NY Knicks star Amar'e Stoudemire married his long time love and the mother of his three children, Alexis Welch, in a lavish dream wedding in Miami, FL. Get the deets on the nuptials inside.....
Amer'e Stoudemire and Alexis Welch (who are currently on vacation in Israel with their kids) revealed their exclusive wedding photos and details to Essence magazine.
Here's the rundown of the ish YOU want to know about the wedding:
- The Dress: Alexis chose a stunning gown by J. Anton for Ever After Miami. She said,"That was a special moment for me. Seeing my dress fully done for the first time. Since I was pregnant for most of the time between our engagement and our wedding, I didn't really get to try it on."
- The Ring: Alexis' 8.5 carat diamond ring was designed by Amar'e, who popped the question in Paris in June 2012.
- The Wedding jacket: Stylist Rachel Johnson said, “Alexis and I were texting back and forth during the Grammy’s and she loved what Wiz Khalifa was wearing that night. And it was a white jacket with a black shawl collar. And so that was also part of what I pitched, and that’s what Amare gravitated towards. But because Alexis wanted everything to be embroidered and feel regal, and somewhat over the top, we went with an embroidered back detail. It probably took about two months for it to be created, and it arrived maybe two weeks before the wedding. The bridal atelier Ever After applied all of that bead work and the result was literally icing on the cake.”
- The bridal shower - Alexis had a party with 40 of her female friends and fam during a Kentucky Derby themed brunch in the Sorrento Penthouse at the Fontainebleau Hotel.
- Reception and rehearsal attire: Alexis donned a Giambattista Valli Couture gown from Spring 2013 collection for the reception while Amare’s looked suave in a red suit by Lanvin, paired with a tee with the STAT family crest, and retro Jordan 11s.
- On the couple meeting at the altar: Alexis said, "I felt comfortable. I felt safe. As soon as I saw him, I wasn't nervous anymore." Amar'e added, "I was almost in somewhat of a daze, but I was at peace. It was a very gratifying feeling to be standing up there with Alexis."
- The shoes - Alexis wore custom shoes froom Nicholas Kirkwood. Her stylist Rachel Johnson said, “They were happy to accommodate us. We utilized existing silhouettes but we had carte blanche at choosing our fabric, choosing our lining, choosing the colors of the soles”.
- The ballers in the audience: An array of athletes came out to support Amar'e including Carmelo Anthony, Iman Shumpert, JR Smith, Allan Houston (retired) and the Raptors' Rudy Gay. Professional athletes Victor Cruz, Kurt Thomas and Drew Gooden.
- Amar'e on having his kids at the wedding: (Assata, Ar’e, Amar’e Jr. &baby Alijah) in the wedding, "Seeing my wife walk down the aisle and having my children be in the wedding was one of my favorite moments,” reflects the groom. “My son Alijah actually made quite a few noises, but of course only during the moment of silence [laughs].”
- Alexis on her gold, red velvet wedding cake: "We chose our cake because we wanted something royal and regal. In magazines I've always seen cakes with gold trim or gold accents, but never a fully gold cake. We wanted our cake to be something completely different."
- Amare on the wedding party (Six bridesmaids, 11 groomsmen, and three of their four children: "It felt like I was a king in the ancient times of Abraham, especially with all of my groomsmen standing by my side. My friends and my family look up to me, and we are all extremely close. When I was standing up there with everyone surrounding me, I knew that I was making the right choice and that everyone supported us."
See more wedding photos at Essence.....
Photos via Donna Newman