Olivia Henson wears beautifully personal dress to marry Duke of Westminster – with a special ‘something blue’

The new Duchess of Westminster, Olivia Henson, wore a gown by Chelsea-based designer Emma Victoria Payne to marry Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, in the society wedding of the year.

Miss Henson’s bespoke look was revealed as she arrived at Chester Cathedral at around 12pm. The ivory silk crepe satin dress was decorated with floral embroideries. She also wore the Fabergé Myrtle Leaf Tiara, which was created for the Grosvenor family in 1906, and a veil which incorporated edgings from the bride’s great-great-grandmother’s veil, from around 1880.

It was a look that balanced a sense of occasion with the bride’s tendency to favour an understated look – a 2m (6½ft) train seems relatively short for a cathedral wedding, but will still allow the bride to be seen.

 Personal touches such as the inclusion of the couple’s initials and wedding date on the centre-back of the veil demonstrated that they had “taken a great deal of care in planning the wedding, putting their own personal stamp on all the arrangements”, as per a statement issued by their spokesman in advance of the ceremony. 

For her ‘something blue’ the bride wore a pair of silk-velvet Silvia Lago bow-front heels, priced at £343 - they were visible beneath her skirt when she arrived thanks to a gust of wind. 

Payne was present for the bride’s arrival at Chester Cathedral, struggling to adjust her veil and train before she made her grand entrance. It gave onlookers a chance to see the back of the dress, too, complete with keyhole cut-out detail and scalloped lace trim. 

Until now, few public photographs have existed of Henson. In the couple’s engagement photo, released in April 2023, they were both dressed in decidedly casual clothing – he in a loose blue shirt, she in elasticated cotton trousers and an aqua rib-knit top. The night before the wedding, the bride-to-be was spotted attending a rehearsal at Chester Cathedral wearing a blue patterned dress and red clogs.

These glimpses showed that Henson is relaxed, and clearly not someone who is fixated by designer labels, latest trends or appearing “flash”, despite the fact that she is marrying one of the richest men in Britain. Indeed, even her engagement ring was hidden from view in their engagement portrait.

Still, given the great interest in the couple and their nuptials, several designers were mooted for the bridal commission of the year, including London Fashion Week names Erdem, Emilia Wickstead and Alice Temperley.

Yet it was Payne who secured the job. The bridal designer from Chorleywood studied at Central Saint Martins college before working for John Galliano in Paris and Levi Strauss in Brussels. She opened her first bridal boutique in 2010 in Knightsbridge, and now operates from a studio in Chelsea, from which she offers bespoke wedding dress design services. 

Payne describes her style as focused on the “elegance of vintage silhouettes and bias-cut styles” – indeed Henson’s dress features a bias-cut skirt and pleated waistband, with wide embroidered silk organza cuffs on the sleeves.

It was expected that the 31-year-old bride, who becomes the new Duchess of Westminster, might incorporate eco-friendly and sustainably sourced materials into her bridal look. She works for Belazu, a company which imports chef-quality, responsibly sourced ingredients, and both she and the Duke have expressed publicly their interest in supporting local businesses and recycling elements, such as the flowers, after their service. 

The use of vintage remnants from her great-great-grandmother’s veil played into this interest, while adding another layer of personalisation to the look. 

“Emma prides herself on offering an exceptional bespoke personal service, seeing each bride from their initial meeting to their wedding day,” a statement from the designer revealed of the process behind the look. “[She] involves the bride-to-be at every stage, from the initial sketch to selecting the fabrics and finishes, to ensure that each bride’s gown is everything that she wished it would be.”