Sofia Franklyn Is Having A “Surreal” Bridal Era

Sofia Franklyn doesn’t hate men anymore — at least, not all of them. In September, she announced her engagement, putting an official end to her single era. For those who weren’t regularly listening to her podcast, Sofia With an F, her post came as a bit of a shock. Up until that point, she’d only soft-launched her now-fiancé, whose name she’s still keeping private. But Franklyn knew early on that this relationship was something special.

They met in the late summer of 2024, after getting set up by a matchmaker. During their first date, Franklyn opened up about her favorite childhood book, The Missing Piece Meets the Big O by Shel Silverstein, which her mom used to read to her. “The book is basically about a missing piece trying to fit into these other shapes,” she says. “At the end of the book, it realizes it needs to learn to roll on its own before it can roll with someone else. It was my mom’s way of saying ‘Be independent, baby girl.’”

Franklyn realized this romance could be the real deal two days later, when he asked her if he could drop off a gift at her apartment in New York City before flying back to Europe. “I kind of tried to say no, but he was adamant about it. I thought, ‘Oh, my God, maybe he’s going to bring me a Cartier bracelet,’” Franklyn, 33, says. It was not Cartier. “He went to a bookstore and got me The Missing Piece Meets the Big O.”

Looking back on it all now, Franklyn can see clearly why this relationship was different from her previous experiences. Ahead of her summer wedding and November memoir release, she discusses her romance with her fiancé and teases what’s coming in her bridal era.

Elite Daily: Did you always know you wanted to get married someday?

Sofia Franklyn: I didn’t fantasize about marriage, but a part of me always knew that I ultimately wanted that.

ED: In the past, you’ve been very clear about not prioritizing men. What made you feel ready to put more effort into finding a partner?

SF: A lot of things: getting out of a long slew of unfulfilling relationships, wanting a family, and therapy. I worked on how I operate in relationships, my trust issues, my daddy issues. That was the No. 1 thing, and then meeting the right guy.

ED: What made you decide to try matchmaking?

SF: I was going through a breakup, and one of my close friends is a matchmaker. She said, “Let me sign you up.” She told me, “We vet these people and make sure that it’s a good fit,” whereas going on a dating app can be completely hit or miss. I was like, “Whatever, let’s do it.”

It’s similar to a close friend of yours setting you up on a blind date. I had an hourlong interview with them. They asked really detailed, in-depth questions to fill out my profile. Things like: “Are you looking for marriage or just fun? Do you want kids? How many would you want? How would you raise them?” It felt really good going on dates and knowing the guy wanted the same things.

ED: How many dates did you go on before meeting your now-fiancé?

SF: I signed up, and a few months later, they sent me on a date. I had the best time. But then I got back together with my ex, so I ghosted this incredible guy. They didn’t send me on a date for three years after that. I was like, “I’m a liability.” Three years later, they finally sent me on another date, and it was with my fiancé.

ED: How did you feel going into the date?

SF: I was like, “Oh, my God, I don’t want to get ready.” But I put music on. I had a tall glass of wine, and I wore a cute little ivory dress and little tiny heels, which I never wear. And a baby blue little Chanel bag. I didn’t even know about the “something blue” thing until I got engaged — I was manifesting without realizing it. Then, I remember my friend helping me get a stain out of my dress and sending me on my merry way.

ED: What was your first date like?

SF: We met at Fouquet’s [a French restaurant in Manhattan]. We were supposed to go to Casa Cipriani, but he’s international, and there was an issue with his membership. He told me about it, and I literally told my friend, “I don’t even know if I should go on the date.” I was like, “Does he want me to figure out a place to go?” That ended up not being the case.

ED: How did you feel leaving it?

SF: I knew that there was something different about him. I’m a hard sell. I go into everything like “I’m here to have fun. Maybe something ends up happening, but he’s going to have to put in a lot of work.” When I came back, my friend asked me if I was going to see him again. And I told her, “Yeah, I think I am.”

ED: Did he know who you were before meeting?

SF: He looked at my Instagram account, and he thought we wouldn’t get along. There is a stigma with influencers, and he’s really not a part of that world. I don’t know when he did the full Google search. I’m sure the second he got home from the first date. There are some dicey headlines, but I was just brutally honest out of the gate about it. It was never an issue.

After he proposed, he told me that he went with a round diamond because it’s the same shape as the one in The Missing Piece Meets the Big O.

ED: When you first started seeing each other, did you follow your own dating advice?

SF: The mindset was always and will always be: “Have fun. If it gets serious, let it, but don’t put a bunch of pressure on a first meeting.” This time, though, I did go into it knowing I wanted to settle down. I didn’t want it to just be fun the entire time. I wanted to date someone for the right reasons.

ED: Can you share any more details about the proposal? What were you thinking when you realized it was happening?

SF: We were on a road trip in Europe. The night before, he said, “I’m going to wear my cream linen suit tonight for dinner.” And I remember thinking to myself, “He’s legit going to propose tonight.” It didn’t end up happening.

The next day, we went to Provence for lunch, and he popped the question. I was so taken off-guard that when he opened the ring box, I thought it was a toy ring — it was way too shiny. I said something like “Stop joking. Stand up.” He had to convince me he was serious — that’s been a theme our whole relationship. Maybe it sounds weird, but I actually find it really romantic. It makes me feel so confident marrying him because I take a lot of convincing. I don’t really trust men, and he made me trust men again.

ED: Did he pick the ring himself?

SF: Yes. After he proposed, he told me that he went with a round diamond because it’s the same shape as the one in The Missing Piece Meets the Big O.

ED: Tell me more about your bridal era.

SF: After getting engaged, I remember going into my closet and wondering, “Can I not wear black anymore?” The first month or two afterwards, I would only wear cream. I was super paranoid about it, but the bridal era has been surreal.

ED: Can you share any wedding dress details?

SF: I won’t say the designer, but it’s an archival piece that is stunning. It’s the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen. It was worn at the Met Gala by an amazing celebrity.

ED: Looking back, what advice would you give your younger self about dating and relationships?

SF: Don’t put so much pressure on dates, and give yourself a f*cking break when you’ve gone on a string of bad dates. It’s cliché, but I am a firm believer that love will find you when you are working on yourself. Looking back, every single guy I dated, it was worth it. I learned so much about myself.

ED: What are you most looking forward to about married life?

SF: Being with my best friend all the time.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.