Bride Of The Week: Sofia
Written By Kaileah Christine
September 22, 2023
Meet Sofia, our stunning GL Bride of The Week, who graced her wedding day in the glamorous Almaz gown from the Shine Collection. The magical venue of the Hummingbird Nest in Santa Susana, CA, provided the perfect backdrop for her dreamy, romantic wedding. In the following interview, Sofia shares how she made her wedding day special and the journey to finding her dream dress with us. As told by Sofia:
"I felt like a queen in my dress"
How did you meet your husband? How did he propose?
It all started under the stars, in a parking lot no less, at a Jack in the Box on Sunset Blvd back in 2013. Fate was up to some magical things that night because Grigor and I crossed paths, thanks to our mutual friend, Sergey. I felt this inexplicable familiarity, as though we had shared lifetimes together. Fast forward through shared dreams and endless talks, we found ourselves crushing on each other while going to the same college. The rest is history!
The proposal was so intimate and perfect! After months of planning and postponements since Valentine's Day of 2021, Grigor and I finally decided on a day for our long-awaited beach outing, which surprisingly fell on Cinco De Mayo, May 5th. Feeling a bit under the weather and unsure of what to expect, I sensed hints that this might be the day he'd propose. My heart raced as we drove to Balboa Beach, his attire and behavior fueling my anticipation. He reversed into the parking spot when we arrived at the beach, and my heart was racing. He took out a black bandana and told me to put it over my eyes.
At this point, it was very clear to me that it was THE moment. I bursted “I’m nervous,” and he responded, “me too,” as our hearts were pounding! Blindfolded, he led me up a sandy hill and told me to take off the blindfold. As he knelt before me with a ring box, my gaze locked onto him; only minutes later did I notice the massive “MARRY ME" sign and a beautiful picnic setup to our left. He asked “Sof, Will you marry me?” My heart overflowed with joy, and I let out a resounding "Of course!”. With his heartfelt words, we celebrated with champagne, the culmination of a meticulously planned surprise. We spent some time sharing the news with family on FaceTime, turning our postponed beach day into an enchanting Cinco De Mayo proposal to forever cherish.
How did you find working with the team at Galia Lahav, and how did you know your dress was 'the one'?
The team at Galia Lahav was so welcoming and professional! Anthony assisted me at the beautiful Beverly Hills location. He was such a sweetheart and so easy to work with. Anthony effortlessly helped me try on all of the dresses I wanted to and happily answered any questions that me or my family had.
"...I was in absolute awe."
How did it feel when you put on your dress the day of the wedding? What was everyone's reaction to the dress?
I need to be honest, getting into the corset part of this dress is a squeeze! I’ve never worn corsets before, so I’m definitely not used to tightness like that, but to wear it for this one glorious day, it was well worth it, and I would do it again! I love the support of the bodysuit, and that the skirt of the dress has sheer dimensions that show the silhouette of my legs in certain lighting.
The lace and embellishments on the dress are so intricate, delicate, and perfectly shape the body. I felt like a queen in my dress, and when I finally got the chance to glance at myself in the mirror after I put it on, I was in absolute awe. Needless to say, it was one of the greatest talking points of the whole day. Everyone kept coming up to me and talking about how breathtaking the dress is! It was without a doubt my dream dress.
A detail that made your wedding special/unique?
There was a lot of thought put into the whole wedding from start to finish with details that made it unique to us. One being the wedding favors and personalized place cards. We decided to create little dollar lotto scratcher favors with a thank you coin in each paper packet to make it a fun activity and game to play. This is also a homage to family members who passed away that loved scratchers and casinos. The personalized place cards were these lovely leather coasters that were patterned like natural wood and laser engraved by my father with each guest's first name.
I really wanted the favors to be something that guests could use at home and remember the celebration we all shared. Speaking of homage, I was looking for ways to represent the loved ones we recently lost in memoriam in a private yet meaningful way. I recently lost my uncle and grandfather, and my husband lost his grandmother and father. Some really tough and painful losses. I found this precious locket with a pearl pin on Etsy and ordered one for each of us and presented his to him right before our ceremony. I pinned it to the inside of his tuxedo jacket; my hands were shaking so hard, and I pinned mine to my wedding bouquet. It was a really special and gentle way to have our loved ones that passed close to our hearts while we walked down the aisle.
"It was without a doubt my dream dress."
Bride | @sozimusic
Florist | Events & Floral by Sammy (@eventsbysammyla)
Hair | Mike Manukyan (@mike_hairstylist)
Makeup | Shay Zeinali (@shay_zeinali)
Officiant | Shahrzad Ardalan
Photographer | Vova Chi Photography (@vovachiphotography)
Videography | Lux Films (@luxfilmswedding)
Planner | Modern LA Weddings (@modernlaweddings)
Rentals | A Rental Connection (@arentalconnection)
Catering | Anoush Catering (@anoushcatering)
DJ | DJ Jay (@djjay)
Venue | Hummingbird Nest (@hummingbirdnestevents)
Suit | Giorgio Armani