Bride Of The Week: Kelsey Zubkoff

#GLBride

Written By Kaileah Searcy

February 18, 2024

Kelsey Zubkoff's Coastal Wedding

This week's GL Bride is the lovely Kelsey Zubkoff, who made it official in our custom G-104 gown! Surrounded by family and friends, Kelsey and her fiancé celebrated their nuptials at the beautiful Secrets Puerto Los Cabos Golf & Spa Resort. In the following interview, Kelsey shares her love story and how she found the dress of her dreams.

"I knew from the moment I put on the dress it was the one."

Kelsey

How did you meet your husband? How did he propose?

Kelsey and Andy met using an online dating application called Hinge - funny enough - the application's tagline is "Designed to be Deleted." Their first date was watching RedZone Fantasy Football on a perfect Sunday in Chicago, IL. After their first date, Kelsey called her friends crying because she knew something special was there with Andy. The rest is history - and Hinge was deleted eventually!

Andy planned Kelsey the picture-perfect proposal at the home that they own together in Phoenix, AZ. Andy involved Kelsey's MOHs, Anna and Christine, to execute the perfect plan.
On the morning of the big day, they made sure Kelsey got out of the house with her favorite things: her friends, sushi, and shopping.

They arranged for Kelsey to have her hair done at the W Spa before the big moment. When she arrived to the spa, Kelsey was greeted with a tray of Diet Coke and was handed two cards. One card was from her future fiancé, Andy, and one from her Maid of Honors, Anna & Christine. It was in the card from Anna and Christine that Kelsey learned the next stop was back at their home in Phoenix.

When Kelsey arrived back home, the house had been transformed into a romantic scene with flower petals, candles, roses upon roses, and big marquee letters saying MARRY ME guiding her to her dream man Andy! He got down on one knee and asked his dream girl Kelsey to marry him.

How did you know your dress was 'the one'?

We went dress shopping at Destiny’s Bride, intentionally, because it was the only store in Arizona that carries Galia Lahav. One of my bridesmaids booked the appointment as a fun activity to do the day after my engagement party - and with a bridal party of 12… it was one of the only moments we’d all be in the same state together until the Bachelorette Party or the Wedding!

I walked in and we were instantly greeted with champagne! I showed Karysma, my associate at Destiny’s Bridal, my Dream Gown - The Fleur and she instantly had everyone in my bridal party pick out one dress and she picked the G-104 for me based on what I showed her.

I still remember it like it was yesterday, but I knew from the moment I put on the dress it was the one. I put the dress on and instantly was in love… when I walked out to show my bridal party of 12 no one said a single word… when a dress can make 12 of my closest friends speechless…. It was the one!

"I absolutely loved every single custom detail on my dress!"

Kelsey

How did it feel when you put on your dress the day of the wedding? What was everyone's reaction to the dress?

We had so many alteration appointments I knew the dress was perfect, so I was excited to get in it! It felt like perfection from the moment I put it on - I absolutely loved every single custom detail on my dress and there is NOTHING I would change!

During the wedding planning process my dress was ordered in September 2022 and I was not married until November 2023 - I ended up losing a lot of weight and my alterations had to take about 7 inches off the dress.

So it was really special to me that we got every single detail right and it honestly felt like a whole new dress - so I was really excited for the big reveal. We also added a lot of custom details to make it a one-of-one - such as the Swarovski detail down the front an homage to my original dream dress at Galia - the Fleur!! Everyone loved each detail on the dress. We also added the leftover flowers onto the matching veil, anywhere we could use from the original dress we did!

As a former wedding photographer, I wanted a special moment revealing the dress to each group of people. So, OF COURSE, in true Kelsey Extra Fashion, I had 5 first looks planned that morning! I did one with my bridesmaids, my bridesmen, my mom and my stepdad, my dad and brother, and then with my husband.

A detail that made your wedding special/unique?

We were all about the details at my wedding. Each day had a dress code for my guests - which I think made everything feel so cohesive (and easier to pack right?).

First, we made sure to incorporate our dog Rudy into the wedding as the signature drink beginning at the welcome party, in our fun fact napkins, drink stirrers, and of course the cake topper! Also, my iconic wedding planner really incorporated a lot of special things that were just true to us, about 25 Taylor Swift references, from the seating chart to the thank you note at everyone’s seat. She even incorporated my love for fashion in the flat lays bringing Vogue Magazines to match the vibes! However, one of my favorite details was the custom bar sign with a Legally Blonde reference - as a female attorney, I absolutely loved this detail!!

"It felt like perfection from the moment I put it on - there is NOTHING I would change!"

Kelsey

Credits