Bride Of The Week: Kristina Hartley
Written By Kaileah Searcy
March 31st, 2025
Meet our GL Bride, the beautiful Kristina Hartley! She wore not one but three of our gowns—Dove, Cherie, and Jay—on her wedding day. This is her wedding story:
"I am so grateful for the amazing Galia Lahav seamstress, who worked so hard to make this dress perfect!"
Despite growing up in the same hometown and going to the same high school, we never met until we attended a mutual friend’s high school graduation party in 2016. We went for our first date the night before I left for college in Germany and we both had no intention of a long-distance relationship. We spent many late nights on Facetime before pursuing a long-distance relationship for three years during college. We visited each other on school breaks and finally moved in together in 2019. We now live in Southern California with our Golden Retriever Poppy where Zach is a PhD student and Kristina works in higher education.
I was so lucky to have three stunning Galia Lahav gowns—Dove, Cherie, and Jay—and a gorgeous Galia Lahav veil for my wedding day. When I saw a viral TikTok featuring the Dove gown, I knew I wanted to go try it on in person. With one of my closest friends flying in from New Zealand to join me and my local bestie for dress shopping, shopping in LA was such a memorable and special experience. Trying on the Dove gown was magical; it felt just right for our black tie venue and had that timeless quality you dream of passing down to your daughter someday. It was perfect for our classic ceremony in the Mission Inn Chapel.
When I saw how the Cherie gown was styled in official videos online, it took my breath away! I loved the idea of the exposed boning detail, so I added a nude underskirt to enhance the contrast while maintaining the lightness and sheerness of the outer tulle. Honestly, this dress was my absolute favorite—it had just the right mix of edgy and princess. It was perfect for our first dance and reception, absolutely stunning. I am so grateful for the amazing Galia Lahav seamstress, who worked so hard to make this dress perfect!
"It was a day filled with a lot of love and special moments with people who traveled a very long way to celebrate with us."
Since all of my family are in Germany, we wanted a venue reminiscent of Europe. We tied the knot at the Mission Inn in Riverside, a beautiful historic hotel that reminds me so much of Germany and made us feel the European charm that I was missing. Keeping it close to home, our next-door neighbors had the special roles of flower girl and ring bearer. Family played a big part in our day; Kristina's mom crocheted the placemats and made the table numbers, while her aunt crafted the beautiful ring pillow with delicate embroidery. Bridesmaid Amanda's artistic touch shone through as she sketched the Mission Inn for our invitations and program.
Adding a personal touch, Zach's dad, who serves as a pastor in our hometown, officiated the ceremony, making it even more meaningful. And speaking of personal touches, Kristina and her sister/maid of honor baked the wedding cake from scratch. It was a day filled with a lot of love and special moments with people who traveled a very long way to celebrate with us.
"I was so lucky to have three stunning Galia Lahav gowns—Dove, Cherie, and Jay—and a gorgeous Galia Lahav veil for my wedding day."
Content creation @cupidcontentco
Bride @kristinaamandahartley
Photographer @sanfordcreative
Videographer @houseofhopefilms
Venue @missioninnhotel
Coordinator @classictouchevents
Gowns @galialahav
Bride Of The Week: Kristina Hartley
Written By Kaileah Searcy
March 31st, 2025
Meet our GL Bride, the beautiful Kristina Hartley! She wore not one but three of our gowns—Dove, Cherie, and Jay—on her wedding day. This is her wedding story:
"I am so grateful for the amazing Galia Lahav seamstress, who worked so hard to make this dress perfect!"
Despite growing up in the same hometown and going to the same high school, we never met until we attended a mutual friend’s high school graduation party in 2016. We went for our first date the night before I left for college in Germany and we both had no intention of a long-distance relationship. We spent many late nights on Facetime before pursuing a long-distance relationship for three years during college. We visited each other on school breaks and finally moved in together in 2019. We now live in Southern California with our Golden Retriever Poppy where Zach is a PhD student and Kristina works in higher education.
I was so lucky to have three stunning Galia Lahav gowns—Dove, Cherie, and Jay—and a gorgeous Galia Lahav veil for my wedding day. When I saw a viral TikTok featuring the Dove gown, I knew I wanted to go try it on in person. With one of my closest friends flying in from New Zealand to join me and my local bestie for dress shopping, shopping in LA was such a memorable and special experience. Trying on the Dove gown was magical; it felt just right for our black tie venue and had that timeless quality you dream of passing down to your daughter someday. It was perfect for our classic ceremony in the Mission Inn Chapel.
When I saw how the Cherie gown was styled in official videos online, it took my breath away! I loved the idea of the exposed boning detail, so I added a nude underskirt to enhance the contrast while maintaining the lightness and sheerness of the outer tulle. Honestly, this dress was my absolute favorite—it had just the right mix of edgy and princess. It was perfect for our first dance and reception, absolutely stunning. I am so grateful for the amazing Galia Lahav seamstress, who worked so hard to make this dress perfect!
"It was a day filled with a lot of love and special moments with people who traveled a very long way to celebrate with us."
Since all of my family are in Germany, we wanted a venue reminiscent of Europe. We tied the knot at the Mission Inn in Riverside, a beautiful historic hotel that reminds me so much of Germany and made us feel the European charm that I was missing. Keeping it close to home, our next-door neighbors had the special roles of flower girl and ring bearer. Family played a big part in our day; Kristina's mom crocheted the placemats and made the table numbers, while her aunt crafted the beautiful ring pillow with delicate embroidery. Bridesmaid Amanda's artistic touch shone through as she sketched the Mission Inn for our invitations and program.
Adding a personal touch, Zach's dad, who serves as a pastor in our hometown, officiated the ceremony, making it even more meaningful. And speaking of personal touches, Kristina and her sister/maid of honor baked the wedding cake from scratch. It was a day filled with a lot of love and special moments with people who traveled a very long way to celebrate with us.
"I was so lucky to have three stunning Galia Lahav gowns—Dove, Cherie, and Jay—and a gorgeous Galia Lahav veil for my wedding day."
Content creation @cupidcontentco
Bride @kristinaamandahartley
Photographer @sanfordcreative
Videographer @houseofhopefilms
Venue @missioninnhotel
Coordinator @classictouchevents
Gowns @galialahav