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Updated Mar 06, 2025Exclusive: Inside Actress Jessica Szohr's "Magical" Arizona Wedding
Szohr married former NHL player Brad Richardson in front of 150 guests, including Nina Dobrev and Chace Crawford.
It was at Coachella in 2018 when Jessica Szohr met her husband, Brad Richardson. A frequent festival-goer, the former Gossip Girl actress was looking forward to seeing Eminem and Dr. Dre close out the weekend. When her group said they'd be making a pit stop to say hello to some friends, she almost passed on the opportunity. (She wanted to get to the stage, after all.) But after minor convincing, she obliged—and quickly realized she had walked into a tent full of hockey players.
Szohr, who has also appeared in Shameless and The Orville, was introduced to Richardson, a former NHL forward who played in the league for 17 years. (He won the Stanley Cup with the LA Kings in 2012.) "I don't know if I would say we were flirting right away, but there was definitely a vibe," Szohr exclusively tells The Knot. Newly single, she wanted to enjoy her freedom. But when Richardson got her number from a mutual friend a few days later, she took a chance, unaware she'd just connected with her soul mate. "It was totally unexpected," she says with a smile, adding, "He's still in my phone as Brad Coachella."
On August 11, 2024, Jessica Szohr and Brad Richardson got married at Pine Canyon in Flagstaff, Arizona. The four-day event took place in front of 150 guests, including Szohr's Gossip Girl castmate Chace Crawford and actress Nina Dobrev, who served as the maid of honor. "It was the most magical, beautiful day, filled with the people we love the most," the bride tells us. Below, we unveil the couple's first wedding photos and details.
FEATURED VIDEO FROM THE KNOT
Inside Jessica Szohr and Brad Richardson's Wedding
The couple's low-key engagement inadvertently inspired their "elegant, boho-chic" wedding vision. Richardson popped the question at home one evening in May 2022, just over a year after they welcomed their daughter Bowie Ellie. The proposal took place after he put his older daughter, Lexi (whom he has from a previous relationship), to bed. "After he said goodnight, he told me, 'We need to talk.' He took me into another room and got down on a knee," she remembers. "It totally caught me off guard."
While the athlete was originally going to pop the question on vacation later that summer, he already talked to Lexi about marrying Szohr—and he didn't want her to accidentally spoil the surprise. "My nails weren't done, I had zit cream on, and I had zero clue," Szohr says of the engagement. "I loved it."
Because that moment was so casual, Szohr had a more elevated vision for their wedding. The aesthetic was inspired by her modern Galia Lahav wedding dress, which she found early in the planning process. "My style is a little more boho than the dress I ended up choosing, but when I put it on, I felt like a goddess," she says of the brand's Tokyo gown. "It felt right."
The bride's best friend, The Vampire Diaries actress Nina Dobrev, served as the maid of honor and attended every dress fitting to make sure the final look was simply perfect. "It was like she was on the team with Galia Lahav," Szohr laughs. "It was so cute how they were all working together."
With her attire selected, the couple then had to narrow down the perfect setting. While they considered swapping vows in Capri, Italy, or the Rose Garden at Coachella, they ultimately landed on Pine Canyon, a luxe golf club in Flagstaff, Arizona.
"[Flagstaff] has given us so many memories as a family over the last couple of years," she explains adding, "It's such a vibe up there, in the mountains. I wanted to tie that in with this magnificent, fancy and chic dress, but I still wanted the flowers to have a bohemian look. It was like pieces of a puzzle coming together."
The couple's planner, Janie Reese, and florist, Jordan Statz of Form Floral, used their expertise to make the puzzle fit together seamlessly. The wedding weekend kicked off on Friday, August 9, as 150 loved ones flew into town. Immediately upon arrival, "the boys" began a round of golf before the entire group enjoyed a laid-back evening with hot dogs, burgers and live music.
Saturday marked the official welcome party, complete with a bounce house, brick-oven pizza, and pickleball: "My cousins were so excited because Shaun White [Dobrev's boyfriend] was playing with them."
Szohr wore Galia Lahav's Julia dress for the occasion: a halter fit-and-flare gown with a floral neck cuff and angular cut-outs. Before a rainstorm rolled in, a brilliant rainbow appeared over the golf course. "It was the brightest rainbow we had ever seen," she recalls, "and I'm not just saying that!"
