Introducing our gorgeous GL Bride Of The Week, Mary Rogers, who looked stunning in our Gale gown on her wedding day! With a romantic ceremony at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, Mary, and her fiancé, Angel exchanged their vows in the presence of their loved ones. In the following interview, Mary shares her journey to becoming a GL and the unforgettable moments from her wedding day. As told by Mary:
A moment of your wedding day will you never forget?
I will never forget when I saw Angel, my husband, with tears rolling down his face as I walked down the aisle in my gown. I took a moment to look at everyone there to celebrate our love in our piece of heaven, holding such a safe loving space. The feeling as I walked down the aisle by my father’s side, seeing our beautiful family and friends, with beating hearts, tears, and the brightest smiles I’ve ever seen. Filling our secret garden made it a literal dream.
One thing you wish you knew as a new bride? What advice would you give to future brides?
I wish it lasted longer. From the planning- to the getting ready- to my vows- to dancing the night away and hugging my favorite people. To go back in time and relive each beautiful moment is what I would wish for. To any future bride, my lovely advice would be to please just take a moment for yourself at your wedding to stand back and see how incredible the room is lighting up with love and joy for you and your special person. It truly is the most magical gift you’ll ever receive and you will never let that moment go.
I had a teddy bear made out of my step fathers favorite shirt. He had passed away a few months before my wedding and was dearly special to my world. The bear was made by an artist in England and she sewed that bear out of his favorite button-up jean shirt and stitched his favorite patch onto the back along with our special date/ a quote and our initials. My two little ring bearers walked the teddy bear down the aisle that held our rings. I had the extra material made into another bear for my mom. “A hug from heaven when you need it most.” A detail that will forever be close to my heart.
How did you know your dress was 'the one'?
When they say you know it’s the one, it is completely true. I didn’t believe it because I just fell in love with so many dresses. The key is just to have a wonderful time, don’t get too many opinions, and not to stress. When I put my Gale dress on, my heart was beating so fast (I didn’t know what was going on because I also started to sweat a little haha) It felt so right and my perfect kind of dreamy for who I am.
How did it feel when you put on your dress the day of the wedding? What was everyone's reaction to the dress?
The dreamiest. My dress and how the weekend/day unfolded made me feel like a princess. Galia Lahav exquisitely custom-made my dress to my body and I never wanted to take it off. My incredible photographer Liz and videographers Shore and Summit got the reaction of my girls seeing me in my gown for my first look, they’re faces and screams say it all. I instantly started to cry. What a beautiful moment a dress can carry for a lifetime.
I honestly would have extended the wedding longer. It was a standard number of hours for a wedding in the fall but we just had way too much fun for it to end.
What was your favorite part of the wedding to plan/you were most looking forward to?
My favorite part of the wedding was the attention to detail. I focused on what brought joy not only to our lives but to everyone that was attending the wedding and I incorporated moments of love for everyone. We had everything from my best friend’s mom as our officiant, who I’ve known since kindergarten. Rose quartz hearts as a symbolism of love for every guest to hold as we did a prayer.
Angel, my husband surprised me with a song, a dance with all the men and so much more. Thoughtful surprises throughout the wedding. Little details in all of the decorations to what we love in life- to things that honored his culture and mine. Butterflies released after our first kiss. Hora Loca, which means crazy hour, is celebrated in the Spanish culture where the last hour of the wedding gets a little wild as they surprised us with insanely talented samba dancers and everyone went crazy. As I reflect on everything this is what I would share- If you always remember the exciting joy of why you’re getting married to the love of your life, then every part of the wedding should be your favorite to plan.
How did you meet your husband? How did he propose?
I met my husband Angel in College. I was dating his friend, Jesus at the time and then Angel came along. We became best friends and fell in love. Jesus was completely okay with that and we all stayed friends. Mary, Angel and Jesus. Funny but true.
How did you find working with the team at Galia Lahav?
Having Galia Lahav by my side was a game-changer. From the moment I walked in, to the moment my dress was shipped out for my wedding I felt so comfortable and taken care of in a humble, beautiful way. I’ll never forget when I walked in for the first time, this sweet girl helped me look through all the dresses. It was just a fun experience all around, it really felt like playing dress up when I was younger. So effortless and so many smiles. Anything I had questions about or when it came down to custom making my Gale dress, they were sure to be efficient and professional.
How many dresses did you try on before you found it?
I tried on around 15+ dresses because I knew this was the one chance I got to try on so many gorgeous gowns, so why not enjoy your experience and play dress up?! But when I found my Gale dress, I woke up thinking about it every day. I remember standing there in my gown looking my friend straight in the eyes and I whispered “I can see myself marrying Angel in this dress.” I never said that out loud about any other dress. I’ll never forget that.
