Photo: Getty Images
Black love is already in the air in 2022!
Tennis star Sloane Stephens married her fiancé, soccer player Jozy Altidore on New Year's Day in a Miami Beach ceremony.
According to People, the 28-year-old bride wore a custom, beaded Gaila Lahav couture gown, along with a Maria Elena-designed headpiece and Pete Marco diamonds to complete her regal bridal look.
Schacle Powell crafted Sloane's updo while Tia Codrington did her makeup for the big day. The 32-year-old groom enlisted Christopher Bailey as his barber for the day.
The ceremony took place at the St. Regis Bal Harbour where delicate florals and a mirrored archway –– designed by Cerka Creative –– set the stage for the couple's nuptials. Stanley Babb served as the photographer while Bridges Cinema captured the special occasion as videographer.
The couple left spaces at the ceremony to honor loved ones not physically present, including Sloane's grandparents who died at the beginning of 2021 from Covid-19.
Guests in attendance had to be fully vaccinated and complete two rounds of testing before celebrating with Sloane and Jozy.
Sloane told People planning the wedding in the midst of a pandemic has been a journey with "all of the variables out of our control."
"I empathize with all the Covid couples out there who had to make the tough calls and be flexible with the ever-changing pandemic," Stephens said. "We've all had to be super flexible, and I appreciate how accommodating our loved ones have been in making sure we have as safe and special a day as possible."
And it was special. The couple hosted a range of events in the days leading up to the ceremony including a tennis tournament, a crawfish boil, wine tasting, and beach picnic.
For Jozy, the Toronto FC player says the stand-out moment for him was watching his bride walk down the aisle.
"It's one of those moments that I know will live in my mind forever and time will stand still when I see her," he said.
Check out more photos from inside the ceremony by clicking HERE.
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