In a private ceremony, Serena Williams wed Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian in November 2017 and she has spoken about the stunning dresses she wore on the occasion.
Williams surprised her guests at the fairytale-themed wedding by wearing not one, but three dresses, including the priciest wedding dress ever worn by a celebrity.
Williams made her appearance in a spectacular Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen strapless princess gown with a cape. In addition, the designer created Kate Middleton’s wedding gown, which she wore as the Duchess of Cambridge upon her marriage to Prince William.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion wore jewellery from Beverly Hills-based XIV Karats, which sources natural, conflict-free diamonds and gemstones from earth mines, and carried a bouquet of white flowers.
The outfit, which came to a total cost of almost $3.5 million, is the most expensive celebrity wedding dress ever.
Williams said that she chose the designer based on a suggestion from her friend Anna Wintour, the chief editor of Vogue, in an Instagram picture showcasing her garment.
Williams desired a dress with a cape, and Wintour mentioned that Burton was the only designer who could meet her demands.
For the first dress, when Anna Wintour asked me what I wanted to wear I said “A cape, I just want to wear a cape,”” Williams wrote on Instagram. “She said, “well Sarah Burton with @alexandermcqueen is the one for you.”
Serena Williams said that she “felt like a princess and superwoman” in the outfit and praised Wintour and Burton for helping to realise her aspirations.
“Thanks Anna. Thanks, Sarah. I felt like a princess and superwoman all at once,” Serena said.
Williams disclosed that in order to meet with Burton, she took a plane all the way to London. Though it was not what the American had in mind at first, she fell in love with the garment.
“I flew to London to meet with Sarah and ended up falling in love with the ball gown silhouette, which is completely the opposite of what I ever thought I would choose for myself,” Serena Williams said. “It has turned out to be such an incredibly special piece.”
Keeping with the Disney motif, Williams donned two more gowns to her wedding, both from the Italian luxury fashion brand Versace.
In contrast to Serena Williams’ classic wedding gown, the second garment included beads and feathers. The third outfit of the evening incorporated a short skirt, which was meant to make it comfortable for Serena Williams to dance with her husband.