Serena Williams & Alexis Ohanian’s NOLA wedding was actually perfect

Official. 📸 @melbarlowandco @allanzepedaphotography

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Not all heroes wear capes. But not all heroes are Serena Williams, who totally wore a cape to her wedding last week. Vogue published their story and EPIC slideshow of Serena and Alexis Ohanian’s New Orleans wedding, and my God. I take back everything I said about my qualms regarding the Beauty and the Beast theme. For one, Serena picked it out because she loves Disney movies, and that’s sweet. Secondly, the “Disney” theme actually worked rather beautifully, and it wasn’t twee or cloying at all. Serena and Alexis had their dream wedding, surrounded by friends and family, and it was opulent and crazy and fun and special and wonderful.

I also got the fashion wrong. The bridesmaids – including Serena’s big sister Venus – wore custom Galia Lahav dresses. Serena wore no fewer than three dresses for the wedding and reception. Her ballgown wedding dress was Sarah Burton for McQueen, then she wore two Versace dresses for the reception. For the dancing, Serena changed into bedazzled Nikes, because she’s sponsored by Nike. She’s also sponsored by Gatorade, and Gatorade gifted her wedding with a “Gatorade suite” for any guests who needed to rehydriate and get some additional energy for all of the dancing.

What else? Serena wore $3.5 million in jewelry. Serena’s beloved dog Chip was there, in a tuxedo, and he was even included in the photos (because of course he was). Venus looked gorgeous. There were four long tables at the reception and each table was named after a Slam (the Australian Open table, the Wimbledon table, etc). The guests all got to take home little Slam trophies too, as party gifts. Alexis Senior even managed to surprise Serena: he organized a big, beautiful carousel, so everyone got to take a ride. Alexis Junior stayed in Serena’s mom’s arms and Junior was a total champ, and by now, Junior is used to being photographed so she behaved throughout. Also: the food! My God, Serena actually served great food at the reception. Steaks and chocolate and donuts and more! You can see Vogue’s full write-up and all of the spectacular photos here.

People were also trying to make it into a thing that Kim Kardashian and Beyonce were both in attendance and DRAMA because their husbands are beefing. No one can actually say if Kim and Bey spoke at all though, and I suspect they either ignored each other or they were civil and polite to each other. It seems like both women were actually doing the right thing and not making Serena’s special day all about Kanye/Jay-Z drama.

💃🏿🕺🏻 📸 @melbarlowandco @allanzepedaphotography

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120 Responses to “Serena Williams & Alexis Ohanian’s NOLA wedding was actually perfect”

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  1. mynameispearl says:

    ok so everything looks absolutely gorgeous but… could the top of her dress not be a wee bit better fitted? Makes her boobs look like an uncomfortably squeezed shelf.

    • Kate says:

      I wonder if the dress was fitted before she had her baby?

      • Beth says:

        She had her baby a couple of months ago, so I’m sure that left plenty of time to adjust the fitting. It’s not the worst I’ve seen, but it could’ve been better

      • ELX says:

        The corset supporting the strapless bodice is insufficient—the bigger the bust the more supportive corsetry is absolutely necessary—there should not be a compression line across the top giving that pinched appearance.

    • Jussie says:

      Yeah, it’s bad. I have a similarly sized bust to her so I know it’s not easy, and she just had a baby too, but man, she couldn’t have chosen a more unflattering neckline.

      I guess it’s what she really wanted though, because there’s no way Sarah Burton would have seen that fit and not have wanted to add more structure, or better yet, straps.

      • Jayna says:

        That’s how I feel. that Serena liked it the way it was. Because I feel Sarah would have wanted to do more for better structure and room for her breasts in the bodice.

      • Harla says:

        The reception dress with the straps looks like it fits much better and has to be more comfortable.

      • isabelle says:

        Truth be told that cut of halter off the shoulder isn’t for a lot of people, yet halter wedding dresses are still overwhelmingly popular. Especially if you have a larger chest. Tried on a similar dress and I looked liked the top part of a sausage getting ready to pop open.

    • Joy says:

      It is clear the designer has limited skills when designing beyond the sample size. Serena is lovely and has a great figure which was not showcased properly in this gown.

