A moment of your wedding day will you never forget?
Turning the corner to walk down the aisle and meet my handsome husband, Chris! I remember all of the nerves I felt approaching the final stretch of the aisle while clenching my dad’s arm in mine. The moment I saw Chris in his white jacket, every single nerve floated away. All at once, I saw the most enchanting ceremony of my dreams come to life and my now husband at the altar waiting to receive me. It’s a magical memory that I’ll treasure forever.
One thing you wish you knew as a new bride? What advice would you give to future brides?
As a bride who does all the research, and has previously served as a maid of honor, bridesmaid and unofficial bridesmaid at many weddings (I have 11 bridesmaid dresses!) I actually don’t think I had many surprises along the way other than the $$ investment it would require to bring my vision to life, ha! I knew that weddings cost quite a bit in 2023, but I still couldn’t have anticipated how quickly it all adds up!
My advice to future brides – do what’s best for you & your lifetime partner to be! I received so much advice about what was worth spending on and what was a waste. I really appreciate that Chris and I committed to all of the things that were significant to us! It didn’t have to make sense to anyone else and it was worth every penny!
A detail that made your wedding special/unique?
I really enjoyed Pasha, our live event painter! He provided us with a gorgeous and high quality work of art that captured the energy of our first dance in the most beautiful way. It was also special to see our guests walking over and adding to the painting throughout the night. He was easily a fan favorite and a detail of the night I won’t forget.
How did you know your dress was 'the one'?
I’ve been a fan of Galia Lahav for several years and have explored all of the styles, knowing one day I would sport one of my own on my wedding day! Something about the mix between ethereal and sexy made me choose G-104 well before I went dress shopping. When I found out GL was having a trunk show at Ivory Bridal in Houston – I took the time to try on many GL styles and still came back to G-104. My mom, mother-in-law and sisters joined me for dress shopping and unanimously agreed that it was THE ONE – tears included.
How did it feel when you put on your dress the day of the wedding? What was everyone's reaction to the dress?
I shared a private moment with my big sisters, Quiana and Ashley, in the bride’s bathroom at our venue to step into my wedding dress on my wedding day. It’s a little funny thinking back on it because my sisters were behind me to zip me up and I heard Ashley scream, “OH MY GOSH,” and I turned around thinking something was wrong with the dress! There wasn’t, ha!
When I looked over my shoulder, both her and Quiana had both burst into tears and Ashley said, “I’m sorry it just hit me, you’re getting married!” I had to exit the bathroom before I joined in their crying fit and ruined my makeup! As I exited the bathroom I saw my mom, my husband’s grandmother, my nieces, then eventually the rest of the bridal party and felt overwhelmed with love from their emotional reactions!
Chris and I didn’t prefer to do a first look, but I did a first reveal with my dad! I am such a daddy’s girl and seeing him grin from ear to ear, and showing all of his teeth, made my heart explode. I remembered every father-daughter dance and special moment we’ve shared throughout my life that lead to this most special walk together.
When I saw Chris for the first time walking down the aisle, he was very emotional and it was so sweet (Clearly, our families don’t mind a good cry, ha!). There are actually a few photos in our wedding album of our officiant helping him stand as I approached them! Needless to say, not a single reaction to this dress disappointed me!
Would you have done anything differently?
Nope! I hope that all brides get to feel the level of gratitude, love, and satisfaction regarding their most magical day as I have – still floating even months later. Chris and I could not have dreamt of a more beautiful day filled with our loved ones, good music, and endless dancing (&drinks!). There were so many fireworks, literally and figuratively!
What was your favourite part of the wedding to plan/you were most looking forward to?
The decor, hands down, was my favorite part of the wedding to plan! I came to the first decor consultation with a fully established layout. I am definitely the bride that knows what she wants, ha! I wanted to have a balance of luxury and raw nature elements. Some of my favorite spaces to reflect that were the grand chandelier hanging from the tree at the altar, and the floating florals and chandeliers over the checkered reception dance floor.
The entire night felt like an enchanted fairytale and that’s exactly what we were going for! The part of the wedding we most looked forward to was probably the food! Even though we were told by several people that the bride and groom hardly eat, food is so important to us. Trying new restaurants and cuisine has been a staple of our relationship. Cafe Natalie worked with us to put together a flavorful and unique menu our guests made several comments about enjoying! Rumor has it, all of my guests are still craving their butternut squash risotto!
How did you meet your husband? How did he propose?
We met in high school! One of my closest friends in high school grew up with Chris in
church, and it became common for all of us to hang together but Chris and I never dated. We would remain just friends for a decade before Chris asked me on our first date in 2019. We had a patient start, wanting to preserve our friendship, but with the onset of the quarantine in 2020 our romance took off pretty quickly!
Chris asked me to attend a birthday dinner for one of his friends (an event that never
existed, ha) at an upscale Houston restaurant called Brenner’s on the Bayou. When we
arrived he claimed that we arrived before anyone else and asked if I wanted to spend the wait near the outdoor fountain and bridge. It was a very picturesque spot! He had a
photographer hidden and a few close family members watching from the private room in
the upstairs interior of the restaurant while he popped the question! Chris has always been good at creating fairytale moments and this was no different. The easiest ‘YES’ in my life.
How did you find working with the team at Galia Lahav?
I had a wonderful experience from the moment I tried on my first trunk show dress to the moment my handcrafted G-104 was placed in my hands! I actually went an hour over my
original appointment and the associates were so patient and found a new space for me to
continue trying on different dresses once my appointment was over. I’m not sure what the occasion will be, but I hope to find a reason to work with Galia Lahav again in the future!
How many dresses did you try on before you found it?
Technically, one. As I mentioned before, I knew exactly which gown I was looking for when I went dress shopping. Although I likely tried on about 2 dozen styles, all Galia Lahav, I still decided on my perfect dress!
