We burn for this hard launch.
Updated May 07, 2024Look Back on Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge's Iconic Wedding Day
The couple hosted a viral "quiet luxury" wedding in 2023 that took the world by storm.
No famous couple defined 2023 quite like Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge. The model and influencer, 25, wed the British music executive, 30, on April 22, 2023, in the South of France. Ahead of the highly-anticipated nuptials, Richie joined TikTok—notably with her married name, Sofia Richie Grainge—and began posting "get ready with me" content, documenting the wedding festivities as guests arrived at the destination celebration. Her real-time, behind-the-scenes content gave fans an inside look into the lavish celebration. The weekend took the internet by storm, thus launching a "quiet luxury" craze. One year later, the popularity of this refined aesthetic still shows no sign of slowing down within the wedding industry.
In honor of the couple's first anniversary, look back on all the iconic details from Sofia Richie's wedding day and her sweet love story with Elliot Grainge.
- Sofia Richie's wedding to Elliot Grainge took place on April 22, 2023, at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, a luxury hotel in Antibes, France.
- Sofia Richie's wedding dress was a custom Chanel design with a high neckline, scalloped edges, and white and iridescent bead embellishments.
- Sofia Richie got engaged to Elliot Grainge in April 2022. The announcement came just one year after they began dating in 2021. The couple reportedly met as children.
- On January 25, 2024, Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge announced they're expecting their first child, a baby girl, due in the spring of 2024.
In this article:
- Elliot Grainge and Sofia Richie's Wedding Photos and Details
- Who is Sofia Richie's Husband, Elliot Grainge?
- Sofia Richie's' Engagement to Elliot Grainge
- How Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge Met
Elliot Grainge and Sofia Richie's Wedding Photos and Details
One of the best celebrity weddings of 2023, Sofia Richie's wedding to Elliot Grainge took place at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, a luxury hotel in Antibes, France. The bride's father, singer Lionel Richie, walked her down the aisle (and later gave a performance at the reception). As he presented the bride to the groom, Richie pointed at his daughter and proudly exclaimed, "That's my kid!" During the processional, singer Stephen Sanchez sang his song "Until I Found You" of massive TikTok fame.
The bride was heavily involved in her wedding planning process alongside her vendors. In an August 2023 interview with Who What Wear, she revealed never-before-told details about the experience. "There was not one thing with my party planner that I didn't want to be involved in," she told the outlet. "I wanted to pick the flowers. I wanted to pick the color of the linen. Every single thing about my wedding had Virgo written all over it," she joked, adding that it was worth every minute. "Standing under the chuppah, we would squeeze each other's hands and look out into the crowd and take in the faces that traveled to be with us, our families and our close friends. When are we ever going to have every single person we love the most together? It was magic."
FEATURED VIDEO FROM THE KNOT
Leading up to the big day, fans anxiously awaited the reveal of Sofia Richie's wedding dress, which was custom-designed by Chanel. The gown featured a high neckline, scalloped edges, and white and iridescent beading embellishments. Ahead of the big day, the bride opened up to Vogue about the design experience, saying, "We created the top of that dress and made it bridal-y. It is such magic. I honestly think Elliot is going to love it. He is my biggest cheerleader when it comes to anything I wear." She jokingly added, "If he doesn't cry, I'll be very sad."
The bride's reception look was also designed by Chanel. "I can dance, [and] I can move," Richie told Vogue. "I love it! It's traditional Chanel. I will be eating pizza and fries in this dress. Pray for this dress. It will be my life's mission to make sure nothing happens to it." The dress was ultimately the perfect party outfit. In videos shared from Sofia Richie's wedding reception, she can be seen dancing and singing with guests like Paris Hilton and her husband Carter Reum, her sister Nicole Richie and her husband Joel Madden, and his brother Benji Madden, who attended with wife Cameron Diaz. The Madden Brothers, who make up part of the rock band Good Charlotte, performed their hit "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous" during the after-party.
Sofia Richie also wore a custom Chanel long-sleeve dress with a high neckline to her rehearsal dinner, which took place on Friday night.
