Everything You Missed At Sofia Richie's Lavish "Royal Wedding" In The South Of France

There are some weddings that will be remembered forever, like Princess Diana's special day in 1981. Sofia Richie, model and daughter of iconic singer Lionel Richie, has just thrown her hat in the ring for one of the most memorable celebrity weddings in the 21st century. The 24-year-old married Elliot Grainge, a music executive she first met in 2021. They got engaged in 2022 in Hawaii, but their families have known each other for a long time. Elliot's father is Lucian Grainge, the chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, who has collaborated with Lionel many times in the past. Sofia, 24, and Elliot, 30, were introduced by mutual friends.

Leading up the wedding, Sofia started posting content on her TikTok that we had never seen before: GWRM (get ready with me) videos that gave fans insight into her makeup and fashion choices. The videos gathered millions of views in a matter of hours, and she suddenly became an overnight TikTok sensation, leading many to believe that she just might be the next It Girl. But her GRWM TikToks were just the beginning. Sofia's wedding was so lavish, classy, and timeless that it captured the whole world's attention—and everyone insists that it is the "royal wedding" of the year.

Sofia Richie Wore 3 Custom Chanel Dresses for Her Wedding

For the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, Sofia wore a gown that was recreated from a 1997 Chanel couture fall show. The mockneck dress had intricate, delicate beading on the upper body, fading out around the midsection. The long sleeves were sheer, and she wore her hair pulled back into a simple bun.

“It is entirely hand-beaded,” Sofia told Vogue. “To me, it embodies the classic elegance and femininity that Karl Lagerfeld was such a genius at.”

She gave Vogue a sneak peek of the dresses at her final fitting. In the video, Sofia expressed how excited she was to wear this particular dress. "I'm scared to move because I don't want to ruin one bead," she said when she tried it on. "This is like a fairytale. It really is." Her sister, Nicole Richie, designed a special pair of diamond earrings to go with the dress. “It was so incredibly special to wear her design during the most important time of my life,” Sofia said.

Her ceremony dress was a halter gown with beautiful beading down the entire train. Sofia said it was her dream to have her wedding dress designed by Chanel, and when she had her first fitting in Paris, she knew exactly what she was looking for.

"I immediately envisioned the dress I wanted to get married in: a beautiful lace-embroidered halter gown with a long train," she said. "Within the dress are subtle details, including an embroidered heart to represent the love that Elliot and I share, as well as a blue embroidered S&E on the inside of the dress above my heart.” 

The veil was also created uniquely for Sofia by Chanel. It glistened and was adorned with resin water droplets that visibly sparkled with each step she took. This was the showstopping look that everyone was talking about; it's the very gown that resulted in fans pointing out that she suddenly embodied "old money classic." When the veil was pulled back from around her face, you can see that Sofia's makeup is dewy, classic, and elegant.

"The makeup for the entire weekend is super-simple and clean," she told Vogue. "I just want it to feel timeless; I don't want to look back in like 20 years and be like, 'She's a glamazon.'" Makeup artist Pati Dubroff was responsible for the makeup looks of the day, and that was the very person that Sofia dreamed would be in charge of beauty on her wedding weekend. All the bridesmaids wore black. Sofia wanted the girls to be comfortable, so she gave them the option to wear any dress they like, as long as it was an all-black ensemble.

The final Chanel dress was for the party that lasted well into the night. The look was inspired by "the Claudia Schiffer corset dress from the early '90s." It was a two-piece minidress, and she wore her hair parted down in the middle in a flirty ponytail. She paired it with white, sequined high heels with a bow at the toe line.

Good Charlotte Performed for the First Time in 5 Years

After the ceremony and dinner were over, the festivities began. Lionel performed two of Sofia's favorite songs: "Hello" and "Stuck on You." After that, they headed to the after-party, where Good Charlotte came out of retirement to give a special performance. The band, led by Joel and Benji Madden, has been a favorite of Elliot for a long time, and Sofia said "Joel and Elliot have become like brothers." Joel is married to Sofia's sister Nicole. Good Charlotte hasn't performed in five years, but the band came out from Nashville and LA for the wedding. "They are true rock stars," Sofia said. "Between my dad and Good Charlotte, it was unbelievable. And most importantly, it really felt like family, which is exactly how we wanted the wedding to feel.”

A particularly sweet musical wedding gift from Elliot happened when Sofia was walking down the aisle. Her favorite song is "Until I Found You" by Stephen Sanchez. She told her wedding planners that this would be the ideal song to walk down the aisle to. She heard it playing as she was walking with her father, and she heard some of the lyrics change to her name.

"I thought it was so sweet of him to think of me and change my name like that. But when I got closer to the aisle, I looked up and thought: Is that Stephen Sanchez?!” Sofia said. “It was so surreal, and it was such a meaningful [wedding gift from Elliot]. And not only that, but we got to party with him all night.”

The Hotel Was a Lavish Location in the South of France

The "royal wedding" of the year could only take place at a jaw-dropping location: The Hotel Du Cap Eden-Roc in Antibes, France. It's a five-star luxury landmark hotel dating back to 1870 that is perched on the seafront of Cap d'Antibes. It has 40 rooms, 68 suits, and three villas. Booking one of the cheaper rooms at the hotel can cost about $2,300 a night. Sofia and Elliot booked the entirety of the property for the whole weekend, which reportedly came out to $1.5 million. Guests are granted complimentary bicycles and electric buggies to explore the property, as well as 24-hour in-room dining, manicured tennis courts, and access to pristine poolside views. There are six bars and three restaurants on the property, including Michelin-star Louroc Restaurant. Guests can also take fitness or yoga classes or take a small yacht to see Saint-Tropez, Cannes, or Monaco.

Celebrities who attended Sofia's iconic wedding include Nicole Richie and Joel Madden, Paris Hilton and Carter Reum, Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden, designer Tania Shroff, influencer Amelia Liana, entrepreneur Marianna Hewitt, and more.

Sofia posted a wedding compilation video on her TikTok, and it has more than 7 million views. Fans went wild and poured out praise for their special day.

"Telling my kids this was THEE royal wedding," one user said.

"Honeymoon is going to have to be on mars because there is no place more beautiful than this," another wrote.

"This TikTok alone was literally better than the great Gatsby movie," one person wrote.

"This will be in the moodboard of all the girlies," another person commented.