    • MandyMc says:

      I wonder if she’s nursing. I had my baby in August and my boobs alternate between playboy star boobs and floppy deflated balloons. I have no idea how you’d get a dress fitted for nursing boobs.

      • Emily says:

        Yeah, I had the same thought. I’m currently nursing and my boob size is all over the place.

      • magnoliarose says:

        Mine too and no one in my life has ever referred to me as Busty Macgee

      • Pina says:

        I think thats the point – mine are thecsame at the moment bcs of nursing

      • Liz says:

        I suspect this was the problem. I breastfed my daughter for 10 months. Boob size changed on an hourly basis, depending on when I last fed her. A dress like that can’t be structured to accommodate that kind of fluctuation.

    • MeowuiRose says:

      Yes I agree. Her dress is not very well fitted. On the other hand Venus’s dress is stunning and I loved her hair. I love that Anna Wintor was there. Kim looked oddly underdressed. It looked like an outfit she’d wear on a pap stroll. Beyonce looked lovely. Love the pic of her on the carasoul. Serena is beautiful, the wedding looked opulent and beautiful and I’m very happy for them.

      • Jayna says:

        It’s a Kanye-designed dress, I think. So Kim probably had no choice. I’m sure he picked it out for her.

    • Sojaschnitzel says:

      Come on, the woman just had a baby. Leave her alone.

      • CynicalAnn says:

        She’s gorgeous. No one is criticizing her. They’re criticizing the designer for not fitting the dress better.

    • Lauren says:

      I agree. The dress does nothing for her. She’s got a great body, but the dress doesn’t suit it.

      She looks happy, though, so she must have felt good in the dress.

    • Robin says:

      That dress is hideous. The bodice doesn’t fit properly and it looks like she has no waist. Yuck.

  2. whatever says:

    The wedding dress was such a let down. Basic AF!. She could have just got it from the clearance rack at any bridal store and the cape looks like it came from a costume store. Hair was nice however.

    • Millennial says:

      I thought the wedding was beautiful.

      I hate that people call weddings “basic” — it obviously meant a lot to Serena and Alexis and it’s what they wanted. Just because you don’t like it doesn’t make it basic.

      • whatever says:

        The wedding DRESS not the actual wedding!

      • Beth says:

        Yes, the wedding was beautiful. Nobody would say that a fancy Beauty and the Beast themed wedding, with celebrities everywhere, and the bride wearing millions of dollars in jewelry, was basic. I agree with @whatevers opinion of the dress. Except for the cape,it’s the same basic, plain and simple dress I see at lots of bridal stores and weddings.

    • Sunglasses Aready says:

      The wedding was opulent, the food and flowers looked great, everyone was having a great time, the dress was fantastic it showcased her assets. Congrats to both

      • Sabrine says:

        Why criticize her dress now. It’s irrelevant. The important thing is the bride liked it, and it appeared she did. They make an adorable couple. I haven’t seen any photos of the dog in his tux yet which is what I’m looking for.

      • magnoliarose says:

        They looked happy and in love surrounded by friends and family. She was radiant, and Junior looked adorable. I loved the tiny baby shoes.

  3. Alexis says:

    Serena is a hero. She looked lovely. Congrats to her and Alexis!

    • Lahdidahbaby says:

      There you go, Alexis — perfect! And it’s exactly what I checked in here to say. It was Serena’s dream wedding, and she was a lovely bride. The photos of her, Alexis, and the baby are so moving and so beautiful.

      Heartfelt congrats and best wishes to all three of them!

  4. Digital Unicorn (aka Betti) says:

    LOVE LOVE this dress – esp the cape (love wedding capes). Congrats.

    • detritus says:

      I LOVE that cape.
      She looks so beautiful in all of these, with the bebe and her curves she look like a goddess come to life.

    • Megan says:

      Loved all three dresses. Loved the dresses Venus wore as well.

      The table setting was truly glorious.

    • Lahdidahbaby says:

      YES, I thought that cape was a stroke of fashion genius because it added such a fairytale quality to the wedding.

