New Orleans: Serena Williams proved her dominance off the court Thursday, as she drew a celeb-packed group of A-listers here while she tied the knot with millionaire and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
The couple was surrounded by a bevy of friends, families and A-listers, including their two-month-old daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., as they went through their wedding vows in a ‘Beauty and the Beast’ themed bash at the Contemporary Arts Centre here.
Kim Kardashian, Venus Williams, Beyonce and the members of ‘New Edition’, who played a five-song set during the reception, were spotted arriving at the venue’s VIP entrance for the biggest celebrity wedding in recent years.
Despite the media frenzy, Ohanian and the tennis legend released few details of their ceremony. But unnamed sources told ‘People’ magazine and the ‘Daily Mail’ that some 250 guests were invited to the nuptial ceremony.
The ‘Daily Mail’ said the event would cost more than $1 million and guests would be asked not to bring their cell phones, because an exclusive photo deal has been signed with Vogue.
Venus, 36, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, and Ohanian, 34, welcomed their first child, daughter Alexis Olympia, September 1. They announced their engagement in December after meeting in 2015 in Rome.
Onlookers here expressed enthusiasm for the wedding being in their city. “We honestly love her,” said resident Mary Huber, who was among a small group taking a break from work to observe the hectic scene. “We’re so glad she found happiness. Little baby Alexis is so precious!”
Serena won this year’s Australian Open while pregnant, and is expected to defend her title in Melbourne in 2018 – just four-and-a-half months after giving birth to her baby girl.
Agencies
