The Valentino wedding dress Sophie Hunter wore in marriage to Benedict Cumberbatch revealed
30 Mar 2015
An Anna Karenina-inspired wedding dress, custom created by Valentino for its pregnant bride, Sophie Hunter
Captured by world-renowned celebrity photographer, Annie Liebovitz, for US Vogue, Hunter married the Oscar-nominated, Sherlock Holmes star after a short engagement
A pregnant 36-year-old Sophie Hunter married 38-year-old Benedict Cumberbatch on Valentine’s Day this year on the Isle of Wight, following their engagement in November 2014.
Despite the minimal planning time, the brunette starlet had no trouble finding the dress of her dreams, on the cutting table of luxury fashion house, Valentino. And two months after her march down the aisle, Valentino has shared a photo of the dress on its Instagram feed, teasing a large spread the in the new issue of US Vogue.
The Dress
Pictured standing proud, pregnant and beautiful on a Valentino cutting table, theatre and opera director Sophie models the intricately embroidered, silver, high-necked, lace, empire-line and long-sleeved wedding dress. The fitted bust, shoulder and sleeves flatter Sophie’s slender frame while the full skirt conceals her burgeoning stomach. Valentino creative directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo, who created the dress in just three months, sit at her side.
The accompanying Vogue spread tells how the dress was created in response to the Anna Karenina-inspried dresses and Gustav Klimt landscapes Sophie had shown the Valentino duo. The motifs include vines and pomegranates, completing the medieval effect.
The Big Day
Held on the most romantic day of the year, Valentine’s Day, The Daily Mail reported that celebrations began at Yarmouth’s George Hotel with a party of 140 guests. The following day, an afternoon ceremony was held with an audience of 40 friends and family in 12th-century Mottistone Church of St Peter and St Paul. Among the star-studded guest list was War Horse co-star Tom Hiddleston and co-star ‘Moriarty’, Andrew Scott. In suitable glamour, the closing celebrations were held at National Trust property, Mottistone Manor.
Maintaining the Mystery
How has it taken a full two months for the detailed wonder of this dress to be revealed? The couple were careful in maintaining their mystery, and the roads surrounding the village of Mottistone were closed throughout the celebrations. To ensure anonymity, a white van pulled up outside the church as the couple exited, in a Sherlock Holmes-worthy move…
Photography by Annie Leibovitz for US Vogue
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