Victoria Garrick incorporated Greek traditions from her family into her California wedding

• Victoria Garrick Browne and Max Browne got married in Monarch Beach, California, on Saturday.
• They incorporated Garrick Browne's Greek heritage into the wedding.

As Victoria Garrick Browne and Max Browne planned their wedding, they knew they wanted to blend tradition and modernity.

Garrick Browne, 25, is a Ted Talk speaker, founder of the "Hidden Opponent," and content creator, and Browne, 27, is a football analyst and broadcaster for PAC12 Networks, as well as a real-estate broker.

They met as student athletes at the University of Southern California in 2015. As Garrick Browne told Insider, Browne had a crush on her immediately, but she needed more time to realize there was something more than friendship between them.

"It took me about a year to realize I had friend-zoned my husband," she said.

Browne proposed six years after they started dating, popping the question on August 20, 2021.

They planned their wedding for almost exactly a year later on August 13, 2022, at The Waldorf Astoria in Monarch Beach, California, with the help of Lisa Gorjestani of Details Event Planning. Rebecca Yale Photography photographed the day, and Mark's Garden provided flowers for the event.

Garrick Browne described the wedding as "traditional elegance with a fun, modern twist." For her, a traditional wedding had to include elements of her Greek heritage, as her grandmother, who she calls Yia Yia, is 100% Greek.

To set the tone for their guests, Garrick Browne and Browne included a Koufeta in their guests' welcome bags, which is an odd number of candies that symbolizes two married people becoming one, as she told Insider.

And although they didn't get married in a Greek Orthodox Church, Garrick Browne and Browne had a traditional Stefana during their ceremony.

"It's a moment during your wedding ceremony where you are crowned, and symbolizes that you'll be the king and queen of your household," Garrick Browne said of a Stefana.

For the Stefana, Garrick Browne and Browne used the same heirloom crowns that both her parents and grandparents used during their weddings.

"These crowns are in their third generation, and they have blessed two lifelong marriages," she said, adding that it was an honor to use them.

Browne's brother also did a reading from the Bible during the ceremony to incorporate his religious upbringing, and the couple said personal vows to each other.

"I'm a hopeless romantic. I love love," Garrick Browne said of why it was important to her to say personal vows. "I have always dreamed of that moment."

To balance the traditional elements of the ceremony, Garrick Browne wore a modern dress from Galia Lahav.

The Imperia ball gown is completely satin, featuring an architectural strapless neckline with a statement bow on the back. She paired the simple but stunning dress with a statement veil and hair done by Bradley Leake and makeup by Chloe Rose.

Her jewelry, including her wedding ring, was from Happy Jewelers, and her bridesmaids wore Jenny Yoo dresses from Bella Bridesmaids.

Browne wore a Zegna tuxedo from Bloomingdales.

The couple also included Greek dancing in their wedding reception, with Garrick Browne's Yia Yia providing the DJ with a list of songs.

The reception had the fun Garrick Browne and Browne wanted to be front and center on their wedding day, including an introduction of the bridal parties as starting lineups, nodding to their athletic pasts.

Garrick Browne is also a big Taylor Swift fan — a TikTok of her singing "Wildest Dreams - Taylor's Version" to Browne has 15.5 million views — so she added a few subtle nods to the singer throughout the day, including their wedding date, the 13th, which is Swift's lucky number, and their first dance to "Lover."

Their first dance kicked off the celebration, and it was choreographed by "Dancing with the Stars" dancers Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov.

Although the fun, flashy elements of the day were certainly highlights for Garrick Browne, the moments she got to really feel her connection with Browne were her favorite.

For instance, it's Browne and Garrick Browne's morning routine for him to give her a big hug when she wakes up. Their wedding day was no exception, so he came to her bridal suite to hug her before she started getting ready for the day.

They also sat at a sweetheart table for dinner, allowing them to have intimate time together despite the people all around them. They ensured their wedding day reflected how much they love being together.

"Max is my best friend," Garrick Browne said. "I want to do everything with him. I have the most fun with him."

"I could not be more excited to get to be with him, my best friend, every day from here on out," she added.