  5. Beth says:

    I don’t really like the dresses very much, but she’s still gorgeous. She looked so happy and in love, and that’s more important than anything else

    • Esmom says:

      Yes, they both look genuinely happy. Congrats to the sweet little family.

    • Bella Dupont says:

      Yeah, same here…..not a massive fan of the dresses, but everything else looked spectacular. Alexis looked really, really good….i’m so glad he’s so tall (6″5 or so), so makes her look more svelte and dainty. I love that they did a choreographed dance, i love the Disney infused influences, loved the sparkly, shiny pieces, especially the sparkly Nikes……..loved everything!

      Having said that, Beyonce’s dress was a bit sh@t and she seemed to have a sour look all day long. I hope it wasn’t a reaction to seeing Kim, whose dress was also rather sh@t.

      Kelly Rowland though, had the best dress (in my book!) of the day, followed by Venus and the other bridesmaids.

      • Amanda says:

        Why would she need her man to make her look “svelte and dainty”?? She’s tall, strong, athletic, and gorgeous. What kind of comment is that?!!

      • Bella Dupont says:

        I swear, some people just sit around, looking for reasons to be offended.

        Yes, she is tall, strong, athletic and gorgeous. Did you see me dispute that? But she HERSELF has said she has a preference for taller, bigger guys and I’m guessing that’s because they look better beside her than having a guy who’s shorter or smaller than her.

        I have the EXACT same preference for myself, and if you don’t like that, I guess you can go report me to the European Court of Political Correctness.

        Geez.

      • minx says:

        “Svelte and dainty?” Eyeroll.

      • ichsi says:

        Well, I’m not gonna report you to the European Court of Political Correctness but as a woman with more Amazonian measurements myself, I’m sick and tired of this prevalent idea that women need to be shorter and “daintier” than the men they date. It’s 2k17 and I’m ready to leave this antiquated aesthetic BS in the past. Which means that yeah, if this your preference, good for you, but don’t assume it about other women and don’t perpetuate this cr*p.

        They both look gorgeous here, she always is of course, but he really cleaned up nicely and I love how genuinely happy they look.

      • Bella Dupont says:

        @ Minx:
        Eyeroll right back atcha

        @Ischi:
        Apologies, but the fact that you’re Amazonian does not require me to prefer your silhouette to a more “svelte or dainty” one. That is entirely my prerogative and if I decide that I want to celebrate women with 5 heads getting together with men with 3 legs, that is also entirely my prerogative.

        As far as I’m concerned, the entire point of being a strong woman is to be able to choose the way I want to look and not be influenced or swayed by what I’m allowed or not allowed to say/think. Nowhere in my comments did I criticize Serena’s body, so I think you’re letting your own personal hang ups get in the way.

        I’m liberal, yet I increasingly believe that this rather militant move towards extreme political correctness is quite damaging, because it tries to stamp out individual thought processes in favour of a hyper-curated, identikit mentality.

        As long as a comment/idea is not hypercritical or abusive towards others (which mine most certainly was not), then I suggest you let people express their preferences without trying to super-impose your pc sh@t over theirs.

        Chuurs.

      • ichsi says:

        The thing is that this is NOT about your preference. Serena isn’t a svelte or dainty woman, yet you celebrated that Alexis’ height makes her look more like your ideas of what women are supposed to look like, what women are constantly told to look like, and what is perpetuated so unthinkingly that people see it as a natural law and not something that society created. And you assumed that she sees things as you do because “they look better beside her”. So yeah, I’m not the one with personal hang ups here, especially since I’m not the one who for some reason sees this as a political correctness debate. I’m a liberal too and steadfastly believe in your right to voice your opinion, but I also believe in my right to point out the flaws in your argumentation and to think that your opinion is backwards.

      • Bellagio DuPont says:

        No, Serena is not dainty or svelte. Does that mean she’s not beautiful? Absolutely not. Nowhere have I stated that, but you seem to be implying that I have.

        Do I love the fact that he is bigger and taller than she is? Absolutely. If she had ended up with a shorter, smaller guy, that would be ok too, but my personal preference is still for taller guys with shorter women.

