After three years of dating, tennis star Serena Williams tied the knot with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian in an intimate ceremony in New Orleans on Thursday.
The most important of the guests was Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., the couple’s first child, who was born a little over two months ago. Serena’s sister and tennis legend Venus Williams was spotted at the venue on Wednesday. The celebrity guest list included reality TV star Kim Kardashian, glamour couple Eva Longoria and Jose Baston, supermodel Selita Ebanks, singer Kelly Rowland and TV personality La La Anthony.
Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and Danish tennis player Caroline Wozniacki also showed up on the special day. Music royalty Beyonce and singer Ciara were also seen. Despite the media frenzy, the happy couple released few details of their ceremony. But sources told People magazine and the Daily Mail that some 250 guests were invited to the festivities at the southern U.S. city’s Contemporary Arts Center.
The venue is a large, four-storey, multi-disciplinary complex boasting approximately 10,000 sq.ft of gallery space. Security for the event was tight. An entire block in the Big Easy — a city known for its jazz music, good food and party atmosphere — was closed to traffic. A steady train of black SUVs brought members of the wedding party to the event.
Beauty and the Beast theme
According the entertainment website ETonline, the wedding had a Beauty and the Beast theme.
The locally popular New Orleans funk and jazz band Naughty Professor was seen arriving in the late afternoon, as was the traditional Paulin Brothers Brass Band.
Chefs cooked in an outdoor tent, with feasting options including two food trucks as well as an outdoor bar. The Daily Mail said the event was estimated to cost more than $1 million and guests asked not to bring their cell phones, because an exclusive photo deal had been signed with Vogue .
Ms. Williams, 36, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, and Mr. Ohanian, 34, announced their engagement in December after meeting in 2015 in Rome.
Ms. Williams 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.
