To the news portal Žmonės.lt Gabriela recounted that fate had brought her and Dominik together even earlier, and their paths finally crossed two years ago.
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“Dominik saw me for the first time quite unexpectedly when I was walking from work to the shop during my lunch break to buy something tasty. The most interesting thing is that we had lived quite close to each other our whole lives, and later it turned out that our paths had crossed even in childhood. Only then, it seems, we were too young to understand that fate was already quietly writing our story. That time I was with friends, and one of them was an acquaintance of Dominik. From then on, as he himself says, his search began; he tried to find me through mutual friends, asked around, looked on social networks, but at that time he didn’t succeed. Perhaps he was a little disappointed and let me go from his thoughts for a while. After some time, fate “threw” us at each other again. While driving, he saw me leaving home. At that time, my Instagram name was stuck on my car, as was fashionable then. Dominik noticed it and, although he pondered for a while whether to write, he finally dared. That’s how we met. After chatting for a few days, we decided to meet, just to talk. And that simple conversation turned into a three-hour meeting that flew by so easily, as if we had known each other for a long time. I remember thinking then: “Wow, can it still be this simple and good with someone?” – Gabriela told Žmonės.lt.
The couple got engaged last year on November 9th, in the city of love – Paris. Truth be told, Gabriela didn’t hide that deep down, she had a feeling that a fateful question might be awaiting her.
“My birthday is on October 28th, Dominik surprised me and gave me a trip to Paris. At first, I really suspected nothing, but later thoughts started coming in waves; I would calm down, then think again: “What if…?” In short, there were suspicions, but they kept changing with attempts to convince myself that maybe it was just a nice birthday gift,” the interviewee recounted with a smile.
The special beginning of a new life stage took place in one of the most beautiful places in Paris, and the moment her beloved knelt down was like a scene from a movie.
“Upon arriving in Paris, it was incredibly good and beautiful. The Eiffel Tower shone so impressively, and Dominik found a very beautiful spot. There he began to tell me tender words, how much he loved me, what I meant to him. And at that very moment, the Eiffel Tower itself sparkled. People around started shouting: “You can do it! You can do it!”, and the whole moment became even more incredible. Then Dominik knelt on one knee and uttered that fateful question: “Will you be mine forever?” I cried the whole time, from excitement I barely even saw what was happening around me. But inside I was completely sure: I want to spend my whole life with this man. Therefore, my answer was very firm: YES! After this beautiful moment, we went to eat right by the Eiffel Tower and quietly celebrated one of the most beautiful days of our lives,” she said.
Gabriela and Dominik were sent off into married life by their closest friends. On her bachelorette party day, the woman had to overcome several challenges, but this didn’t scare her; on the contrary, it drew her even more into the festive mood.
“My friends had come up with all sorts of games and tasks. One of them was to approach a stranger, give them a lollipop or soap bubbles, and say a wish. At first, it seemed like a small challenge, but in reality, this experience greatly encouraged me. I realized that sometimes you don’t need to think or be afraid so much; you just need to go and do it. For that, I am very grateful to my friends. We ended the evening at a karaoke bar. I didn’t guess where we were going until the very end, so the feeling of surprise remained until the last moment,” she recounted.
Dominik enjoyed a cozy get-together with friends: “The bachelor party also passed cozily and fun. The guys went bowling, later had a delicious meal, and walked around the city. Since some hadn’t seen each other in a long time, it was very good for everyone to just be together, talk, and spend quality time.”
The idea to get married in June arose not only because of the beautiful date but also because this month marks another special occasion.
“We had chosen this date a long time ago because it seems very beautiful and symbolic to us. Moreover, June holds special significance for us; it’s when we celebrate our two-year friendship anniversary. We wanted the wedding to take place at a time that is already important to our story. It seemed very beautiful to connect our love anniversary with the beginning of a new life stage,” the artist mentioned to Žmonės.lt.
The couple decided to register their marriage in the capital. According to the woman, this city is connected to their lives and love, so they didn’t even consider other options for the wedding.
“Vilnius is a very close and important city to us: we were born here, grew up here, and our story began here. Therefore, we naturally felt that this is where we wanted to immortalize our love. Vilnius is not just a city to us; it’s our home, a place that holds many beautiful memories, so we couldn’t even imagine another location for our wedding,” the artist recounted with a smile.
After the wedding ceremony, the newlyweds and 70 guests will move to a homestead near Vilnius.
“We will hold the wedding celebration at a homestead located near Vilnius. Choosing the location was both difficult and easy at the same time; we had a certain vision of the environment we wanted, so we looked for a place that would match it. When we first saw the homestead, we were simply captivated. We were immediately charmed by the surroundings, the coziness, and most importantly, the wonderful nature around. It seemed that this place had exactly the tranquility and beauty we were looking for for our celebration. We immediately understood that this is where we wanted to celebrate one of the most important days of our lives,” she stated.
To witness their love, they chose people with whom they felt good: “The witnesses will be Dominik’s cousin and her husband. I knew them before, we had worked together, so the connection was not new or accidental. We wanted people we trust and feel comfortable with to be by our side on this important day. Therefore, this choice seemed very natural and close.”
At the wedding celebration, guests will also be treated to a special dance by the newlyweds. The couple decided to learn and choreograph it themselves.
