Bringing Wilderness Bride to Edinburgh: Our First Pop-Up Success
Dress rails in the event room
Edinburgh Part 1 Pop-Up
With a rise in clients traveling from Scotland to the Manchester studio, I felt a deep appreciation for the effort many brides were making to get here. I also experienced a slight sense of FOMO—fear of missing out on even more Scottish clients—so at the end of January 2024, I decided that in three months' time, I would hold the first-ever Wilderness Bride pop-up event in Edinburgh.
Outside the Malmaison Hotel, Edinburgh St Andrews Square
I had been to Edinburgh before and loved the city—the history, the buildings, and how close it is to the countryside. You can just look up and see green, not concrete like in many other cities. I don’t feel trapped in a sea of people and concrete; the greenery is always there for comfort, which made Edinburgh seem like the perfect location to me.
The last time I visited Edinburgh was with a group of friends on a girls' trip. We stayed in St Andrew Square, which I found to be very accessible to all areas of the city and close to the train station. If you’ve visited the WB studio, you’ll know how close we are to the train station—just a few minutes' walk—which has been very convenient for the many people who travel to us. With this in mind, and knowing that clients would be coming from all over Scotland, being close to the train station was ideal.
Luxury pink seating
I chose Saint Andrew Square and contacted the hotels in the area. Did you know that Vera Wang started her business by hiring hotel suites and holding bridal appointments? This was my inspiration. So, when the events team from Malmaison responded with a great offer, I accepted. They provided exclusive use of their event room with everything we needed:
Dress rails
Coat hangers
A large mirror
Refreshments
Anything I needed, they provided.
By appointment only, the brides were welcomed by the friendly front-of-house team and guided to the event space, where they could try on the full WB collection among friends and family. The atmosphere was unique, with the dark, modern decor, high ceilings, and luxurious fixtures and fittings. The Georgian building stands beautifully and is so striking as you enter the square. We had two full days of bridal appointments and even managed to squeeze in a gorgeous styled shoot with local suppliers. More on that in the next post.
With almost every bride ordering dresses, the Edinburgh pop-up was a huge success! It’s something I’m incredibly proud of and something I definitely plan to repeat.
Why hadn’t I done this sooner?
A huge thank you to all of the brides who booked in, to the Malmaison Hotel for being so accommodating, and to the suppliers who collaborated on a beautiful styled shoot.
In a few months' time, you’ll start to see real bride images from the brides who bought their wedding dresses at the first Edinburgh pop-up.