Friend of a Friend w/ Gabriella Gofis
I couldn't think of a better first guest to spill the tea on her wedding planning process than 2025 bride Gabriella Gofis ~ a lifestyle content creator with impeccable taste
Friend of a Friend is a new series where we sit down with wedding industry tastemakers & our newly engaged community to share a behind the scenes look - from what’s inspiring them, fresh perspectives, insights & more. We’re diving in.
We couldn’t think of a better first guest than Gabriella Gofis - a trusted voice known for her chÃc style & thoughtful recommendations. She’s also a 2025 bride! In our conversation, we dive into her planning journey, what she’s inspired by, and of course… all things bridal fashion.
Hi! So excited to have you here! Can you share more about yourself?
Hello!! Thank you for having me- I’m honored! I’m Gabriella! I write a fashion and lifestyle Substack named Gift of Gabs and create content on IG, TikTok and Youtube. I’m also the Marketing Director at Starling, a fine jewelry brand based in LA. I’m originally from Chicago and moved to LA around 8 years ago.
Tell us how you & your fiancé met!
We met in college at Indiana University! We were friends all of college and then started dating a month before graduation, which at the time seemed crazy of us! He was moving back to Los Angeles, and I was heading back to Chicago. I ended up moving to LA six months later for an internship and never left! Here we are!!
How has the wedding planning process been for you? Especially with a shorter engagement!
Honestly, the planning process was tough at first. I felt like nothing was clicking and I found it extremely hard to find a venue that felt perfect for us. Once we hired our planner, Nicole Arena, everything started falling into place and my perfect venue was chosen! I can be indecisive, but extremely particular, so that made some of the big decisions a little tough. Once we got that out of the way, it’s been smooth sailing! It’s now onto the finer details.
Did you have an idea of what kind of wedding you wanted?
I thought I did! I don’t think I had one perfect idea, but definitely a direction. And we ended up going in a very different direction, which just felt right!
Describe the overall vision for your wedding weekend. Where are you pulling inspiration from?
I’m going to gatekeep my vision a little longer! But here are some things that I LOVE ~
I know you searched high and low for a venue. What kind of venue were you drawn to most? What type of locations were you looking at?
I was very very drawn to beautiful and lush grounds, architecture, and very classic restaurants! We were looking a lot in Santa Barbara and really loved the private estates we toured - they were so gorgeous! If we had decided to get married in Greece, which was our top destination contender, I fell in love with Sinterina Estate.
What drew you to your photographer's work?
I was really looking for documentary meets editorial meets organic photography. I didn’t want anything to feel too serious or too trendy. I just wanted the day to feel perfectly captured, and I looked for that essence when researching photographers. I also love the warmth of film so I knew I wanted to have a lot of that involved!
You have such impeccable style that feels so effortless, cool & casual – how would you describe your bridal style? What brands are catching your eye? I assume we will be seeing multiple looks on you throughout the weekend!
Thank you so much!! I definitely gravitate toward 90’s silhouettes and looks. A lot of my bridal wardrobe boards are 90’s runway gowns and very, very classic silhouettes... I really love incorporating vintage pieces in my everyday personal style, so I’m really hoping to incorporate some vintage in my wedding weekend looks! Here are a couple try on’s from LEIN and TAB Vintage!
We had the best time taking on NYBFW, what were the highlights for you? Favorite designers you saw?
We truly had the best time!! It was always a dream of mine to attend NYBFW. I talked about it a little here on my substack recap. My favorite was definitely LEIN, I adore their team and Meredith, LEIN’s founder is so impressive. I absolutely love what she is doing and appreciate her point of view and what the brand is offering to the bridal market and beyond.
For other brides-to be reading this, any advice or tips on the planning process? Anything you wish you would have known going into it?
Personally, I wish I would have started doing research earlier! There’s so much to know and learn especially if you are someone who obsesses over details. With that being said, there’s only so much you can control and perfect, so try your best to remember the day is about celebrating your love with everyone that matters most and it is going to be amazing! Go with your gut!
How have you used TFC in your planning process?
I reached out to TFC Concierge, managed by TFC’s founder Jaleigh, early on before I finalized vendors and was truly SO impressed by the service. The understanding, detail, and genuine excitement made me feel so at ease. I felt like I was making strides with vendor research and that someone really understood what I was looking for and matching me with the best possible options! They gave me a discount code GAB50 to share for anyone who needs wedding recs & inspo!!
This was such a fun convo. Thanks to Gab for joining us! Stay tuned for next week’s guest & comment who you’d like to see here!
 | A guest post by
|
Love your bridal aesthetic Gabs! Such a fun read