Sofia Richie & Elliot Grainge’s wedding really was the standout celebrity wedding of 2023. It seemed to have quite literally broken the internet - at least for a few months.
Everyone was obsessed with this gorgeous quiet luxury wedding. From the couple’s outfit choices to wedding decor and all the little details in between, everything exuded a chic elegance, and it's safe to say we all fell in love with it.
So how do you take some of the elements that made up the wedding of the year and include them into your own wedding day?
Let’s get into it!
I’m Nazlee, director of award-winning wedding venue Offley Place, where we’ve hosted hundreds of beautiful wedding days. I recently got married too, so I have all the insider secrets and top tips to share from both sides of the aisle.
Here are 10 of the iconic standout elements of Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge’s quiet luxury wedding that I absolutely love.
1. The Classic Dresses
Sofia Richie has become the style icon for the quiet luxury movement.
She made the striking choice to opt for a more classic dresses, exuding timeless elegance. Of course, her wedding dresses were all custom Chanel, but that doesn’t mean the idea behind them isn’t accessible for the rest of us.
Sofia had three main bridal looks for the wedding weekend:
The Rehearsal Dinner Look
Her rehearsal dinner look was a classic silhouette, with a high neck and long sleeves with gorgeous hand beading, which created mesmerising movement and texture.
Adding white beading to a white dress is a really lovely way to insert some subtle glamour, creating an element of sophistication.
You can add texture to your bridal dress in a few different ways, but beading is one of the most classic examples.
If you’d like to embody Sophia’s elevated, sophisticated style, keep an eye out for more embellished pieces when you’re choosing outfits for your wedding.
The Wedding Dress
For her wedding dress, Sofia chose a beautiful lace-embroidered halter gown with a long train.
The cut of the dress, paired with the chosen lace really evoked that classical elegance and grace.
Halterneck styles can often be overlooked when brides choose their wedding dress, but they can actually create a very elegant silhouette. If this is what you’re going for, I’d definitely suggest trying on some high-neck halter dresses to see how they feel.
I actually very nearly chose a halterneck dress from Halfpenny for my wedding day, and I remember feeling so graceful when I tried it on.
Lace is also a timeless bridal fabric, where you really can’t go wrong. It adds luxury and sophistication to the overall feel of the dress.
The Evening Look
For her evening wedding look, Sofia changed into a fun, flirty structured mini dress.
Mini dresses are the perfect option for your wedding evening, they’re great for dancing the night away.
If you want to capture Sofia Richie’s fun yet elegant evening style, look for more classic dress silhouettes. Keep in mind that if you do want to add an outfit change into your big day, it doesn’t have to be anything too wild, classic works a charm.
Our big takeaway from this is that although there’s always going to be a movement towards more modern, fresh and cutting edge ideas, when it comes to dresses, sticking with really simple, classic, feminine styles is always going to be the more timeless choice.
2. Her Natural Wedding Make Up
Sofia Richie made a radiant statement on her wedding day with her choice to wear natural makeup. Embracing a fresh and understated beauty really accentuated her features in such an elegant way. Her brief for the entire weekend's makeup looks was for it to look “super simple and clean,” which she achieved with a dewy complexion that let her natural glow shine through. Her subtle blush and nude lip further emphasise the commitment to the timeless and effortless aesthetic.
This is something that you can recreate easily with your makeup artist.
Simply show them images of the kind of look that you like, and tell them that you’d like to have a more natural glow. I’m sure there are a million articles out there with all the details on the exact blush she used, or exact lipstick shade, but bear in mind that a natural look will be individual to each person.
This is why I wouldn’t necessarily recommend finding the exact same products, and instead working with your make-up artist to find shades that suit your skin tone best.
Now there’s also such a thing as too natural - where you have barely anything on. I’m telling you this one from experience, if you want a little more make-up on, it may be more of a ‘natural glam’ look that you’re after.
