VIDEO: Famous American couple with Croatian roots tie the knot in Croatia

by croatiaweek
July 2, 2023
in Entertainment

David and Kristina tie the knot (Photo credit: Toni Kulaš)

Multiple Super Bowl winner David Diehl and his dream girl, Kristina Puhalj Powers, exchanged vows in Kožino near Zadar.

This weekend, in their native Croatia, American football star David Diehl and Kristina Puhalj Powers, a former model turned TV producer and real estate investor, sailed into the port of matrimony.

They sealed their love with a wedding ceremony attended by around 50 close friends and family members.

(Photo credit: Toni Kulaš)

Affectionately called Tina, Kristina and David first met in 2010 through mutual friends. After six years of acquaintance, the former NFL player invited his future wife on a date. He told her that his invitation was not coincidental and explained that he had dreamt of a scenario with the two of them having dinner together.

Despite the distance between them at the time, with her living in Miami and him in New York, love conquered the miles. David proposed to his dream girl in 2018, and since then, they had been planning their wedding in Croatia.

The bride shone in an extravagant white dress and crystal-adorned Jimmy Choo heels. David wore a classic black suit with a bow tie, unable to hide his loving gaze towards his bride. To ensure perfect planning, the wedding was organized with the help of the Zand lifestyle management team.

(Photo credit: Toni Kulaš)

Among the lavish flowers and table decorations, there were details adorned with the Croatian coat of arms and checkered patterns, as well as the characteristic licitar heart as a symbol of love, serving as a memento for the guests.

(Photo credit: Toni Kulaš)

For this occasion, the sneakers for the newlyweds were customized by David’s friend, a renowned artist behind the brand Mache. He has 560 thousand followers on Instagram under the name @Mache275 and has designed footwear for celebrities such as LeBron James and Beyoncé.

(Photo credit: Toni Kulaš)

David’s mother, Darlene, who has Croatian heritage, married his German father, Jerry Diehl, while Kristina’s father, Marijan Puhalj, is from Lanišće, and her mother, Ljubica Belić, is from Kožino.

(Photo credit: Toni Kulaš)

The couple doesn’t hide their love for their Croatian roots, which is why they chose Kožino near Zadar for their wedding celebration. The famous Croatian singer Giuliano and the Kanella band entertained the guests.

(Photo credit: Toni Kulaš)

A special surprise was prepared by the bride’s father, who moved to New York in 1969 and is a musician and builder.

He sang several songs that brought Kristina back to her childhood when she used to rehearse intensely with her band. During that time, she recalls, many Croatian musicians were their guests, and they even played with Dean Dvornik.

(Photo credit: Toni Kulaš)

Tina, who previously pursued a modeling career, transitioned to engagements in the film industry and became a TV presenter. Eventually, she started her own production company and also works in real estate.

David, born in 1980 in Chicago, moved to New York due to his professional career, where he often visited the Croatian Center. The public remembers him as an American football player who played eleven seasons for the New York Giants, won two Super Bowls, and had an indelible connection with Croatia.

(Photo credit: Toni Kulaš)

He tattooed the Croatian coat of arms and the inscription “indestructible” on his left forearm in memory of his grandfather, Ante Bekavac from Lovreć near Imotski.