Thanks to TikTok, we got an inside look into Sofia Richie's entire wedding weekend—a choice she told Who What Wear was incredibly spur-of-the-moment. "My friends were like, 'How cool would it be if you started a TikTok and showed people in real time what was happening?' I thought, 'You know what? That's so refreshing, and that's a great idea,'" she said. "I feel like a lot of content around large events is so planned, and they're so calculated. The content that I created around my wedding was organic, and I wasn't pushing anything or hiding anything waiting for a magazine to publish. I was just being myself and letting people live through it with me in real-time."
She continued, "I really wanted to take people along with me because I felt like holy crap—this is a fairy-tale moment. I need to share this with people."
In a video shared on the Friday before her ceremony, the bride-to-be prepared for the first official day of her wedding weekend, saying she planned on "kicking off the wedding festivities" with a pool day to spend time with loved ones who already arrived in the South of France.
She joked that she already lost her voice, likely from the welcome dinner held the evening before. For the prewedding event, Sofia Richie donned "something blue" from her wedding wardrobe: an elegant long sleeve blue column dress with a mock neckline and sheer overlay, which she paired with Manolo Blahnik heels, hoop earrings and a woven clutch. In the video, she asks her followers if they think she's "hitting the bridal mark," to which they enthusiastically agreed. "This is literally the royal wedding for me," one commenter said.
In the days leading up to her wedding, Sofia Richie shared a handful of Instagram posts documenting her trendy attire, which included bridal white skirts, dresses and matching sets
How Sofia Richie's Conversion to Judaism May Benefit Her Marriage
In April 2023, a year after announcing her engagement, Sofia Richie shared that she converted from Christianity to Judaism (her fiancé's religion) ahead of her wedding. In a series of Instagram Stories, Richie posted a photo of herself signing a document in Hebrew. "What a magical day," she captioned the post. "I want to thank cantor Nathan Lam for helping me along this journey of converting to Judaism. It has been one of the greatest experiences of my life." She added, "Today was that day!!!," along with five Star of David emojis.
According to Rabbi Elyssa Cherney, a Philadelphia-based wedding officiant, premarital counselor, and founder of Jewish organization TacklingTorah, the decision to convert to a partner's religion has been a growing movement in recent years. "Converting to Judaism is on the rise, which is something that I and other Rabbis have been seeing particularly since the pandemic began," she tells The Knot. A 2021 Pew Research study, which surveyed over 100 Rabbis, showed that 43% said they were overseeing more conversions now than earlier in their careers. "I think it has to do with the values we're teaching in the world. People want to feel a sense of community, and they want to have a sense of identity."
FOR YOU
A Queer Wedding Journalist on LGBTQIA+ Representation
Our contributor shares why queer folks should have a voice at wedding publications.
Inside Olivia Culpo & Christian McCaffrey's Love Story
The NFL star and the former Miss Universe are set to tie the knot this summer.
Inside the Love Lives of the Top F1 Drivers
It's love in the fast lane.
Cherney, who frequently works with Jewish conversion students, says the process of converting to Judaism generally takes about a year and includes self-led learning as well as regular educational sessions with Rabbis. She notes that while converting to the same religion shouldn't be deemed as a requirement for interfaith couples, doing so can have powerful benefits for the longevity of a marriage.
"Faith and rituals and tradition are things that can hold a really big place in your home," she tells us. "After the wedding day, what keeps marriages strong is a sense of communication and support for one another. And it's a different level of support to say, 'I'm going to convert to your religion because I love you so much that I want to have this identity myself as well.'"
Having a shared religion can serve as a point of connection for couples, allowing them to continue to grow, learn and show love in new ways, even years into their partnership. "Having something that you're doing together—whether you watch sports, do yoga, read the same books, or have shared hobbies—allows couples to strengthen their connection. Religion works the same way. Anytime you're learning together, you have something that you can both become invested in."
Beyond providing daily activities to enjoy together, having a shared religion can create a strong sense of tradition and rituals within a family. "When I talk to couples in premarital counseling, we discuss that the foundation of a home life has rituals," Cherney explains. "It can be as simple as putting away technology on Friday nights to just be intentional with each other and create an environment in which you're present in your relationship."
This is especially true in regard to holidays, too. Cherney shares that one of the biggest elements of converting to Judaism requires students to develop a deep understanding of Jewish holidays, the Jewish year cycle, and what each holy day signifies. Then, when the holidays do come around, couples will have a stronger sense of awareness and appreciation for those days. "Having a partner who's engaged with the holidays and feels their own personal connection to them strengthens the family unit as well," she adds.
