Matty Healy and Gabbriette Bechtel's wedding guests say they were 'bawling' during ceremony
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Anastasia “Stassie” Karanikolaou and Victoria Villarroel are looking back on the emotional moments they experienced as guests at Matty Healy and Gabbriette Bechtel’s wedding, which took place on Saturday, July 18.
Speaking on their 'Better Half' podcast, the close friends shared how they struggled to hold back tears throughout the ceremony, revealing that the bride’s entrance and several heartfelt details left them overwhelmed.
Stassie Karanikolaou and Victoria Villarroel share their emotional reaction to Gabbriette Bechtel’s wedding
Reflecting on the ceremony, Villarroel admitted, “We were bawling while she was walking down the aisle.” Karanikolaou revealed that the tears began even before Bechtel made her entrance.
“Before she even started walking down the aisle, we [were] like crying and [our friends] were across from the aisle from us and [one of them] kept looking at us being like, ‘Stop it! Like, ‘Nothing’s happened. Stop crying,’ ” she said.
Villarroel explained that seeing the couple's mothers with their dogs made her even more emotional because it was something she hoped to include at her own wedding one day. However, most of her admiration was reserved for the bride, saying Bechtel exceeded her already high expectations.
“But when she walked, I had the highest expectations of Gabi. Obviously, I didn’t expect anything less, but she exceeded them,” Villarroel said, adding, “I just have no words. She looked like the most magical bride.”
Karanikolaou agreed, adding, “She looked so insane,” and said the bride’s appearance left everyone “speechless.” Villarroel also praised every detail of Bechtel’s bridal style, saying, “She looked perfect, I was like, ‘Oh my God, add to a Pinterest board.’ I already took a screenshot. I loved her wedding dress. I loved her hair. I loved her face. I loved everything.”
She also described Bechtel and her family as “highly perfect,” adding that everyone was “just cool.” The duo exchanged vows in an outdoor ceremony at Castillo del Lago, Madonna’s former estate.
Matty Healy and Gabbriette Bechtel celebrate their wedding following a two-year romance
Bechtel wore a custom Matieres Fecales Victorian-style gown with a traditional veil and styled her hair half-up, half-down, while Healy chose a custom black Paul Smith suit. Representatives for the couple confirmed the marriage in a statement to PEOPLE, saying they were married at a private ceremony attended by family and close friends.
Guests included Charli xcx and her husband George Daniel, The '1975' bandmates Ross MacDonald and Adam Hann with his wife Carly, along with Fai Khadra, Alex Consani, Devon Lee Carlson and fiance Duke Nicholson, Sydney Lynn Carlson, Tyrell Hampton, Alex O’Connor and Quenlin Blackwell.
The couple announced their engagement on June 11, 2024, after attending Charli XCX’s Brat show in Brooklyn. She marked the occasion by sharing photos of her engagement ring on Instagram Stories and captioning one image, “MARRYING THE 1975 IS VERY BRAT.”
Before the wedding, the couple celebrated bachelor and bachelorette parties. According to Rolling Stone UK, Healy spent his bachelor celebration in Malibu, where he performed 'The Sound' with 'The 9075,' a cover band.
A fan page also shared a photo of the band alongside members of The 9075 dressed in outfits inspired by different eras of Healy’s career, with the singer wearing a ginger wig referencing the 'Give Yourself a Try' music video.
Healy’s mother, Denise Welch, revealed in May on Tom’s Hirschsprung’s Podcast that the wedding would take place in July and said she was “very excited” for the couple. She had also said on 'Loose Women' in 2024 that she was “thrilled” to welcome Bechtel into the family, adding, “I couldn’t be more thrilled. We couldn’t be happier — she is everything I would want in a daughter-in-law.”