The idea really is to have a more elevated version of your natural look, so don’t be afraid of a little more make-up, it’s the final look that will make all the difference.
3. Personalised Embroidery
Image Source: Unknown
When it comes to bridal styling, adding a little bit of personalisation can make your outfit even more special.
The next element that elevated Sofia Richie's wedding outfit is one of my favourites - the personalised embroidery details she included in her dress.
Sophia had two subtle embroideries sewn into her lace wedding dress.
The first was an embroidered heart within the lace, representing the love that the couple share.
The second was their initials - S&E, which were embroidered in blue on the inside of the bodice, just above her heart.
These are beautiful little details that you can easily incorporate into your own bridal look to make it unique to you.
Embroidered details can be anything from monogrammed items, a logo, or personal details that tell your love story. They don’t even necessarily need to be words.
It could be an image or shape - your dog, a slice of pizza from your first ever date - whatever means something to you. These kind of embroidery details are very much for yourself.
I personally had embroidery on the bottom of my veil. It was something that meant a lot to me, but I’m sure that most of my guests didn’t even notice it! And that’s not to do with them being unobservant. For most of your guests it’ll be the first time seeing you in a wedding dress, so the excitement and emotion of that usually takes over their eye for detail.
When it comes to embroidering small details on your wedding dress (or your veil), this part is very much for you, so your choice can be as bold or as silly as you like. This is your invitation to make it very personal.
If your bridal boutique doesn’t offer that kind of personalisation, don’t worry at all. There are many other services that will be able to add your unique embroidery to your wedding look.
I bought my veil from a bridal boutique in London, and took it to a local seamstress who embroidered the lettering on the bottom of it.
When looking for a seamstress, it's very important to make sure they are reputable. Look at their reviews if they aren’t someone you’ve worked with before, and always ask to see examples of previous work, and if they’ve ever done something like this before.
Make sure you are fully confident with your choice of seamstress when it comes to your embroidery, as this should be the perfect, personalised finishing touch.
4. Intimate Vow Readings
Sofia Richie & Elliot Grainge had their legal ceremony at home in the US, where they chose to read their vows, instead of at their bigger wedding celebration in France.
In their US ceremony, they only invited a small number of their closest family members, hosted in the privacy of their own home. This meant that the overall feel was a lot more comfortable and intimate, with only their nearest and dearest experiencing the special moment.
Intimate vow readings are a touch that I think should not be overlooked when planning your own wedding, as your vows are so deeply personal. If you feel as though your wedding vows aren’t something you want to read out in front of all of your guests, that’s absolutely fine.
You can always find a place and time for them elsewhere during your wedding day, in a more private setting.
Whether you’d prefer to read your vows in front of just your family and close friends, or simply just to each other, this more intimate setting creates an authentic and genuine expression of your commitment. You may not feel comfortable saying the same things in front of your whole wedding party, as you would if it were just the two of you.
During my wedding planning I really loved the idea of writing our own vows. I felt like there were so many beautiful things that I wanted to share but I really hated the idea of reading our vows out in front of everyone - I just don’t think I would have been brave enough to write exactly what I wanted to say knowing that it would be heard by everyone.
Not that anything I had to say was particularly wild or controversial, it just felt really personal to me and a really vulnerable moment. We almost scrapped the idea of writing our own vows entirely because of this, but I’m so glad we didn’t.
We had a private vow reading for our wedding day, which was straight after our first look.
It was just the two of us (and photographers and videographers of course!). Everyone was so respectful, and stood so far away that it really felt like no one else was there. It gave us the perfect special moment where we were just speaking to each other from the heart.
It was a really vulnerable moment and a really touching one that was one of the parts of our wedding day I look back on most fondly.
So if you’re anything like me, and really want to write your own vows but aren’t sure about reading them out in front of everyone then this might be the perfect option for you.
5. Black bridesmaids dresses
Now, black bridesmaids dresses are something that I think brides will love and mothers are going to hate. One of Sophia Richie’s most iconic photos is the one with her all black bridal party. She said that she wanted all of her bridesmaids to feel comfortable, so every girl got to choose their own dress, the only requirement being that it must be black.
