Mary Galstyan and Dr. Greg Khounganian first met at a mutual friend’s dinner party in April 2017. Neither were expecting to experience “love at first sight.”
“It’s true when they say love comes when you least expect it,” Mary shares. “His charming smile and my beauty were quite the once-in-a-lifetime acquaintance for the both of us. Our first impressions about each other and immediate chemistry was only something we hear about in movies and storybooks. Because we both are timid, it still gives me butterflies when I reminisce about the day we met. I tried my best not to lock eyes with him, and I paid very little attention to him that evening. I would notice his gaze across the patio and how he watched me from afar as I mingled with other guests.”
Later that evening, Greg looked Mary up on social media and sent her a message. After a few exchanges about how lovely it was to meet each other, Mary realized Greg was a complete gentleman.
“The next day he invited me out to dinner, and I kindly declined his offer,” she adds. “I was nervous and didn't want to jump on the invitation right away. I knew that this guy was the one – you just know. So I tried to take my time and do it right… my way. We continued to message each other and even exchanged phone numbers a week later. After a few weeks, Greg invited me to go to a U2 concert with him on March 20, and that's when I couldn't say no. We had a magical time under the stars and even shared our first kiss. Right then and there, we knew that we were going to be inseparable.”
"WE BOTH WERE HONORED TO HAVE TAKEN THIS BIG JOURNEY TOGETHER, AND WE ARE ALL IN."
Throughout their relationship, Mary and Greg enjoyed spoiling each other with concerts, extravagant dinners, lavish trips, and spontaneous gifts and flowers. Since surprises were the norm, Mary could never tell when Greg would propose, but always assumed it would be a dramatic announcement that involved help from her sisters. Instead, Greg surprised her with an unexpected plan. A day before Thanksgiving 2019, he showed up to Mary’s house with a massive box of red roses. The couple sat down on the sofa, Greg pulled out the ring box, and proposed. It was something Mary describes as “the most genuine, sincerest, and sweetest moment of our lives.”
Mary and Greg originally planned to host an intimate destination wedding in Lake Como, Italy, followed by a honeymoon traveling through Europe. After COVID-19 hit, however, both events were cancelled until the couple found a local wedding venue for their September 20, 2020 nuptials. With Aliana Events and Celio’s Designs at the helm of the wedding planning and design process, the magic of Italy was recreated at Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu, California.
The wedding décor included white roses, romantic tablescapes, and a beautifully lit ambiance. Catering was provided by Lady Bug, along with custom cocktails from Crystal Bartenders. As gelato lovers, the bride and groom made sure plenty of ice cream was served alongside a wedding cake from the Butter End, and guests enjoyed themselves while dining beneath chandeliers and a summer night’s sky.
“We were both delighted, thrilled, and just full of bliss on our day,” says the bride. “We were so excited that it was finally here and that we made it happen. That morning, we exchanged our book of vows and we couldn't stop saying, ‘I love you.’ Every moment was so precious, and it went by so fast. Our hearts were full of so much love and joy.
We were so grateful to be able to spend it with our closest friends and family. Our favorite moments were keeping our eyes locked the entire time when I walked down the aisle and having the string quartet play ‘Viva la Vida’ as soon as we said, ‘I do.’ Every song and detail on our wedding day was a piece of who we are and what we loved. Our first dance was beyond magical, and we wouldn't have had it any other way. We both cried, and we were so happy for each other. We both were honored to have taken this big journey together, and we are all in.”
For their honeymoon, the newlyweds stayed at Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Los Cabos, Mexico for a relaxing week of private dinners, fireworks, and horseback riding along the shore.
WEDDING TALENT
Event Design & Production: Aliana Events, Los Angeles, CA; Cinematography: Maksud Sharipov: Honeymoon: Las Ventanas al Paraiso, A Rosewood Resort, Los Cabos, Mexico
