Two professional athletes tied the knot this past weekend. Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson married NFL player Andrew East in a romantic ceremony on a farm in Tennessee on April 16. They got hitched on a friend’s farm near Nashville and it looked like the perfect setting for this fun and lovable couple.
The beautiful wedding took place in a barn on Saturday evening in front of about 150 friends and family of the couple with an amazing view as their backdrop. E! News shared a few details on Shawn and Andrew’s special day . Ivory and green were the colors picked out for the wedding, with lots of flowers and glowing candles scattered about. It was both intimate and fun. Shawn had nine bridesmaids in the wedding party standing by her side as she said her vows to the love of her life, which means that there were nine groomsmen, as well.
Exclusive: Shawn Johnson and Andrew East adorably laughed their way down the aisle. ? https://t.co/0deltsF5LA pic.twitter.com/oSpY5Ypd2y
— E! News (@enews) April 17, 2016
A couple of familiar faces were on the guest list. Fellow gymnast Nastia Liukin mentioned that she couldn’t wait to see the twosome become husband and wife. Former Disney star and Dancing with the Stars contestant Sabrina Bryan had also mentioned on her Twitter account that she was jetting off to Nashville for the wedding.
Of course, everyone wants to know exactly what the bride wore and by the looks of the photos, Shawn picked out the perfect wedding gown for her big day. The strapless ivory dress was custom designed by Nashville-based stylist, Olia Zavozina. The gown was equipped with a mermaid-type skirt and accented with lace and embroidery.
The groom chose to coordinate with his bride by wearing an ivory tie underneath a black tux. He also opted to wear brown shows instead of black. It looks like they were turned into dancing shoes as East showed off some cool moves when he and Shawn Johnson walked back down the grassy aisle after becoming husband and wife.
Although the complete details have not been exposed just yet, Johnson had previously dished to People that she wanted everything to be relaxed and fun to reflect their personalities. She also mentioned what she wanted on the menu for the reception.
“We’re going to have fried chicken and waffles and tacos and really fun, different stuff. We’re not formal people at all. We both live in that world where we’re always going to grand receptions or walking a carpet or being at very proper events so for us to just be able to relax on our day and not really care about eating with our pinkies up is important.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDwaB8LwnYU/?taken-by=andrewdeast
Just a couple of weeks before the wedding, Shawn Johnson and her girlfriends enjoyed a fun time together in Chicago for her bachelorette party . They took part in a cruise on the Spirit of Chicago, as the Knot revealed.
There was also an unexpected part to this trip, as well. The girls took Shawn pole dancing as part of her fun weekend getaway. After her private lesson, she had this to say about the experience.
“After the cruise, my bridesmaids surprised me by taking me to the official Academy of Pole Dance. [We] had a private one-hour lesson on pole dancing! This was probably the most awkward and uncomfortable thing ever. Ouch!”
Shawn Johnson met Andrew East three years ago through the groom’s brother. He popped the question last summer at Wrigley Field in Chicago in front of everyone after the Olympic gymnast threw out the first pitch. The proposal was totally unexpected for her, and she was quite excited. Johnson retired from gymnastics in 2012.
Her new husband just signed on with the Oakland Raiders earlier in April, and they are both excited about this opportunity as they begin their new lives together as a married couple.
Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Andrew East!
[Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images for The Buoniconti Fund To Cure Paralysis]
