When the hunt for the wedding dress begins, some brides have no idea what they will end up walking down that aisle in, while others will have had a clear vision in their minds since they were young. For Dutch model Daphne Groeneveld – who married her partner Justin Hopwood in Florence this month – it was the latter, she knew exactly what she wanted before the process even began.
"It was during lockdown when we first met on a Zoom call and Daphne told me she really wanted her gown to be modern, not fussy and she wanted a low back," Sharon Sever, head designer at Galia Lahav tells us about how the team went about creating Groeneveld's dream dress.
They made sure to embrace simplicity and a modern silhouette, but added "a little draping and a small detail to the back to make it more couture". For such a pared-back style, the choice of fabric was key – Sever selected a few options from an Italian silk maker, and they made sure the fit was absolutely perfect.
"We went for a sleek cut that would enhance her incredible silhouette and statuesque figure. It was so important to Daphne that the dress would feel 100 per cent like her. I just took inspiration from this, and what she envisioned looking like."
"I always said I want to get married in a simple but chic look," Groeneveld says. "When I first saw the sketch I immediately fell in love and knew this was my dress."
The model was also inspired by the lush green surroundings of her Italian wedding venue, choosing a sage hue for her bridesmaids, which included fellow model Taylor Hill. They were also dressed by Galia Lahav.
Later in the day, Groeneveld changed into a second dress by the designer, this one just as sleek and simple, but with a little injection of fun for the party portion of the evening.
"I wanted to take inspiration from her ceremony look and create just as chic and timeless a piece but with modern twists," Sever says. "So we added feathers and made it a mini to show off her incredible legs – and this also meant that she could be comfortable to dance the rest of the night away."
"It was such an emotional experience to meet Daphne in person for her first fitting in the dress. Seeing her with tears in her eyes and the way she was glowing in the dress was a magical moment for me."
