Unless you live without any access to TV or the internet, you know Serena Williams got married on Nov. 16, in the Big Easy. The tennis great married Reddit, internet discussion website, founder Alexis Ohanian in New Orleans.
“Alexis really wanted to do New Orleans,” says Williams, to Vogue magazine. “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 couple’s love of the city didn’t just end with having their nuptials in the Big Easy. They also enlisted the help of a handful of New Orleans businesses.
Chef Emeril Lagasse was on hand at the couple’s rehearsal dinner, which was held at Lagasse’s newest New Orleans eatery Meril. The chef and his staff served stars like actress Eva Longoria and Williams’ sister tennis star Venus Williams.
After the dinner, a Café du Monde truck sat outside the eatery serving beignets to the guests.
For the wedding itself, as all of the outlets reported weeks before, the ceremony, reception and after party were all held at the Contemporary Arts Center, on Camp Street downtown.
Local company Distressed Rentals provided vintage furniture rentals for the ceremony, which Williams wanted to look “non-traditional” and have more of a fashion show vibe.
Williams’ longtime trainer, the New Orleans-based fitness guru Mackie Shilstone, officiated the ceremony.
Finally, See-Hear Productions out of Covington, Louisiana was on hand to provide some sound and lighting options for the ceremony and reception.
With the combination of New York-based wedding planners and event designers, as well as the local wedding professionals, the bride’s fairytale, “Beauty and the Beast”-style affair seems to have gone off without a hitch.
With a new tie to the city, we have a feeling we’ll be seeing this celebrity couple around the Big Easy a lot more from here on out.
Save the date for our January Bridal Show, Jan. 10 at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans. Click here for tickets and more information.
