Preston Bailey Designs Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian’s Fairy-Tale Wedding

Photo: Bob Metelus and Erica Rodriguez / Vogue.

Design Analysis: A French Ball for Serena and Alexis

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian celebrated their wedding at the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans in November 2017. Preston Bailey was credited for the decoration, working alongside planner Jennifer Zabinski. The visual direction drew on French ball imagery and Beauty and the Beast, bringing an elaborate, storybook atmosphere into the arts-center setting.

One of the defining ceremony elements was a golden floral arch. The setting also included gilded accents and a seating treatment more closely associated with a fashion show than a conventional wedding. Sofas were used rather than ordinary rows of chairs, giving the ceremony a more relaxed and theatrical spatial character.

The design evolved as the evening progressed. After the ceremony and dinner, the team transformed the former ceremony space into a lounge for the after-party. This shift required the decoration and furniture to support different functions at different moments, reinforcing the idea that a wedding is a sequence of experiences rather than a single static room.

Photo: Bob Metelus and Erica Rodriguez / Vogue.

Vogue documented the wedding and credits photographic work across the event to Mel Barlow and Allan Zepeda as well as Bob Metelus and Erica Rodriguez, among others in its gallery.

Design Notes

Vogue documented the Contemporary Arts Center celebration as a French-ball-themed, Beauty-and-the-Beast-style wedding.

The ceremony featured a gold floral arch, while four long dining tables were covered in florals and lamé fabric.

Image Rights

Vogue states that Preston Bailey oversaw the event design for the entire celebration.

Photo: Bob Metelus and Erica Rodriguez / Vogue.

Editorial Source

https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/serena-williams-wedding-new-orleans-gallery

Project Gallery

Photo: Bob Metelus and Erica Rodriguez / Vogue.

Photography Credits

Photography: Mel Barlow; Allan Zepeda; Bob Metelus; Erica Rodriguez. These are the photographers credited by Vogue across the wedding gallery.

Photo: Bob Metelus and Erica Rodriguez / Vogue.