Tennis Star Mark Philippoussis Engaged to Jennifer Esposito
His search for a soul mate on the 2007 reality TV series Age of Love may have been unsuccessful, but Australian tennis ace Mark Philippoussis' romance in the real world with actress Jennifer Esposito, a costar on the recently cancelled comedy series Samantha Who?, has become a true love match.
Keeping their status a cherished secret since the summer of 2009, the couple's betrothal has only recently come to light, People magazine reports. The bride-to-be, who was previously married to actor Bradley Cooper, and the sports star have yet to give details about their impending I do's.
Formula One driver Giancarlo Fisichella may be accustomed to accelerated speeds behind the wheel, but on October 10, 2009 the Ferrari pilot no doubt found his own heart racing at the sight of his bride as she made her grand entrance inside the Church of San Lorenzo in Lucina, Rome.
Peering out from behind a lace-edged veil, former showgirl Luna Castellani saw the father of her two children waiting for her as she walked down the aisle in a traditional wedding gown, the hem of its voluminous skirt gently brushing the white aisle runner which led a path to the altar, where the next chapter of the couple's 15-year love story began as the pair were pronounced husband and wife, Il Messaggero reports.
A photo of the groom:
The groom near the altar, waiting for the ceremony to begin:
Khloe Kardashian and L.A. Lakers Star Lamar Odom Engaged
After a month-long courtship, it looks as though L.A. Lakers forward Lamar Odom may be wearing a wedding band the next time he steps out on the basketball court.
Having made their romance public on September 4, 2009, it took only a few weeks for the sports star to realize that the love he feels for reality personality Khloe Kardashian (Keeping Up with The Kardashians, Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami) is leading him down the aisle. Just one day after E! announced the couple's contemplation of a ring purchase, the happy news broke that the pair will pledge their devotion.
According to US magazine, the twosome hope to tie the knot within the next two weeks, with the Kardashian's Calabasas, California abode a possible venue for their wedding vows.
Race car driver Erin Crocker made a pit stop on August 26, 2009 to pledge her love to former NASCAR team owner Ray Evernham. The bride, accustomed to clutching the wheel, held on to a bouquet of red roses as she walked down the aisle in a white, strapless wedding dress at the start of a low key ceremony held at the Southpoint Hotel Casino and Spa in Las Vegas, USA Today reports.
As 140 characters or less is the fastest way to convey the happy news to her fans, the speed demon gave her Twitter followers an inkling of the impending I do's with her August 23rd Tweet "Big week ahead...So excited!" and her August 25th message that she "is heading to Vegas." ;)" Two days after the exchange of vows, the newly pronounced Mrs. Evernham happily typed that she "is thankful for all the congrats and well wishes! :) :) :)"
Kendrick Perkins may be the center for the Boston Celtics, but the Texas-born basketball star who was once the pride of the Ozen High Panthers of Beaumont returned to his home state on the day he said "I do" to his longtime love, Vanity Alpough. According to the Boston Herald, family and friends gathered at the Carlton Woods Country Club in The Woodlands to share the joy of the blessed occasion.
On July 25, 2009 a blast of trumpets regally announced the arrival of the bride, who clutched a bouquet of calla lilies as she walked in a strapless, embroidery-embellished gown up the stone steps to the forecourt of the club house, where her groom-- looking dashing in a white jacket accented with black lapels that matched the remained of his ensemble-- waited beneath a flower-bedecked arbor to make her his wife.
After the exchange of vows, bridesmaids in chocolate brown dresses joined the guests as they watched the newlyweds release a basket of white doves before riding off in a horse-drawn carriage provided by Platinum Carriages. The lovebirds would soon return to sample slices of a four-tier wedding cake at their reception. In the years to come, the happy couple can reminisce about their special day as they flip through a wedding album filled with moments captured by Houston area photographers Mary Henry-Zeek of MH Photography and Holly Anne of Holly Anne Photography.
Fans may sing a chorus of "We've got Robinho" whenever the soccer star enters a stadium, but on the evening of July 9, 2009 the Manchester City striker's heart and soul belonged to his bride, Vivian Guglielmetti Junits. The couple's 11-year love story-- which produced son Robson Jr., named in honor of the athlete's true name, Robson de Souza-- led to their pronouncement as husband and wife in a ceremony held at the Hotel Casa Grande in Guaruja, São Paulo, Brazil, Globo reports.