The colour black is both sophisticated and timeless, but nevertheless, I do still think it feels like a brave choice for a lot of couples.
If you do love the aesthetic, as I personally do, it’s one that is very easy for you to replicate with your own bridal party. Choosing black as your bridesmaid colour scheme makes the matching element between your bridesmaids and groomsmen so much simpler. Although there are different shades of black, there really isn’t that much variety, so you can’t go too far wrong.
If you love the concept, but the colour is a little too strong for you, you can create a similar look by giving your bridesmaids your chosen colour and asking them to find their own dresses.
You can even send a fabric sample if you want to be really specific.
This gives each of your bridesmaids their personal choice of dress, but means that you’ll still have the same colour uniting them.
You can then tie this in with the groomsmen really simply by sourcing a tie in the same colour.
Insider Tip: It’s much easier to find ties in a variety of colours than suits, so this is another simple way to keep everyone matching.
If you’re loving the bold statement black bridesmaids dresses, then this really is one of the simplest elements of Sophia Richie’s wedding that you can make your own.
6. Neutral Wedding Florals
The neutral florals were another really gorgeous detail of Sophia Ritchie and Elliot Grainge’s striking wedding day.
Where Sofia opted for minimalism with the colours, she went big on the design, which is a really nice way to balance the two.
From the entrance all the way along the aisle and into the reception, there was an abundance of white and cream florals. The choice of the neutral tones added a touch of understated elegance to the entire celebration.
The floral arrangements were carefully curated to complement the neutral palette, and adorned the venue with a sense of timeless romance. Sofia Richie’s use of neutral florals not only reflected her contemporary aesthetic perfectly, but also created a serene and sophisticated atmosphere for the couple’s special day.
If you are interested in a similar look or colour scheme, this is something you can speak to your florist about.
Show them some inspiration images if you want to really pin down the exact features you would like to take from this wedding - is it the neutral colour scheme you love, or the statement entrance? Your florist will then be able to guide you on how best to achieve a similar sort of look.
When it comes to your floral decor, it’s best not to be so specific on the flowers themselves, and instead focus on the overall look you want to create.
Let your florist guide you through which flowers will be best for your desired style. They will know best which flowers will be in season at the time of your wedding, and which will last better at your venue setting. There’s a lot to think about!
Focus more on the bigger picture here and lean on the advice of your florists - this is their speciality after all!
I personally can’t get enough of these neutral wedding florals.The choice of muted hues in the floral decor really contributes to the overall ethereal and enchanting ambiance of the wedding - and again, this is something that is really easy to replicate for your own wedding day.
7. Adding Your Name Into Your Wedding Song
Are you ready for a very sweet and very unique detail? Sofia Richie walked down the aisle to her favourite song - “Until I found you” by Stephen Sanchez (sang by the actual Stephen Sanchez, obviously, but don’t worry this isn’t the part we’re focussing on).
Her fiancé Elliot Grainge had surprised her by asking the singer to change some of the lyrics to feature her name.
To me, this is such a spectacular and beautiful detail. Imagine walking down the aisle to your dream song and it includes your name! That is personalised with a capital P!
Of course, this isn’t going to work for everyone. If your ceremony music is a playlist or something prerecorded, or if it’s just instrumental then I’m afraid this probably won’t be an option.
But for any couples who have opted for someone to sing them down the aisle, why not ask if they can personalise your choice of song with your names?
If they’re singing live, this shouldn’t be too difficult for them to do, and it will elevate your wedding ceremony so much with such a simple tweak.
If you are working with a live singer, this is definitely something worth considering.
8. Choosing an Unusual “Something Blue”
“Something Blue” is one of the traditional elements in wedding folklore that symbolises love, fidelity and good fortune - so you definitely don’t want to miss out on all of that.
