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Only five weeks and four days after the birth of her son, Alexis Stoudemire was a straight stunna in her wedding dress by J. Anton for Ever After Miami, which she was able to try on a mere four days before her wedding. "That was a special moment for me,” she says. “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."
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The only flowers for the Stoudemire wedding were the bouquets. “I’m not into flowers,” explains Alexis. “So that was one of the things I told the wedding planner. I wanted mirrors and candles and crystals.” As for the 8.5 carat diamond ring at the bouquet’s center, the million dollar bauble was designed by Amar’e, who proposed in Paris in June, 2012.
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The family crest, designed by Amar’e and David Zimmerman, was sprinkled throughout the evening.
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Ironically, Alexis’ only stark white dress was for her bridal brunch. Here she wore her hair out, but decided to wear it up for the ceremony: “I knew I didn't want my hair down because of the humidity in Miami, so it was definitely an updo,” she says.
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The menu for Alexis’s Bridal Brunch held on the day before the wedding.
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Alexis’s bridesmaids (shown here) and about 40 other women enjoyed a Kentucky Derby themed brunch in the Sorrento Penthouse at the Fontainebleau, where she stayed for the weekend.
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The dress shown here, by Oscar de la Renta, was actually supposed to be for the reception, but at the last minute, Alexis decided to wear it to the rehearsal dinner and went with a black GVC dress for the reception.
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The Friday evening before the wedding, Amar’e and Alexis hosted about 100 close friends and family to a rehearsal/welcome dinner at Cecconi's at Soho House Miami.
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Because the Stoudemires practice the Hebrew faith, they recited the Ketubah vows during their ceremony under a Chuppah, a canopy under which Jewish couples are married. As she looked into her husband’s eyes, Alexis said, "I felt comfortable. I felt safe. As soon as I saw him, I wasn't nervous anymore." Amar'e adds, "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."
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The rain poured from the heavens on the day of the wedding (considered good luck in many cultures) and so the ceremony was pushed back 45 minutes and moved inside where Colin Cowie’s team had to work it out. Alexis was escorted by a throng of men with umbrellas so she would be picture perfect for her king at the altar.
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Says stylist Rachel Johnson, who did the creative for the wedding, Alexis is a huge fan of Kirkwood, and she’s comfortable wearing his shoes. “They were happy to accommodate us,” says Johnson. “We utilized existing silhouettes but we had carte blanche at choosing our fabric, choosing our lining, choosing the colors of the soles” for the one-of-a-kind look seen here.
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As Amar’e coasted towards his queen with a huge smile on his face, guests of the wedding, who wore black and white, looked on.
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The Knicks were in the house in support of their teammate Amar’e: Carmelo Anthony, Iman Shumpert, JR Smith, Allan Houston (retired) and the Raptors Rudy Gay. Professional athletes Victor Cruz, Kurt Thomas and Drew Gooden (who was in the ceremony) also came to celebrate.
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Alexis and Amar’e did not know what the other was wearing, so it was up to stylist Rachel Johnson to pull the looks together in a cohesive way. Alexis chose a gown from J. Anton (her veil was actually tulle from the original dress) and had it customized with more gold accents. Amar’e’s jacket had a story of its own. “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,” says Johnson. “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.”
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Alexis, Amar’e, Assata, Ar’e, and Amar’e Jr. (baby Alijah is only weeks old) celebrate their second wedding as a family. "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].”
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Amar’e and son, Amar’e Jr., lovingly called “Deuce” by his family, take a daddy-son flick on the big day.
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"We chose our cake because we wanted something royal and regal,” says Alexis of her red velvet confection. “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."
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After the ceremony and cocktail reception, guests were escorted into the reception tent, where Amar'e and Alexis made their entrance as husband and wife. Guests were served dinner with personalized menus, and the newlyweds had their first dance (Seal’s “Kiss From A Rose”).
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Alexis and stylist Rachel Johnson decided at the last minute to go with the Giambattista Valli Couture gown from Spring 2013 for the reception (it was originally supposed to be her rehearsal dinner dress). Amare’s compliment to that the was a red suit by Lanvin, paired a tee with the STAT family crest, and retro Jordan 11s – we assume for his 11 groomsmen -- who all changed into them as well. In a show of unity, Alexis and the kids rocked Jordans too!
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From left: Rohan Marley, Iman Shumpert, Amar’e, Amar’e Jr., Carmelo Anthony, Kurt Thomas and J.R. Smith toast the Stoudemires' big day.
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Six bridesmaids, 11 groomsmen, Alexis, Amar’e 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,” says Amar’e. “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."
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