In a 2016 cover story interview with Complex, Richie previously opened up about the role of religion in her life, saying she attended Oaks Christian School in Los Angeles, California. Although this conversation took place well before she began dating Elliot Grainge, Richie's perspective on religion shows the important role it plays in her life—and it aligns with her decision to have a strong connection with her future husband's beliefs. "My family wanted church to be a place where we all went together. My dad was always traveling and my mom was always working. School is where I did Bible classes and studied God." She said that religion was her "main ground" and "the most interesting thing in my life," adding, "One of the key factors of life is love, and the key factor of God is love, so having that understanding is really important in a relationship."
Who is Sofia Richie's Husband, Elliot Grainge?
So, who is Sofia Richie married to? Her husband is Elliot Grainge, a British music executive with an impressive resume. Here's what to know about the tastemaker's husband.
He Owns a Record Label
Elliot Grainge comes from a talented family of musicians. His father, Lucian Grainge, is currently the chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, one of the world's leaders in the entertainment industry. He's worked with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Elton John and Rihanna, and also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
His Father Owned a Music Business
Elliot Grainge followed in his father's footsteps and works as a record executive. He owns his own independent label, 10K Projects, and represents a variety of hip-hop and rap artists.
He's From the UK
After growing up in the United Kingdom, Grainge and his family moved to the US in 2009. He attended Northeastern University in Boston, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree, and later moved to Los Angeles. In 2021, after dating for just a few months, Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge purchased a house together in Beverly Hills.
He Has Lionel Richie's Approval
It's no surprise that Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge's paths crossed. As the daughter of legendary singer Lionel Richie, Sofia and Elliot ran in similar circles for years—and Grainge has his father-in-law's approval. In an interview with Access Hollywood shortly after the couple got engaged in April 2022, Lionel Richie shared that Grainge was "a nervous wreck" before the bended-knee moment, adding, "I thought he was going to pass out, but he survived it." The singer continued, "I was going to rib him a little bit, but I didn't want to play, he was going to faint. It was wonderful…they're deeply in love, so all I can say is, that's what you really want as a dad."
Sofia Richie's' Engagement to Elliot Grainge
Amid romantic clusters of candles and flowers, Elliot Grainge proposed to Sofia Richie in April 2022. The model shared photos of the sweet moment on Instagram, writing, "Forever isn't long enough." At the end of the year, Richie shared another photo dump of the engagement, calling it "the most special moment of my life."
According to Barry Verragio, CEO and Founder of jewelry brand Verragio, Sofia Richie's engagement ring appears to pull inspiration from some of the most iconic sparklers in history. "Sofia's ring has classic elements that echo old Hollywood glamour—the emerald cut is the same shape Grace Kelly received from Prince Rainier of Monaco. Elizabeth Taylor also had an emerald-cut engagement ring, so it's certainly a diamond cut for jewelry lovers," he tells The Knot, noting its setting embodies one of the biggest jewelry trends of the moment. "Sofia's simple, elegant setting is a trend we're seeing: engagement rings that coordinate seamlessly with the rest of your jewelry box, like diamond hoops, chains, and watches. The diamond looks to be around five carats, which is a significant size."
The slideshow of Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge's engagement gives a closer peek at the botanical setup, including a path covered in white flowers with a bucket of champagne at the end, along with a floral-covered pergola above.
How Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge Met
How did Sofia Richie meet Elliot Grainge? This relationship goes all the way back to their childhood. Sources have said that the two were friends for years, as it's likely their musical backgrounds brought them together.
Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge made their relationship public in 2021. Around that time, a source confirmed their years-long friendship to Entertainment Tonight, saying, "They have been friends for years, and Elliot is also close with Sofia's brother, Miles. It's very nice for Sofia to date someone her family approves of and likes." In the same Access Hollywood interview, Lionel Richie gushed about his future son-in-law. "I love Elliot. I've known him since he was 12…It was one of those things where I don't have to go back and check out the kid. I know who it is."
Sofia Richie was previously linked to Scott Disick, who she dated on and off from 2017 to 2021.