        Does that make me old fashioned? Maybe. At least according to you. What I don’t like, is that you’ve presented my preference almost as an attack on women with “Amazonian proportions” which it most certainly was not.

        As it happens, women with “Amazonian measurements” are exactly what society has steadfastly celebrated since the 90’s which is why we’ve seen the most successful models measure at 5’10 and above. It’s also what is completely unattainable.

        So, yeah, forgive me if I’m not crying into my hanky for you/them. 🙂

      • Valiantly Varnished says:

        Why does she need to look dainty?? She looks fine as the tall strong woman she is.

      • Tina says:

        Preferring taller guys with shorter women is not a neutral preference. There are lots of short men out there who are lovely guys, and often women aren’t interested in them because they think that society expects them to be with someone tall. You love who you love, and it shouldn’t matter to other people who in a couple is taller.

      • Bella Dupont says:

        @ Tina

        I see what you’re saying and you do have a point…..

        However, i still don’t feel the slightest sense of pity for them……short or not, they still get to be Men and enjoy all the immense privileges and delights that this world affords them.

  6. Jayna says:

    I loved that she got married two months after the baby and wasn’t all OTT about waiting eight months to be her thinnest ever, like so many celebrity brides are after having a baby and planning a wedding. She looked great two months after having the baby. I guess that’s the athlete in her that her body bounced back quickly.

    I actually loved her wedding gown and wedding cape. I thought the dress was beautiful. I also loved that she is a world class athlete but also fell in love with a totally girly full-on ball gown. I didn’t like her second dress, but she probably had fun in it. I like her third gown.

    Venus looked fantastic, as did their mother. Her mother looks so young.

  7. Clare says:

    Love her and what she represents – but hate the dress and hate how it fits!!!

    • Whoopsy Daisy says:

      Yeah, I like her very much too, but I think the dress isn’t the best. And that 3 dresses are tacky no matter how rich and fabulous you are. Trophies as party gifts I also find quite tacky.

      • Peeking in says:

        I’d gladly take a trophy, personalized with my name as a party gift. It shows she was put an effort into making her guests part of the celebration.

  8. Elkie says:

    Everyone looks great and very happy and I salute whoever constructed the feat of engineering that is the top half of that dress.

    I wonder if her father gave her away, seeing as he once suggested that black people marrying outside their race should be “strung up by their necks at sundown”.

    I wish I was making that up…

    • RBC says:

      Did he really say that?!!!!

    • Maggie says:

      He’s from a different time….I’m sure he’s witnessed unspeakable things which made him that way. Try to be more understanding.

    • Jayna says:

      It didn’t show him there. I know he had a stroke and health problems a few years back.

    • Sunglasses Aready says:

      “I wish I was making that up….”

      It has been documented that her father as a young black man had to leave his home town at night on a freight train because of rumours that he was going to be lynched mob that night.
      The reason behind this was because he did not show respect to a POS.
      Her father’s love, pride, determination and drive is why she is where she is today. He supports her choices

      • Anna says:

        So? His experiences does not give him the right to say that other black people (or anyone for that matter) should be “hung by their necks”. I can’t believe I’m seeing this much defence of that horrible, horrible comment!

    • Royalsparkle says:

      Her dad passed so is Alexis snr mom.

      • The Original Mia says:

        Her father is very much alive. For whatever reason, his health, his new wife, he wasn’t there.

  9. Catwoman says:

    As a professional seamstress I say there is no excuse for the fit of that dress. I love Serena but all I saw was the extraordinarily bad way that dress was fitted to her. I have fixed bridal store horror fittings many times, sometimes even the day of the wedding. No excuse for the way that dress fit her.

  10. monsy says:

    Awww! They look so happy and cute together. Congrats to them!

  11. AnnaKist says:

    Oh, damn you, International Postage Services – my invitation STILL hasn’t arrived, and I’m mad as hell! 😡

    It sounds like a sensational party, and Serena and Alexis look so happy, but…little bubby, Alexis… how adorable is she?!

  12. Anne says:

    They look so happy!
    Also how is Serena friends with Kim Kardashian? Or is Kim Alexis’ friend given their Armenian background?

