Who wore our NADIA gown from the Rise Collection for her wedding day! Against the stunning backdrop of a coastal paradise, Nicole and her fiancé celebrated their nuptials in Athens, Greece. In the following interview, Nicole shares some of her favorite moments, details from her wedding, and her journey to becoming a GL Bride. As told by Nicole:
A moment of your wedding day will you never forget?
A peak moment for me was walking into the reception with my new husband and looking out to see the venue decor and all of our family and friends. It was an amazing feeling realizing that all of the hard work was over and I finally got to enjoy it.
One thing you wish you knew as a new bride? What advice would you give to future brides?
One thing I wish I knew was not to get hung up on little things. There are so so many decisions in the wedding process and being decisive and true to yourself and what you want is so important. Also, there are so many opinions online about what is “cool” and what is “not cool” it can be discouraging. I think everything is “cool” if it’s authentically you.
We had a Greek Orthodox wedding in Athens and there were many traditional Greek elements throughout the day that were really unique and meaningful for me. For example, my dad and I danced to a beautiful Greek song for our father-daughter dance and the whole dance was super different and special. It was one of my favorite moments.
I drove the Galia team crazy with my indecisiveness on a dress. But, my incredible style consultant Sandy, really understood my vision and helped me find Nadia. When I put it on, it was everything I had wanted in a gown. Later that day, when I saw a photo of me wearing Nadia, that’s when I knew. One tip is to look at the dress on you in a video or photo! Sometimes seeing yourself in the mirror after trying on a bunch of dresses can get your head scrambled.
How did it feel when you put on your dress the day of the wedding? What was everyone's reaction to the dress?
I was so excited to finally put on the dress that I had waited so long to wear. It was honestly emotional to wear it after the whole process of finding it and the fittings and then finally being in that moment was surreal. Everyone absolutely loved it and felt that it was completely and totally “me.”
I was absolutely obsessed with my train, but in the heat of the wedding day and the hecticness of everything, I didn’t get as many photos with the train down as I would have liked. Brides, always schedule more time for photos than you think you need!!
What was your favourite part of the wedding to plan/you were most looking forward to?
Planning a destination wedding can be difficult because you aren’t there to see everything in person, but I loved the design piece and deciding what everything would look like. Then seeing my vision come to life on that day was incredible.
How did you meet your husband? How did he propose?
I met my husband at a Greek philanthropy event. Our parents were already friends, so they introduced us. We joke to this day that it was an arranged Greek marriage! He proposed in Tampa outside at sunset with violinists, candles, and flowers. Super private and romantic, it was beautiful!
How did you find working with the team at Galia Lahav?
The Galia team is like family to me now! I already loved the designs, but my experience there is really what sold me. The warmth and care that went into each appointment made me feel like I was working with my girlfriends. My consultant Sandy is now a great friend of mine, eternally grateful for her. This process is more than buying a dress, it’s an emotional rollercoaster of a year, and the support I received was above and beyond a shopping experience.
How many dresses did you try on before you found it?
I think I actually broke the record for the number of appointments at Galia before deciding. I’m very indecisive by nature and had a hard time narrowing down my vision. I had to have tried on 15+ gowns before I chose Nadia. No regrets though! Don’t rush the process, it’s a big decision.
