It was a fairytale outcome for Serena Williams as she walked down the aisle on Friday afternoon in New Orleans to marry fiancée Alexis Ohanian.
Inspired by Disney, the former world No.1 got married in a specially designed dress in partnership with Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. A massive ball gown silhouette. What was even more extraordinary was her second dress worn later that day. According to Donatella Versace, the evening dress was a far from simple task. A team of five embroiders worked on it, which came with a bizarre claim from Versace herself.
“(The team) worked non-stop to make sure the tiniest details were perfectly taken care of, for a total of 1,500 hours.” She told Vogue.com, who were granted exclusive access to the wedding.
Clearly, attention to detail was the focus of Williams, who gave birth to her first child in September. Reminiscent of her own work ethic on the court where she strives to reach almost perfection. The date of the wedding was symbolic. Marking the anniversary Ohanian’s mother’s birthday. Who died nine years ago.
“It is her birthday, and we wanted her to be represented at the wedding,” says Williams. “Obviously, we wish that she could be here for this, but choosing her birthday as our wedding date was a nice way of making sure she’s still involved and made us feel more connected to her on our day.”
The two tied the knot at the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans. A building, founded in 1976 that focuses on the ‘presentation, production, and promotion of the art of our time.’ It is located in downtown New Orleans. Near the National WWII Museum.
“Alexis really wanted to do New Orleans,” said Williams. “It’s his favorite city besides Brooklyn. It’s got a heavy European influence; it’s fun and has amazing food. He just loves the vibe. The venue—the Contemporary Arts Center of New Orleans—was a decision we both made. Painting and art is something I’m really passionate about, so it just felt natural and different to do it at a contemporary art museum.”
The ceremony was not short of stars. Guests included Anna Wintour, Kim Kardashian, Beyonce and Jay-Z, Ciara, Eva Longoria, Caroline Wozniacki and her fiancée and NBA star David Lee. Sticking with the Disney theme, their first dance was to the song ‘Tale as Old as Time.’ Made famous by the film beauty and the beast.
It is unknown what the total cost of the wedding was, but the bouquet provides a good indication. Vogue reported that she walked down the aisle with a ‘bouquet of white roses and sparkling with jewelry by XIV Karats.’ Worth in the range of $3.5 million.
Williams is aiming to return to the tour in January with the hope of defending her title at the Australian Open.
Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian are married! 💍❤ Congratulations! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/tOPAs4pfs8
— Tennis Photos (@tennis_photos) November 18, 2017
