She was the eldest surviving child of John George I, Elector of Saxony, and Magdalene Sibylle of Prussia.

She married Landgrave Georg II of Hesse-Darmstadt on 1 April 1627 in Torgau, aged seventeen.

In the middle of Thirty Years' War their marriage was lavishly celebrated with the first opera in German language Dafne They had fifteen children; she raised them as strict Lutherans.

Sophie Eleonore showed huge interest in antiquarian books which she collected.

She had the following children with George II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt: Sophie Eleonore also suffered four miscarriages: none none