Nowadays it has become a really fun wedding tradition, and brides are finding all sorts of different and unusual ways to incorporate this pop of blue into their day.
Of course, you can add a blue ribbon to your bouquet, or a blue garter if you’re into that sort of thing, but I really loved the way that Sofia Richie included her ‘something blue’ in her wedding celebration.
Her personalised embroidered ‘S&E’ inside her wedding dress was blue and was positioned just above her heart so this was an element that was with her all day.
This is a lovely idea to consider. Your own “something blue” can definitely be somewhere more intimate - it doesn’t have to be visible at all.
When she had her outfit change in the evening, she added a pair of blue aquamarine stone earrings, which also served as her “something blue.”
This one is really easy to recreate, and such a subtle change to a pop of blue.
If you’re not having an outfit change, you can still change your earrings into something different for the evening.
It’s a subtle change but it will mix up your look and give you some different photos whilst incorporating your “something blue” in a subtle, elegant way.
9. The Importance of Music For Your Wedding
Of course this wedding was always going to be big on music!
From the ceremony through to the evening reception, there were incredible performances from Good Charlotte and Lionel Richie himself.
Now, I’m not suggesting that any of us need to go that far, but if you do have the option to choose live music, it is a brilliant way to elevate the entire celebration to a truly magical experience.
The presence of live musicians has an unmatched energy and authenticity that is then reflected in the energy of the guests. Whether you choose to include a string quartet for your ceremony or a live band for the evening reception, the dynamic and interactive nature of live performances engages the guests in an incomparably fun way, and really leaves an impression.
If you have your hearts set on a DJ, you still have the option of incorporating some live music. Live DJ sets are getting more and more popular - giving you the best of both worlds.
This is what I did for my wedding day, blending a combination of live music and a DJ, and it’s honestly one of the elements that I received the most compliments on.
So if live music is something that your wedding budget allows, it will definitely be worth it - I promise you!
10. End The Celebrations with a Bang
Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge ended their wedding day with fireworks - a spectacular way to mark the end of such a joyous celebration.
Ending the night with fireworks is so much fun as the newlyweds and all the guests are treated to this ‘grand finale’ to round the evening off.
It might seem extravagant, but fireworks are an amazing end to the evening and a fabulous finale. It’s definitely something to speak to your venue about, however, and ask them if fireworks are allowed onsite and if there are any restrictions.
Most venues will have some sort of restrictions for the use of fireworks, if they do allow them, as they may be in a more residential or rural location that restricts what they are allowed to offer.
Another, less restrictive alternative is indoor fireworks, or “cold fireworks.” Unlike traditional fireworks, these don’t have the same high temperatures, and don’t need to be in open spaces either.
Indoor fireworks are very safe, making them suitable for indoor environments. This is why they’re so popular for weddings.
I have seen amazing indoor firework displays at Offley Place over the years, where the display box is placed on each corner of the dancefloor. It’s completely mesmerizing when the fireworks shoot out, and a real wow-factor moment for your guests.
It’s important to note that indoor fireworks are a very different look to traditional fireworks, so make sure you properly research before you go all in. However they definitely do serve the same purpose of a sparkling grand finale to end the night on.
If you want to go a little more low key, sparklers are another option. (You will also have to ask your venue about these, due to health and safety).
We chose to have sparklers to end our wedding day. It’s a much smaller scale, and more intimate so it suited us perfectly and it’s far more interactive for your guests - they’re part of the fun instead of watching a display.
All of these options work really well, and there’s so many to choose from if you’d like to end your wedding day with a bit of a bang!
Bringing together a blend of these elements will give your wedding that coveted “quiet luxury” aesthetic. Focussing on quality and including personal elements is the best way to create an incredible, intimate experience for you and your guests.
Remember, the key is to take the elements you love and tailor them to reflect your own unique style and preferences.
Take a look at my best wedding planning tips to make your big day as special as you, and download your FREE Wedding Planning Guide here to make sure everything goes to plan.