The sight of the groom in his Armani suit and the bride in her multi-tiered, crystal-accented creation no doubt brought back happy memories of their 2005 I do's to fellow soccer star Kaká and his wife Caroline Celico, just two of the many friends and family on hand to witness the wedding.
Although the following report from Globo.com is spoken in Portuguese, the joy on the faces of the bride and groom transcend any language barrier:
It's match point for tennis star Sania Mirza, who is now only one step away from marriage to Mohammed Shorab Mirza after their engagement became official on July 10, 2009.
The gold embroidered accents of her Nikhil-Shantanu designed Ghagra-choli shined like the facets of the bride-to-be's $205,000 ring as it was slipped on the athlete's finger in the presence of the family and friends who had gathered that evening at the Taj Krishna Hotel in Hyderabad, India to witness the happy occasion.
Although looking forward to their future together, the winner of the tennis star and her fiance will wait two years before walking down the aisle, the Hindustan Times reports.
The following Times Now report offers a glimpse at the prospective groom and the engagement venue:
Although she portrayed a celestial being in the telenovela Dorinha, no doubt actress Sthefany Brito never looked more angelic in the eyes of her love Alexandre Pato than on the evening that she walked down the aisle in her Dolce & Gabbana wedding dress and said "I do" to the striker for AC Milan.
According to Globo, sports icon Cafu was among the 500 friends and family members to rise from the pews inside Sao Francisco de Paula church in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on the evening of July 7, 2009 as the bride, clutching a bouquet of ivory roses, made her grand entrance inside the house of worship, her ribbon-edged veil trailing behind as the voluminous folds of her ballgown skirt gently shifted to the sounds of the wedding march.
After the bride and her 19-year-old groom-- who donned an all-white tuxedo for the happy occasion-- exchanged vows, the Rolls Royce awaiting the newlyweds outside the church whisked the couple off to a reception at the Copacabana Palace Hotel where, like so many others around the world on that day, the music of Michael Jackson was played, both as a celebration of the superstar's life and of the start of the lovebirds' new life together.
An off the court courtship has led to a walk down the aisle on the fourth of July for Houston Rockets power forward Brian Cook and his love, Victoria Velasquez. According to People magazine, the groom's basketball star buddy Luke Walton of the LA Lakers took on the role of best man for the happy occasion, which was witnessed by 150 friends and family members at Trump National Golf Club, the Palos Verdes, California venue which will reportedly welcome Boston Red Sox player Clay Buchholz and Deal or No Deal model Lindsay Clubine for their I do's on November 14, 2009.
The light that danced off of the facets of $75,000 worth of jewelry from Adorn Brides matched the jubilant mood of the lady of the hour as she strolled down the aisle in a strapless creation from Priscilla of Boston's Platinum Collection to receive a wedding band from the man she loves.
Following the exchange of vows, the newlyweds joined their guests in sampling slices of a red velvet and vanilla cake concocted to conform to the shape of a basketball.
Football Stars Enjoy NFL Legends Retreat in Cancun
Trading the feel of playing turf beneath their feet for sand between their toes, football greats Isaiah Stanback (wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys), former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Drew Pearson, former Dallas Cowboys cornerback Everson Walls and former wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles Vince Papale participated in the NFL Legends retreat in Cancun recently.
As a balmy ocean breeze blew in, the palm trees that line the exterior of The Royal and Gran Caribe Real Cancun resorts on Hotel Zone waved a welcome to the star athletes upon their arrival for autograph and photograph sessions with fans. Although Monday June 22nd marked the end of their excursion, while packing his luggage for a flight home Drew Pearson may have been dreaming of a return visit. Reminiscing about his first stay on the island, the sportscaster exclaimed ..."now that I see Cancun I can tell it's a beautiful place, where everything is first class and everybody gets a special treatment. I am scheduled to leave on Monday, but I don't think I am gonna make it; they will need to kick me out of here."
