You Can Sit With Us: Sophie Raval

October 28, 2024 | Tags: Sophie Raval, Veils, You Can Sit With Us

First off, we think you’re fabulous.

The feeling’s mutual! It’s so nice to really click with a team of people who are aspassionate as us about all things weddings!

When did we become wedding industry besties?

I first came across you guys back in 2020 when one of my lovely brides had bought her dress from you! I beaded a delicate edged veil for her to match her dress (Demi – Muse by Berta – what a dress!) and since then we’ve worked on countless weddings together!nIt’s like we’ve dated for 4 years and now we’ve finally made it official!

We love your company’s ethos, tell us more.

Women are bombarded by an industry telling them they need to change to be worthy of getting married. As a wedding veil designer, I get to celebrate women with pieces designed for them, not the other way around. Our focus has – and always will be – to make women feel empowered, beautiful and the best version of themselves! It’s woven into the fabric of our company, celebrating women with the highest quality materials, creating a piece as unique as the woman who wears it. I strive to make the bespoke veil process the most enjoyable part of wedding planning (and an escape from all those boring spreadsheets and tedious to dos!).

Do you have any fashion or beauty rules?

Never sleep in your makeup!

How you feel will always be more important than how you look. Because if you feel great, you’ll radiate that. Less is more. I love Chanel’s quote, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and remove one accessory”. Invest in quality that you can wear – or pass down – for years to come. Fast fashion is killing just about everything. When you buy, buy quality, buy once and pass it on. Find your own style rather than chasing trends. Trends come and go – style lasts a lifetime. And finally – “Elegance is when the inside is as beautiful as the outside” – Chanel

What do you bring to a bride’s day that others cannot?

Everyone has their thing. And my thing is deeply understanding what a bride wants – even sometimes when she doesn’t know herself. It’s about teasing the ideas out of her, combined with her dress, style, aesthetic, setting and vibe to create something truly unique, crafted to make her feel her absolute best. Many people can make veils, but the difference is I design from scratch, to the finest detail – unlike some other designers who will do an artsy drawing,

I put together accurate design sketches so the bride can see exactly what her veil will look like before she commits. She doesn’t need to somehow imagine what it’ll look like. We’re providing a really personal service, along with the finest quality heirloom piece which can be passed down the generations.

You inspire us. What inspires you?

So many things! Nature is a big one. I’m grateful to live just outside the Cotswolds (in a 1570’s thatched cottage!) and we’re surrounded by fields, flowers and the occasional deer! Throughout the year, on my morning walk I watch the seasons change and with it, the nature – from delicate winter snowdrops, fluffy spring grasses to vibrant summer blooms, I love that there’s always something different.

Our village is adorned with vibrant wisteria and creeping roses, so many of my pieces take inspiration from florals. I love the delicate whimsy feel.I’m inspired to get better at what I do. I want to continually improve my techniques and learn, develop new ways of being creative. I started sewing and beading at the age of 5 (and obviously/thankfully have improved a lot since then!) but I’m still finding new ways of doing things when it comes to veils! I’ve always been industrious so whether it’s learning a new type of embroidery (currently gold work – think royal ceremonial attire!) or a totally different skill like sculpting or silversmithing (hand me the blowtorch!), I find there’s so much crossover and learning a new skill inspires new ideas and creativity to flow.

As a former costume maker for The Royal Opera House and Disney, theatre and film also play a big part in finding inspiration – in many ways a wedding is like opening night! The nerves, the planning, the excitement – to me it’s what’s so magic about weddings!

A tip for brides before, during and after their wedding?

Before: Make a plan – and I don’t mean a to do list! It’s so helpful to identify what’s important
to you and your partner – why are you having a wedding? Is it to celebrate your love with the people you love, create lasting memories or have something truly unique? It’s so easy to just start planning and get lost / overwhelmed in details and lose sight of why you’re doing it.

Work out between you the non negotiables and then make them your focus. Wedding planning can get stressful but it doesn’t need to be. It’s better to do slightly less (ditch the favours and tacky photo booth) and invest in the best suppliers, so that they help make the journey of planning your wedding stress-free and most importantly, enjoyable! But if you’re reading this, you have already chosen the best dress shop, so that’s one thing to tick off your list! Allocate someone you trust to liaise with the venue on the day (think – making a decision on wet/dry weather plan). You shouldn’t be doing any admin on the day, or trying to keep things to time – having this person means you can just enjoy knowing everything will run smoothly!

During: Scope out time where you and your partner can take a little breather. It might just be 5 minutes every couple of hours. Every wedding is different, but what’s unanimous? Every single bride says it goes by so quickly and it’s over before they know it. The best way to slow it down is taking a step back, and just be an onlooker for 5 minutes. It’s probably the only time in your life you have everyone you love in one room. And there’s something so special and unique in that. Soak it in.