Fashion

#ÉLYSÉERealBride: Kyla + Gunnar

6 July 2024 | A Tennessee Summer Wedding

Share your love story with us

"Our love story is anything but ordinary. The only explanation as to how our paths crossed is God. I was born and raised in Durban, South Africa. My husband, Gunnar, was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In 2020, during the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, I was given the opportunity to swim at Carson Newman University in Jefferson City, Tennessee. After my first year, I felt incredibly homesick, and I was deciding whether or not staying in America for the rest of my college years was the right decision for me. Thankfully, I chose to stay and continue my journey at Carson Newman. At this same time, Gunnar was deciding whether he would stay for a 5th year at Carson Newman to complete his Master's and play one more year of college baseball. Thankfully, he chose to stay. That next year, I happened to catch his eye in the school cafeteria. After building up some courage, he reached out to me over Instagram and we started talking. I was leaving to go home to South Africa from Thanksgiving break until the start of the next semester in January. Despite not being able to meet, Gunnar was determined to get to know me while I was away. With a 6 hour time difference, we texted and called whenever we were able to throughout each day. When I finally came back to America, we went on our first date and the rest is history. He flew with me to South Africa to meet my family and see where I grew up. He proposed to me at the end of my Junior year, while my parents were visiting America. A year later, we got married after I graduated, and I moved to Chattanooga where his family embraced me and welcomed me with open arms. I feel beyond blessed to have met my best friend and husband, and I thank God for writing this amazing story of ours."

>> Gown featured above & left // VESPER | 2024 ÉLYSÉE Collection <<

Why did you choose VESPER to be your wedding gown?

"I envisioned a dress that would be elegant and classic and something I would feel my absolute best in. At the time, I was in America studying and tried on dresses at multiple boutiques, but I just wasn’t having any luck. Over the summer, I went back to South Africa to visit my family and stumbled across a bridal store, A'mour Bridal Boutique. Again I tried on several dresses, but just didn’t feel like any of them were right. Amy, my consultant, was incredible and said that there was a new collection coming out and she had the perfect dress in mind for me. Somehow she managed to get her hands on the “sample dresses” and I was able to try them on before I had to fly back to America. Amazingly, I fell in love with the VESPER dress and bought it that day. My dress was in South Africa with my parents and they brought it to America where I had my alterations done at Fairy Godmother Tailoring leading up to the wedding. Like myself, my dress traveled many, many miles to make it to the wedding!"

>> Gown featured above & right // VESPER | 2024 ÉLYSÉE Collection <<

credits