Why Simone Biles And Jonathan Owens Had Two Weddings
Fierce gymnast Simone Biles backflipped, spiraled, and cartwheeled right into the history books and our hearts when she became a seven-time Olympic medalist. Nicknamed the GOAT, Biles has become a living legend and one of the most talked-about Olympians of our time. So fans were extremely excited when she announced that she was engaged to NFL star Jonathan Owens, who knew he loved Biles almost as soon as he met her. Yes, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better match than these two sports enthusiasts, and we were all excited to hear wedding bells were in the future for Owens and Biles.
Many were surprised when the lovebirds dropped the news that they had been wed in a very small ceremony. Less than a month later, in perhaps an even more surprising turn of events, they had yet another wedding — this one with everything you would expect from a celebrity wedding. Now, we finally have an answer for why Biles decided to have two ceremonies. According to the GOAT herself, legal issues influenced the couple's decision to marry in the U.S. before their dreamy destination wedding. A courthouse was the venue for their first ceremony to make their dream wedding, an oceanside ceremony in Mexico, less of a hassle.
Destination weddings can be tricky, legal-wise
Simone Biles' first wedding was something like a warm-up before the big game. On April 22, 2023, Biles and Jonathan Owens had their first wedding. It was in an all-around normal venue — a courthouse in Harris County, Houston. The newlyweds decided to keep the price low for their small, intimate civil ceremony. The blushing bride wore a gorgeous ruffle wedding gown from Selfie Leslie with a plunging neckline, which cost around $120. Among those who showed up at the courthouse was Biles' younger sister, Adria. Biles joked that her sibling arrived at the courthouse late for the ceremony, so she wasn't able to see any of it (via NBC 5 Dallas Fort-Worth). "Granted [the ceremony] was quick, but still," Biles teased in her social media post. "Typical Adria."
As revealed in her Instagram story, Biles opted to do an intimate courthouse wedding first because it was a necessary step to pave the way for her absolute dream wedding. The beaming Olympian explained it best in her socials when she wrote: "We had to get married 'legally' here in the U.S. since our wedding will be a destination wedding" (via People).
Biles' second wedding was also a dream come true
Destination weddings occur in a city or even a country different from the happy couple's own. Since different countries have various requirements for foreigners to meet before they can receive a marriage license, getting legally wed in a foreign country can be a difficult task. Those requirements stand true even for celebs like Simone Biles and her husband, Jonathan Owens, which is why they decided to go with a civil ceremony for their initial nuptials. As Biles revealed in a Q&A Instagram story detailing her second wedding plans, she and Owens already had a Mexico wedding planned that would happen just a few weeks after their legal ceremony.
On May 6, 2023, the happy couple tied the knot a second time in beautiful Cabo, Mexico. Biles donned yet another breathtaking wedding gown, this one designed by Galia Lahav, as she walked down the aisle to seal the deal with her husband. There were 144 guests in attendance at the wedding to help the gorgeous couple celebrate their second big day.
It was most certainly a trip to remember. Owens shared several eye-catching photos of the Mexico wedding on his Instagram. "The perfect evening," Owens captioned his wedding day post. "The wedding was amazing, and most importantly, my wife looked STUNNING." Judging by the happy expressions on his and Biles' faces in the post, we know they made the right decision to have two ceremonies.