    • abby says:

      I’m not sure whether Kim may have been familiar with his family but I doubt it.

      However. Serena and Kim have been friends long before Kim became famous. IIRC, Kim was an assistant or something but in my foggy memory I think Rena mentioned knowing her even before then. Cannot remember how they were introduced.

  13. Claudia says:

    I love these two together. And I’m not into huge wedding gowns but for her it’s perfect.

  14. Lizzie says:

    Probably a case of Nursing boobs. Ur boobs can be like 4 sizes a day – no exaggeration. I actually brought a different bra to work and would change in the afternoon when I was nursing bc I would fluctuate two cup sizes

  15. Jayna says:

    I absolutely loved the chandeliers encased in the gold birdcages. Stunning and dramatic.

  16. abby says:

    I’ve seen many a “perfect-looking” bride who was upset/annoyed on her wedding day because something or other went wrong during the wedding or she and the groom had an argument.
    Serena’s dresses are fine.
    Sure the fit could have been better but maybe it’s a challenge when someone is breastfeeding, which Serena is.
    But tbh, I am not even looking at that. Serena is glowing. She is happy. Alexis is happy.
    From the pics and write up sounds like everyone had a wonderful time – and isn’t that the point? They look happy and as long as they are, that’s all that matters.
    I am very happy for them and wish them the best.

    ETA: I am glad that you took back your earlier comment about the wedding.

    • abby says:

      Just to clarify. That’s not to say that perfection and happiness are (or should be) mutually exclusive but rather IMO, a poor fit is small details in the larger scheme.

  17. Patty says:

    All I see is boobs! LOL. But she looked beautiful as did Venus and Oracene.

  18. minx says:

    Love the ballgown, but her poor breasts….

  19. Justine says:

    I love everything about that wedding. I read the other post about their wedding before I saw the Vogue article and I had “will their marriage last” concerns. You know, they got married in NOLA because that’s Alexis Sr.’s favorite city outside of Brooklyn and they married on November 16th because that’s Alexis’ mom’s birthday and she passed away years ago, but they wanted her to be a part of the wedding in some way. I cried when I read that. I don’t think they got married because of Junior, it really seems like Junior was conceived right around the time they got engaged. Some babies are honeymoon babies, but I think she is a engagement baby. I think these two are going to be just fine.

    • Jayna says:

      I didn’t know anything about him, but the photos of him. Sometimes you need to see a person and their personality, and I thought this interview on JImmy Kimmel of him showed his personality. He does love her. He had a book out was the reason he was on Kimmel. I figured he was raised in California, a tech geek entrepreneur . But his grandparents were refugees after the Armenian genocide. HIs mother is German born. He was born in Brooklyn. He has an edge to his tech geekiness and in investing in startups. I love that she said Brooklyn was his favorite city.

      Alexia in the interview.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Maci76pyT0w

    • Ladidah says:

      My friend is 5’9 married to a 5’3 guy. She was a beauty queen. The couple are both lovely people, and her being tall doesn’t ‘ruin’ his outfit anymore than his being short ‘ruins’ her outfit? They have gorgeous kids, and are both doctors now. Not sure why you are running and hiding, just strikes me as a weird comment That your partner’s height can ruin an outfit.

  20. Lara says:

    I cried when I read what he wrote about her on his Instagram (haven’t read the Vogue article so not sure if it was part of his vows), he seems so in love. I also love that the wedding was so much the both of them – his favourite city, a significant date for him but then tables named after her grand slams etc. I’m getting married in 6 months and it actually is quite difficult to make sure we’re both represented. Made me so excited for my day!

    • BeamMeUpScottie says:

      +1 🙂
      His surprising her with the carousel was also such a sweet touch. Love that he is so tuned in to what makes her happy.

    • abby says:

      He totally brought that additional touch of whimsy Serena is known for by surprising her with the carousel.

  21. Karen says:

    I love Serena and she is proud of her body. They look so,in love- congratulations. Now off to the Australian to win her 24th grand Slam.

  22. babykitten says:

    It sounds like the baby is being called Olympia, not Junior, or even Alexis Jr.

  23. abby says:

    This entire wedding was whimsical, opulent, extravagant and fun! I love it!