“Since childhood, I loved to dance; I attended folk dances. I remember once, in childhood, there was a talent competition where I decided to choose dance. I rehearsed a lot and finally won first place. So dance was always close to me, only this time everything was a little different because I had to dance not alone, but with a partner. There were certainly challenges: we needed to understand how to beautifully perform one movement or another, how to adapt to each other. Dancing alone seems simpler, but dancing as a pair requires more harmony and patience. Nevertheless, we chose a very beautiful and emotional song, to which we choreographed the movements ourselves. It was a lot of fun creating this dance together. And my husband was a real star; he even suggested how and what we could dance,” Gabriela laughed.
When asked if any artist’s performance was planned for the celebration, the woman revealed that a famous musician would play at their event.
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“Perhaps some friends will have prepared a musical surprise, but I’m not sure about that. Although we are not planning a singing performer, one of my favorite maestros, violinist Zbignievas Levickis, will play at the celebration. We are really looking forward to him, and I already feel that it will be something special. It will be a real blast!” the woman rejoiced.
Performers often hear requests to sing or go on stage during celebrations. Asked if she would also become the star of the evening at her own wedding, she said that although she initially rejected the idea, she has prepared an intriguing surprise for her husband.
“At first, I thought I wouldn’t go on stage this time; I just wanted to rest and enjoy the celebration, because usually I still have to sing at family events. However, later I thought that for such a special day, I wanted to create something very personal. Therefore, I wrote my own lyrics for a song that is particularly emotional for me,” G. Ždanovičiūtė teased.
Among the most important details at the wedding were the cake and the wedding rings. According to the interviewee, they paid a lot of attention to this, as it was important to them that the wedding details had emotional meaning, rather than just being beautiful objects.
“We wanted both the wedding cake and the rings to reflect us, to be not only beautiful but also to have their own meaning. When choosing the rings, we most wanted them to be ones we would wear with love every day. Cozy comfort, simplicity, and elegance were important to us, so that the rings would not just be jewelry, but a symbol of what we promise each other. And for the cake, we wanted it to match the overall wedding mood: subtle, beautiful, and, of course, delicious. Perhaps these seem like small details, but it is precisely them that create the entire feeling of the celebration,” she rejoiced.
A wedding is an extremely meticulous process, where it seems that all details are important and must be considered very carefully.
When asked what was most important to Gabriela and Dominik, she said that they paid a lot of attention to the celebration’s location and, of course, the looks.
“We didn’t want to celebrate in Vilnius itself; it was important for us to find a cozy homestead surrounded by nature, near a forest, with a beautiful and peaceful environment. We were looking for a place that would suit our image and reflect the overall wedding vision. We also paid a lot of attention to my dress and my husband’s suit. My dress was custom-made, so we wanted it to be exactly as I imagined: special, subtle, and very much ‘me’. We also chose my husband’s suit very carefully, as we wanted it to match the overall style of the celebration and both our looks. We really wanted our celebration to feel light, cozy, and close to nature. It’s important to us that both we and our guests can relax, enjoy the moment, and simply have a beautiful time together,” the woman stated.
Speaking about the most important looks for the day of her life, Gabriela stated that it was important for her to create a personal, individual dress that would reflect herself, and her loved ones greatly helped in the process: “In creating the wedding day look, our mothers helped us a lot. We are very grateful to them for this, as their support, advice, and presence were very important. The vision for the dress gradually came together through searching, trying on, and discussing what kind of mood was desired for the wedding day. We wanted the dress to be not only beautiful but also very ‘mine,’ so that wearing it, I would feel like myself, only even more special. Since the dress was custom-made, every detail was important. I am very happy that my closest people were by my side during this process, helping me decide and encouraging me to trust my vision.”
They planned all the preparations themselves and are happy that this celebration will be not only about them but also about their own hearts, emotions, and feelings invested.
“We organized everything ourselves, from beginning to end we took everything into our own hands and gradually arranged it as we wanted. Of course, it wasn’t always easy, as wedding planning requires a lot of time, decisions, and patience. However, my husband and I enjoy such processes: planning together, consulting, looking for ideas, and creating something of our own. I think that’s why all the preparations became even more meaningful, because we put so much of ourselves into the celebration,” the interviewee shared.
Gabriela admits that wedding planning was emotional and sometimes difficult, but for them, the most important thing was an authentic celebration created by themselves, not perfection.
“There were beautiful moments, and stress, and anxiety that perhaps something wouldn’t go as planned. Wedding preparation is a very sensitive period because you want everything to be as beautiful as possible and to reflect you as much as possible. However, even through all the challenges, we try not to forget why we are doing all this. The most important thing for us is not perfection, but that the celebration is ours, exactly as we want it. So far, we are arranging everything as we imagine it ourselves, and we are very happy and proud of that. I think that’s why the preparation, although not always easy, is very meaningful to us,” she said.
According to the artist, this step for them is not just about the ceremony and a grand celebration; it’s about daily shared life and mutual care.
“For us, marriage primarily means love, patience, and a conscious choice to be together not only when it’s easy but also when challenges arise in life. It’s a promise to protect, support, listen to, and grow with each other. For me, marriage is not just a beautiful celebration or rings on a hand; it’s a decision by two people to create a shared life every day, to respect each other, and to be a team. I truly believe that true love consists of small daily things: a hug, a kind word, understanding, patience, and the desire not to give up, but to find a way to each other. That’s exactly what marriage means to us: to be each other’s home,” G. Ždanovičiūtė recounted.
When asked about their honeymoon, Gabriela said that they don’t have a precise destination yet, but the most important thing for them is a place where they can get quality rest.
“We don’t know exactly yet; we are still choosing and considering various options. Currently, summer is the peak of work for both my husband and me, so we want to think everything through carefully and choose a time and place where we can truly relax, be together, and enjoy our first trip as husband and wife,” she explained.
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