Before the wedding festivities kicked off on Sunday, guests enjoyed a pool party while Szohr and her 12 bridesmaids got ready. The crew consisted of her three sisters, as well as friends from all stages of her life—and, of course, Dobrev.
Since her family is so large, Szohr's sisters were more than willing to give the MOH duties to the bride's best friend. "They all suggested Nina, because we've known her for the last eighteen years. She's been there for everything."
From coordinating the Cabo bachelorette party to organizing lingerie games for the honeymoon, and even putting together a detailed PDF outlining details for the wedding party, Szohr says Dobrev went "above and beyond" in her role. "I couldn't believe how magical and special she made everything for the wedding," Szohr says. "I said for whoever is getting married next in our friend group, I feel bad if Nina is not their maid of honor."
After slipping into her long-sleeve wedding dress, the bride accessorized her look with edgy Christian Louboutin heels and a custom veil embroidered with the phrase "Take Time to Smell the Roses"—a thoughtful nod to her late grandfather. "My grandpa was such a huge part of my childhood, and he always said that to us," she explains. "My life was so fast with Gossip Girl, but he would always say, 'Just make sure you're taking time to smell the roses.' That stuck with me."
After sharing the anecdote with Galia Lahav's head designer, Sharon Sever, he enhanced her gauzy veil by adding that phrase in crystal lettering. "When he sent me a picture of it, I was in tears," she says.
Before the ceremony began, Dobrev—who wore her own custom Galia Lahav bridesmaid dress—pulled Szohr aside for a quiet moment together. "She grabbed my hand and said, 'Take a deep breath,'" she recalls. "Now when I look back, I realize that breath helped me take it in for a second."
After Lexi and Bowie scattered petals in coordinating floral LoveShackFancy dresses, the bride's brother had the honor of walking her down the aisle to Leon Bridges' "Beyond."
The moment she rounded the corner and saw her groom, their daughters, and their guests, Szohr was overcome with emotion. "When I turned and saw all these faces I love, it looked like something out of a picture," she says. "Everything was so beautiful."
The actress' Aunt Krissy assumed the role of "offici-aunt" and presided over the ceremony. After the couple exchanged traditional vows and shared their first kiss as husband and wife, they walked back up the aisle to a (clean!) version of Lil Wayne's "A Milli."
Cocktail hour began with guests sipping on "Canyon Water," the venue's specialty drink consisting of sparkling water, vodka, tequila and lemon-lime. While they didn't want to follow too many reception traditions, the newlyweds did share a first dance to "Faithfully," performed by Szohr's step-father.
The fun continued with two "hilarious" best man and maid of honor speeches, which left everyone in tears from laughing so hard. Following appetizers like a charcuterie spread and a lavish seafood display, guests dined on lamb lollipops, beef tenderloin, lobster mac and cheese, penne pasta, and tacos, all prepared by Chef Albert Park.
Later in the evening, Szohr changed into Vans and a mini Galia Lahav dress with a feathered neckline for the party. "I love to get down, so I knew I needed to wear something where I could really dance," she says of the second look.
After indulging in mini cheesecakes instead of traditional wedding cake, the party moved indoors where guests were treated to McDonald's as a late-night snack. Toward the end of the reception, Szohr took a moment to relish the feeling of having all of her loved ones under one roof: "It was just a really fun group of people, and it was beautiful to have everyone together."
Now, the newlyweds are looking forward to continuing to enjoy their favorite things together, like traveling and spending time with their girls. "I'm just excited to do life with him," Szohr muses. "It kind of feels like we were married before, but it's nice that I can call him my husband, and he really is my husband."
Jessica Szohr's Wedding Vendors
Venue: Pine Canyon; Photographer: Janelle Etzel Photography; Planner: Janie Reese; Florist: Form Floral; Wedding Dresses: Galia Lahav; Shoes: Christian Louboutin; Jewelry: Established Jewelry; Bridesmaid Dresses: Show Me Your Mumu; Flower Girl Dresses: LoveShackFancy; Glam: Sydney Peters; Catering: Chef Albert Park