    Congratulations!

    • Royalsparkle says:

      +1000

      This was family good friends great food – and a sense of genuine Love and a goegwous coursel with ballgowns/tux in motion – what a fairytale. Another best is they had the wedding on Snr late mum birthday.

      Traditinally bay before marriage – but Alexis snr look alike / 2d love – in her pint bridemaids designer dress – well behaved observing – pics with her being fed in a wedding photo was unique.

  24. JA says:

    Looked like a fun wedding but NOPE on that initial dress with that fit…her chest makes it look like they didn’t even bother tailoring it. The designer should have insisted but if that’s what she wanted, so be it??? :-/

  25. HelloSunshine says:

    Yea if she’s nursing or pumping still, her bra size could literally be changing day to day with some days much more dramatic than others. If she hasn’t had time to pump or feed, that would also make them larger (but also super uncomfortable so I doubt that’s it!). I love this wedding and think everything looks gorgeous!!

  26. spidey says:

    sometimes less is more.

  27. The Original Mia says:

    She looked beautiful. Floved that cape! I keep missing photos of the 3rd dress. I’ll have to go back and check out the Vogue link. Venus looked amazing. All of the wedding party looked great. I wondered if Venus or Serena design their gowns, but I see they didn’t. The wedding was gorgeous and fun…so them. I loved it. Olympia is a cutie! I see a lot of Alex in her face.

    Side note: Kim K looked so out of place. And I’m not talking about her friendship with Serena. I’m talking about the fact she seemed isolated from the rest of Serena’s gal pals. Kelly & Beyonce were together. Ciara & LaLa were sitting together and taking photos and then there’s Kim. I kinda felt sorry for her.

  28. Jayna says:

    This is the best photo of Serena in her wedding gown to show off the beauty of the gown and wedding cape.

    https://peopledotcom.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/serena-williams-wedding-3.jpg?w=2000&h=1534

    • CynicalAnn says:

      Love the cape.

    • Anna says:

      That is stunning! The fit looks amazing in that pic.

    • Jayna says:

      @Anna, I agree. I don’t know what they did with the bodice right before she walked down the aisle that made the bizarre cleavage line practically to her neck and squished, adjusted it horribly I guess.

      this photo looks so much better and flattering. If you click on the picture, it gives you a closer-up view of the outfit, and the material of the gown is so beautiful, and cape. Her breasts didn’t look so squished up, more settled in the bodice of the gown.

    • minx says:

      That picture is much better.

    • Bella Dupont says:

      Beautiful. I wish she’d worn this as the main dress. Is it also Sarah Burton?

      • abby says:

        @ Bella
        That is the same dress. But clearly there was some poor styling/adjustment just before walking down the aisle.

  29. A says:

    Aaah they are so perfect! I LOVE Serena’s dress, especially the cape. Her husband seems like a genuinely good guy.

  30. BooRadley says:

    I feel like Serena is my sister and I am so happy for her. She looked beautiful and so happy. I feel like no marriage lasts forever anymore but I hope their’s is full of love

  31. AdaRose says:

    Gorgeous. I love her bridesmaid’s dresses. And her baby is beautiful.

  32. Penguin says:

    The second dress (Versace) shows how beautifully you can design for Serena. She obviously paid a fortune for the dress – Burton should have done a better job on the fit, it’s a shame that they don’t seem to be able to do better for someone who isn’t sample size. Serena is such a role model in showing you don’t have to be stick thin to be a strong beautiful women. It’s a shame that her dress lacked the support it should have come with.

  33. aenflex says:

    I don’t understand why anyone, including the extremely wealthy, would choose to waste so much money on a single day, or weekend. On a wedding, period.

    I love the Williams sisters and I’m glad she’s happy. But I’ll never be a fan of opulent, showy, spend-for-the-sake-of-it affairs.

  34. lucy2 says:

    That first photo is perfection. They all look beautiful and happy, and I love the drama of the giant princess dress. (In other photos the top half looks poorly fitted and uncomfortable though).

  35. Mina says:

    Not a fan of her dress but she looks so happy and radiant, so who cares. Congratulations, Serena.