Vince Papale and Drew Pearson pose for posterity with a football fan:
Isaiah Stanback signs his John Hancock for a fan:
Isaiah Stanback, Vince Papale, Everson Walls and Drew Pearson join Best Day Travel CEO Julian Balbuena and Real Resorts CEO Fernando Garcia for a photo: Photos courtesy Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau
In June 2007, soccer star Joe Cole and his love Carly Zucker were among the guests seated in the pews at St. Peter's Church to witness the wedding of Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick and Lisa Roughhead. Two years later the couples found their roles reversed as Michael Carrick and his wife joined Chelsea and England captain John Terry, fellow soccer star Scott Sinclair, EastEnders cast member Kara Tointon and approximately 150 friends and family members as they rose from their places inside Royal Hospital in Chelsea in honor of Carly Zucker as she began her walk down the aisle. During the ceremony guests witnessed the groom slip a wedding band on his bride's finger to accompany the £50,000 engagement ring which has graced Zucker's left hand for the past two years.
The newly pronounced Mrs., who recently said so long to the single life with a bachelorette party at London nightclub Mahiki, has kept the style of her "I do" dress (which the Mirror indicates was purchased at bespoke wedding supplier Ana Cristache) a secret which will only be revealed to the public upon the publication of the magazine chosen to present the details of the couple's special day.
The bride wore a white dressing down for her walk to the vehicle which whisked her to the wedding venue:
Wedding guests John Terry, who heads the Chelsea and England soccer teams, and his wife on their way to the chapel:
Guests pose for posterity among arrangements of white roses outside the chapel at Royal Hospital:
As former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan gets ready to tackle sitcom stardom as a cast member in the upcoming FOX series Brothers, the football great is also preparing to embark on a new chapter in his personal life. The athlete, who today analyzes games on FOX NFL Sunday, confided to People magazine that he has asked Nicole Murphy to be his wife.
Choosing a beach in the Bahamas for the May 22, 2009 betrothal, the ex-wife of Eddie Murphy is now sporting an engagement ring crowned with canary yellow and white diamonds. The happy couple have not divulged a date for their impending I do's.
While some believe that love flies in on the wings of a dove, it was an owl that was the bearer of the wedding bands that symbolize the everlasting bond between Manchester United defender Wes Brown and his love Leanne Wassell when the couple said "I do". Swooping down on the shoulder of the best man, "Ollie" presented a leather pouch containing the rings which were slipped on the lovebirds' fingers on June 13, 2009 in a ceremony held at Peckforton Castle, the North-West Evening Mail reports.
Having marked their first year of marriage the day before, soccer star Wayne Rooney and his wife Coleen were among the group of well-wishers at the nuptials before traveling to Barbados to privately celebrate their anniversary and look forward to their future with the child they will welcome into the world later this year.
In the midst of his sorrow over the recent passing of his daughter Exodus, boxing legend Mike Tyson has found his reason to once again-- in the words of poet Mary Lee Hall-- "turn back to life and smile." On June 6, 2009 the former heavyweight champ said "I do" to Lakiha Spicer, E! online reports.
Just 45 minutes after obtaining their license to wed, the nighttime nuptials took place at La Bella Wedding Chapel at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel. The pews were empty as the bride made her way down the aisle toward the groom, who donned a suit and tie for the occasion.
Seated in the pews at Brick Presbyterian Church in New York on June 4, 2009, no doubt images of the day they said "I do" brought smiles to the faces of mogul Donald Trump and Melania Trump and Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones as they watched Suzanne Ircha walk down the aisle toward the father of her two young sons, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson.
According to the New York Post, 150 friends and family members witnessed the union, then followed the newlyweds to a reception at the Four Seasons Hotel.
Woody Johnson was previously married to Sale Johnson, who exchanged vows with sportscaster/former football star Ahmad Rashad in November 2007.
Just married to the woman he loves, life is a whole new ball game for Boston Red Sox team member John Smoltz. According to USA Today, the pitcher pledged his devotion to Kathryn Darden on May 16, 2009.
As home is where the heart is, the athlete chose to exchange vows at his Alpharetta, Georgia residence. Seventy friends and relatives were on hand to offer their best wishes to the happy couple after the early evening ceremony.
Swimming sensation Amanda Beard, seven-time Olympic medalist, took the plunge on May 1, 2009 at a resort which dubs itself a diving paradise-- Wakatobi, off southeastern Indonesia.
As the sun slowly melted into the sea, the bride's shadow-- alongside that of groom Sacha Brown-- stretched out on the sands of a private beach as the swimmer, in the presence of a small band of locals, received a wedding band to accompany the engagement ring she had found tucked away inside a Tiffany box on Christmas Day.
