happy and comfortable” that I walked down the aisle in.

It fitted and flattered my body in all the right ways, skimming over my hips and sitting perfectly in my waist. The sleeves made me feel glamourous and whimsical at the same time. It felt like the dress was made for me. The intricate hand-beaded bodice and hand-dyed silk skirt looked like they had taken months to make – and that’s because they had. The level of thought and detail that goes into Bo & Luca’s dresses is what makes them so incredibly special and it’s what creates a fit and feel that is so absolutely once-in-a-lifetime.