"I got really emotional, more than I expected to," the two-time Super Bowl champion tells PEOPLE
Credit: Preston Smith; Heather Smith
NEED TO KNOW
- Kansas City Chiefs’ George Karlaftis married Kaia Harris on May 9 in Greece
- The three-day celebration featured a welcome reception, traditional Greek Orthodox ceremony and farewell cookout
- The wedding was attended by 220 guests, plus the couple’s pet dog, Ralph
NFL player George Karlaftis is married!
The Kansas City Chiefs defensive end, 25, tied the knot with his high school sweetheart, Kaia Harris, on Saturday, May 9, at the luxury coastal resort One&Only Aesthesis in Glyfada, Greece.
The couple wed in a traditional Greek Orthodox ceremony, honoring the groom's culture. The two-time Super Bowl champion grew up in Athens and lived in Greece until he was 13 years old.
"I think my favorite part was the ceremony because I got really emotional, more than I expected to," Karlaftis tells PEOPLE. "I didn't expect to cry as much as I did during the ceremony. I was borderline bawling when I saw Kaia and her dad walk down the aisle."
Credit: Preston Smith; Heather Smith
"River Flows in You" played as Harris walked down the aisle, escorted by her father. She wore a custom long-sleeved lace gown by Greek designer Mary Barola, who also created her reception dress. Meanwhile, Karlaftis opted for a classic tux from ESQ.
The couple was joined by 220 guests, including some of Karlaftis' former and current teammates and coaches from both college and the Chiefs, plus their beloved 8-year-old dog, Ralph.
Credit: Preston Smith; Heather Smith
Following traditional Greek Orthodox customs, the ceremony featured wedding crowns (Stefana), the throwing of rice to symbolize prosperity and fertility, and the bride and groom circling the altar three times. Vows are not recited, but Karlaftis and Harris did exchange Chrome Hearts wedding rings.
In another Greek tradition, Harris wrote the names of all of her single girlfriends on the sole of her shoe. The one whose name wasn't worn off by the end of the night is predicted to be the next to get married.
After the ceremony, guests enjoyed a cocktail hour on the beach as the sun set. Then, they danced and dined at the reception, where there was an "international buffet station" of pasta, sushi, lamb, steak, fish and salads. For dessert, slices of the four-tier double chocolate wedding cake were served.
Karlaftis and Harris had their first dance to "At Last" by Etta James. Their wedding must-haves were simple: "good food, good drinks and good music."
Credit: Preston Smith; Heather Smith
"I also really enjoyed when Kaia and I were doing the cake cutting, the first dance, [and] walking into the reception to 'Freed From Desire,' " Karlaftis says, adding, "The food was great, too."
Décor was inspired by the splendor of the surrounding Grecian scenery. The environment's natural colors of white, green and blue served as the basis for the color palette. Similarly, the wedding design was intended to highlight the natural beauty of the beach, sky and land.
With a goal of wanting to have "the best weekend of their lives with their friends and family," Karlaftis admits that he was "most stressed out about whether everyone was having a great time." The pro football player ended up "stressing out over nothing" because the celebration was everything he could have hoped for.
Credit: Preston Smith; Heather Smith
"I didn't know how everyone would blend, bringing our Greek family and friends, and all of our friends from different parts of our lives, together," says Karlaftis, who greeted his wedding guests with a sunset welcome party and bid goodbye with a farewell cookout.
He continues, "The first night, I had 25 different worlds colliding. We have such cool friends, and the people we invited were just the best; everyone got along, made new friends, and danced together. I couldn't have asked for a better day and night, honestly."
The wedding was planned by Fay Validis.
Credit: Preston Smith; Heather Smith
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Karlaftis and Harris met on their high school track team in West Lafayette, Indiana, and, ever since, they have been drawn to each other's "work ethic, trust and loyalty." They both attended Purdue University and got engaged on April 24, 2025, after Karlaftis proposed as they were watching TV in bed together.
Credit: Preston Smith; Heather Smith
Looking toward their future, the couple says they're most excited about "starting a family" and "building a life together."
The newlyweds stayed in Greece for their honeymoon, traveling to the seaside town of Porto Cheli.
Additional Credits:
Hair and Makeup: Hara Papanikolaou
Custom Shoes: Golden Goose sneakers designed by the design team in Seoul, South Korea
Flowers: Secret Garden Flowers
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