On April 22 of 2023 Sofia Richie, daughter of Lionel Richie and Diane Alexander, finally held her wedding in France, where she and Elliot Grainge exchanged their I do’s. 

Sofia Richie is not only recognized as the daughter of a famous artist, but she is also an internet and television personality, a model for Select Model Management of London, and a fashion designer. Her now husband, Elliot Grainge, is a music executive and the founder and CEO of 10K Projects, a record label. Rappers such as Trippie Redd and Iann Dior are represented by Grainge’s label. 

Before Sofia and Elliot were a couple, Sofia was dating Scott Disick, the former partner of Kourtney Kardashian. The two broke up in August 2020. Then in January, rumors that Richie and Grainge were seeing each other sparked. It wasn’t until March 26 of 2021, Sofia uploaded a picture of a cute, elevator mirror selfie of both her and Elliot that confirmed the gossip. Finally, Elliot proposed to Sofia around this time last year, during a trip to Hawaii. Sofia shared pictures of the proposal via Instagram with the caption, “forever isn’t long enough @elliot”.

With the help of Banana Split, a wedding planning company, the couple started preparing for their ceremony. The planning began almost immediately after the proposal. “It was a full-time job, but we had a great time,” Sofia said. The wedding was located at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France. The hotel has a magnificent view of the Azure Sea. Of course, Lionel Richie walked Sofia down the aisle, but shockingly enough, the walk was timed out to be seven and a half minutes long. According to Vogue, Sofia was nervous, a very normal emotion for a bride. She says, “my father has always been the most comforting figure in my life, and he’s kept me grounded. I was really nervous before walking down the aisle—it was like I had stage fright, my adrenaline was so high. We had over seven minutes to chat, though, and he said: ‘You’re the love of my life, and I’m so happy for you.’ It was very emotional, and I feel so lucky that I have my parents. I’m very grateful.” 

As expected, the guest list had very recognizable names. Actress Cameron Diaz, American personality and model Paris Hilton, musician Benji Madden and his brother Joel Madden, and of course Sofia’s sister Nicole Richie. One person who was not in attendance was Sofia’s brother, Miles. Tabloids are attempting to stir the pot with gossip when in reality, her brother tested positive for COVID-19. 

Those with an eye for fashion are probably most intrigued by Sofia’s dresses. Yes, plural. Sofia had three dresses from Chanel that were customized just for her. Sofia developed inspiration for a dress during her fitting sessions with Chanel in Paris. “I always had this vision of the big princess dress, and going big, but as I got older, I realized that I wanted something a bit more simple. Maybe ‘simple’ isn’t the right word because my dress definitely is not simple!” says Sofia. She shared that her dress has an embroidered heart along with the initials “S&E” in blue. The simple touch was a tribute to the love between Richie and Grainge. 

Every father at their daughter’s wedding is bound to get emotional. In an interview with Extra, Lionel Richie says, “baby girl got married. When I say that… It’s a great feeling, I must say, I’ve known Elliot since he was 9 years old. So I know the groom really well. There’s a thing down South we always say: ‘Who’s your people?’ Well, I know his people, so it really is a real wonder to see them in love and just as happy as I’ve ever seen my little girl and Elliot.” The couple knew each other’s family due to Lionel Richie and Elliot’s father, Sir Lucian Grainge, working together in the music industry. The connection is the reason why Lionel has known Elliot since he was a kid. Once Elliot proposed, Lionel gave his public approval. 

Having friends and family around during a celebration is one of the ultimate feelings. Sofia shares her after-thoughts: “One piece of advice I received that I have carried throughout the wedding weekend was to look around and really take in all the love around us—because it is so rare and so special to have all of your loved ones in one place.” Congratulations to the newly-weds, hopefully we’ll see some photos from the honeymoon.