Embracing the culture with their choice of attire, the bride wore a demure black tunic and sarong, which was harmoniously paired with a white veil, representative of a traditional Western wedding. A sword-- part of the groom's wedding look-- added an extra exotic element to the sarong he donned for the big day, the couple revealed to People magazine.
The newlyweds, who savored samples of a two-tier cake after the intimate "I do," are happily awaiting the arrival of their first child in September.
Boston Red Sox Player Clay Buchholz Engaged to "Deal or No Deal" Model
It won't be long before Lindsay Clubine-- Deal or No Deal's briefcase model number 26-- will begin packing a suitcase for her honeymoon with the love of her life, Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz.
Having asked for his love's hand in marriage on March 13, 2009, the wedding will be a done deal on November 14th of the same year, the Boston Herald reports.
The baseball star and his bride-to-be are currently planning the details of their impending I do's, which will reportedly take place at the Trump National Golf Club-- the Los Angeles venue named for the man who played Cupid for the couple, Donald Trump.
Although she first caught Andy Roddick's eye as a bikini-clad image in the pages of Sports Illustrated, no doubt model Brooklyn Decker never looked lovelier than on the evening of April 17, 2009, when she donned a Vera Wang gown and said "I do" to the tennis star.
Feeling that there was no place like home to begin their life together as husband and wife, the groom's Austin, Texas home served as the venue for the love match, People magazine reported. The bride was bathed in the warm glow of candlelight as she strolled past family and friends-- including tennis legends Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf and pop icon Elton John, who performed at the event-- and made her way to her intended.
Standing amid the brightly-petaled blooms which transformed the residence into a tropical paradise for the pair, bridesmaids in cocoa-colored creations looked on as the bride received a wedding band to accompany the engagement ring (shown below) which has graced her finger since March 2008.
Following the exchange of vows, the newlyweds and their guests gathered at Austin's Westwood Country Club for the reception.
Roger Federer may be ranked second in the world at the moment, but the tennis champ holds the number one spot in the heart of his bride, Miroslava "Mirka" Vavrinec.
The couple's romance, which ignited as the Olympic flame burned during the 2000 Sydney games, led to their walk down the aisle on April 11, 2009.
An intimate "I do," the pair pledged their love in a ceremony held in the groom's hometown of Basel, Switzerland, the multi-Grand Slam winner announced in a brief statement posted on his official web site.
Currently enjoying their first days of wedded bliss, the newlyweds are also awaiting the arrival of their first child this summer.
Soccer star Heather Mitts, who stood alongside her teammates at the top of the podium to receive her gold medal during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, is now preparing to stand at the altar beside a man who no doubt, in her eyes, has a heart of gold-- Philadelphia Eagles quarterback A.J. Feeley.
Revealing to The Boston Globe that she has been sporting an engagement ring on her left hand since before the Christmas 2008 holidays, the 2004 recipient of ESPN's "Sexiest Female Athlete" title announced that the couple plan to begin their married life in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on February 13, 2010. The ceremony will be the fruition of a love which began to blossom seven years ago.
Flowers have long been believed to possess a language all their own. While in Victorian times the choice of blossoms bore messages to their receiver, on the evening of March 28, 2009 Irish rugby star Brian O'Driscoll used a profusion of petals and stems to spell out the words which won over the heart of actress Amy Huberman-- "Will You Marry Me?"
Knowing that home is where the heart is, the prospective groom chose the garden of their shared Dublin abode for the proposal, the IrishIndependent reports.
The bride-to-be, known to television viewers from her role on the drama series TheClinic, will soon embark on a separate career path as a romance novelist. Her first tome to be released in the summer of 2009, the TV star may find inspiration in her own love story for another novel as she starts this latest chapter in her life.
Currently enjoying their first days of betrothed bliss, the pair have not announced a date for their impending walk down the aisle.
It's match point for tennis great Boris Becker, who announced on February 28, 2009 to a studio audience on the German program Wetten, dass...? that he is one step away from matrimony.
His previous betrothal to Alessandra Meyer-Wölden broken in November 2008, the triple Wimbledon winner resumed his romance with model Sharlely "Lilly" Kerssenberg, who recently accepted his proposal.
Eager to begin their new life together as husband and wife, the happy couple-- whose love story spans four years-- have already set the date for their impending "I do." According to People magazine, the pair will pledge their love to each other on June 12, 2009 in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
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