Meet our GL Bride of the Week, Brenda, who enjoyed her special day in our Lady G and Bebe gowns. The wedding reception was held at The Estate at Florentine Gardens. Its tall glass windows, a view of the outdoor garden, and elegant interior with marble floors and golden accents stole Brenda’s heart instantly. In the following interview, Brenda reflects on her remarkable nuptials and journey to becoming a GL. As told by Brenda:
A moment of your wedding day will you never forget?
I will never forget our first dance to “Biblical” by Calum Scott. We had a live violinist perform on the dancefloor next to us while slow dancing. In that moment, I remember feeling so present with my husband and finally being able to take everything in.
One thing you wish you knew as a new bride? What advice would you give to future brides?
As a new bride, I didn’t truly understand the level of detail that goes into choosing floral arrangements which I’ve now come to appreciate – especially florists and all they do in bringing a bride’s vision to life. When I first met my florist (Tom at @fleurc0uture), like every bride, I showed him pictures I had saved and the inspo I had in mind. I didn’t realize the details/specifics that go beyond this. I learned the names of so many different florals, the ones I liked (or didn’t), the various display options, and most importantly, I learned how crucial it is to choose the right florist and be able to trust their craft.
A tip of advice I would give future brides is to take the wedding planning slow and savor every moment as a fiancé. I tackled 1-2 tasks every month or so throughout the span of a year, making the wedding planning less stressful and making it easier to balance my work/personal life.
My nationality is Aramean/Assyrian so I come from a culture with many traditions, especially when it comes to weddings. My husband was very open to incorporating my family’s traditions into our special day. For our ballroom entrance, we were escorted to the dancefloor by five traditional drummers who danced around us while we were in the middle of the circle. This really started the night off with sky-high energy and set the tone for the rest of the night.
Another tradition in my culture is starting the day extra early by inviting close family and friends to the house before the ceremony. During this time, we have drinks, food, and traditional Aramean/Turkish music to celebrate before being formally escorted to the ceremony.
When I found my dress, it was only the second bridal shop I had visited. I put several dresses into the dressing room that day. As soon as I wore the Galia Lahav ‘Lady G’ dress, I appreciated that it embodied my favorite aesthetic as a bride: elegant and clean-cut, yet also gave off a vintage vibe with its sleeve details and corset silhouette. I remember the manager working at the store referenced Cary Bradshaw from Sex and The City when I first tried it on and I was thinking, “Seriously?!”
I loved that the dress was ivory and didn’t have any embellishments, but was still so different/bold. I’ve always wanted to wear a ballgown for my wedding, so I added a petticoat underneath to make the silhouette a bit more dramatic. I knew this dress was ‘the one’ right when I saw the reactions of my mother and cousins as I walked out – and right there, I immediately said ‘yes’.
How did it feel when you put on your dress the day of the wedding? What was everyone's reaction to the dress?
I fell more and more in love with the dress each time I put it on at my bridal fittings. As cliche as it sounds, on the day of my wedding, I actually felt like a real life princess. My family and friend’s seemed to be in awe and their reactions were so genuine, making it that much more special.
To be completely transparent, I wouldn’t have changed or done anything differently. Of course, there was a lot of anxiety and stress leading up to the day of, but I remember waking up that morning feeling extremely calm and grateful. I started the day with the mindset, “whatever happens today, happens”. With this mindset, along with the help of hiring a day-of wedding coordinator, who’s basically there to make sure that everything runs smoothly (Kristen @welldressedevents), I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day!
What was your favorite part of the wedding to plan/you were most looking forward to?
I had the most fun picking out the intricate details that I felt had truly reflected the “regal and airy” vibe I was going for. I was consistent with using the same details/theme for my wedding invites, seating chart, and custom dinner menus. I also incorporated smaller details throughout the day, such as a pedal toss after the ceremony and personalized “his & hers” signature cocktail drinks. Staying consistent with the theme and working closely with one vendor for all of this made my life so much easier (shoutout to @creationari).
How did you meet your husband? How did he propose?
My husband and I met while being out one night in NYC. I was convinced I would never see him again but it seems we were truly destined to meet. The very next day, my maid-of-honor/best friend realized she had left her credit card at the restaurant the previous night and asked me to go back to the city to pick it up with her. My husband was living in Manhattan at the time and turns out, this was a local spot for him because he was there… again. He approached me by jokingly mentioning the odds of randomly bumping into someone in NYC two days in a row – and the rest is history.
My husband proposed to me in Dumbo, Brooklyn with the scenery of the Brooklyn Bridge behind us. This spot was special because not only was it right outside the restaurant where we had our first “real” date, but Brooklyn was a place where our love story truly unfolded. My husband had moved to Brooklyn from Manhattan for a year during the Covid pandemic. During this time, a lot of our early dates were spent exploring the streets and restaurants of Brooklyn, which is why it will always be a special place for us.
How did you find working with the team at Galia Lahav?
Although I would’ve ended up scheduling an appointment at the Galia Lahav store itself, I first visited Bridal Reflections in NYC during their Galia Lahav trunk show. I actually ended up purchasing two Galia Lahav dresses, the ‘Lady G’ gown, and the ‘Bebe’ dress for an afterparty vibe. Both of these dresses made a statement in ways that I felt reflected me as a person. During my bridal visits, the team at Bridal Reflections was very accommodating and helpful throughout the entire process.
How many dresses did you try on before you found it?
I would say I definitely tried on less than 10 dresses before finding ‘the one’. I had several more dresses in the dressing room that day but once I had tried on the ‘Lady G’, I knew it would be a waste of time to try on anything else. After only visiting two bridal stores, the search was immediately over. The ‘Lady G’ was everything I ever wanted and with a few tweaks, I truly felt like this dress was made for me.
