I'D seen it in various newsagents over a period of a few days and

eventually I gave in and bought it: Bliss, it's called, ''the magazine

for Scottish brides''.

It's true that I got married in a pair of trousers and a red jumper

but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy poring over glossy pictures of fussy

wedding gowns -- and Bliss has them in plenty, as well as features on

truly scary Scottish stag nights, a real-life fairytale wedding in

Edinburgh, and a 28-page guide to wedding services and products.

The bliss of Bliss is, of course, that it really is a magazine for

Scottish brides. As editor Morag Malloy explains, the most that

English-based brides magazines have offered us in the past has been a

spotlight-on-Scotland feature, ''often just one page of advertising-led

copy,'' says Morag.

The new publication had been on the newsagents' shelves for only six

days when we spoke and a third of the print run had already been sold,

she reported.

Aileen Sherry is one of the many people involved in Scotland's

multi-million pound wedding industry who was invited along to the Bliss

official launch party in Edinburgh.

''Apparently it was a great evening,'' said Aileen, ''but I must have

had too much to drink because I can't remember a thing!''

Aileen and Ishbel Mackay run a designer wedding dress company in

Glasgow called Toadilboney. Aileen, who comes from Stirling, remembers

her grandfather telling her, to ''toddle bonny'' -- or walk nicely --

when she was a wee girl and that's where the name comes from.

Both designers are graduates of the Scottish College of Textiles. They

originally set up business in the West

End but moved to a city-centre site in Sauchiehall Street last year.

''We used to advertise as designers of 'alternative wedding gowns',''

says Aileen. ''By alternative, we meant dresses that were preferable to

what was currently available but some people got the idea that we only

designed wedding dresses for punks and goths.''

They've had their share of those, however, and Aileen admits she likes

working on ''the wacky ones'' most of all.

She says: ''A girl came in one day with spikey black hair, ripped

jeans and biker boots and I thought 'what's she going to want?'

''We made her a beautiful purple dress with a simple silk bodice and

an ankle-length net skirt.''

Most Toadilboney customers spend between #550 and #750. They can have

a dress designed exclusively for them or choose from a range that Ishbel

and Aileen design for the shop every season.

Currently there's a brocade waistcoat and matching long silk skirt

(#515), a beautifully simple A-line dress in heavy duchess satin, and a

range of little brocade shift dresses (#200) for beach weddings.

''What, Scottish beaches?'' I ask in amazement.

''No,'' says Ishbel, who comes from Lewis and is a native Gaelic

speaker. ''Caribbean.''

Toadilboney were prizewinners in the recent Best of British Bridal

Awards held in London and they are soon to feature in a Gaelic TV

programme about a young bride-to-be from the islands who comes to the

big city in search of the perfect wedding gown.

Edinburgh-based Camellia Angel did even better than Toadilboney and

the Best of British Awards. Born and couture-trained in the Middle East,

Ms Angel was named best Scottish designer.

Speaking from her Jeffrey Street premises (which opened in 1990), she

told me that her customers were turning away from voluminous, fussy

wedding gowns and choosing lighter styles with a sporty look. One trend

was for a knee-length dress with a see-through, ankle-length layer on

the top.

''But as far as colour goes,'' Ms Angel sighed, ''it's still white or

ivory, which is quite frustrating at times.''

Camellia Angel designs start at #750, although a young Dundee lawyer

(female in case you were wondering) had a dress made which cost #3000.

''It was a huge gown,'' Ms Angel explained. ''And I wondered if it

wasn't going to overwhelm her, but she managed to carry it

beautifully.''

Showing brides how to walk in their dresses is all part of the

service, she added.

Anne Priscilla Halliday had her sights set on a degree in modern

languages (as a mature student) when the lease came up on a bridal wear

shop in Kilmarnock. That was six years ago. Since then, she's

established herself on Beresford Terrace, Ayr's ''bridal row'' where no

fewer than four wedding dress salons can be found.

''The studying I did for my French, Italian and Spanish exams comes in

very useful when I'm ordering dresses from abroad,'' says Anne, who

employs two full-time and two part-time members of staff.

''My dream would be to have an in-house model,'' she revealed. ''But

that's fairyland stuff. But we do have a video that customers can sit

down and watch over a cup of coffee.

''People have become fussier during the six years I've been in

business,'' said Anne. ''Customers want attention -- personal attention.

In fact, some want an arm and a leg! But choosing a wedding gown isn't

like buying a skirt and blouse. Some customers are with us for almost a

year, and if they have an unpleasant experience you can be sure they'll

tell other people.''

Anne Halliday has approximately 140 styles of wedding dress for brides

to choose from, most coming in at about the #1000 or less mark

''although we've recently sold a couple of the riding habit design at

#2000,'' she said.

''I'm not fussy about very frilly dresses,'' Anne told me. ''So I'm

glad the Bopeep look isn't as popular now. The 'classic' Audrey Hepburn,

Jackie Kennedy line is coming back along with brocade and beading.''

Christine Mackay and Rosemary Johnston run one of the country's most

northerly wedding dress establishments, Bride's Corner in Station

Square, Inverness. Their customers come from all over the

Highlands and Islands but because many of these Scottish brides-to-be

are used to ordering clothes from mail order catalogues, Rosemary

reports that she sometimes has a hard time persuading them to come to

town and choose their dress of a lifetime in person.

''You really have to see a wedding gown on to tell if it will suit

you,'' she says. ''After all, you're spending upwards of #500 on it and

it's a rare dress that won't need some kind of alteration to make it a

perfect fit.''

Having said that, Rosemary admits that when a customer has her heart

set on a particular style it's difficult to get her to change her mind,

no matter how unsuitable the design.

''The west-coast girls are the most, shall we say, adventurous,''

Rosemary reveals. ''In build, they're often small and thickset but they

still want a big dress with all the flounces.''

There are about 200 wedding dress styles to pick from at Bride's

Corner and customers have to wait about 16 weeks for their gown once the

choice has been made.

Rosemary reports the same trend towards simpler dresses, including

those featuring the Empire Line which, as she points out, is a style

particularly suitable for pregnant girls.

Although most customers go for white or ivory gowns, Bride's Corner

has recently provided the head dress and other accessories for a young

woman who is getting married in her favourite colour -- black.

Bliss editor Morag Malloy relates that her mother wore one of those

classic Audrey Hepburn-style dresses for her wedding in the 1950s.

''It would have been wonderful to wear nowadays,'' says Morag, but,

sadly, the gown was eventually cut up for dusters.

However, if Morag wanted to give her mum a big surprise for a

forthcoming wedding anniversary she could get in touch with Valerie

Lennie in Edinburgh who sells dolls dressed in replica wedding gowns.

Says Mrs Lennie, who set up her Valerie Louise business five years ago:

''I used to make clothes for my three daughters and dress their dolls in

matching outfits. When a friend was getting married, I decided to give

her a doll wearing a copy of her dress and people loved it.

''It's an especially nice idea if you've decided to sell your gown

after the wedding.'' Porcelain dolls start at #70, small rag dolls from

#25.

* TOADILBONEY, 293 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, Tel: 041 332 0053.

CAMELLIA ANGEL DESIGNS, 7 Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh, Tel: 031 557 4480.

ANNE PRISCILLA, 23 Beresford Terrace, Ayr, Tel: 0492 282752. BRIDE'S

CORNER, Station Square, Inverness, Tel: 0463 242318. VALERIE LOUISE

DOLLS, 33 Grange Loan, Edinburgh, Tel: 031 667 8827