April Ross is married!
The Olympic seaside volleyball participant, 42, married firefighter Josh Riley on Saturday, Sept. 14, on the Shade Hotel in Manhattan Seashore, Calif., with 110 friends in attendance, together with a number of of her fellow Olympians {and professional} athletes.
April tells PEOPLE that when the pair got down to plan their special occasion, they knew that they needed the placement to be near residence. “Josh was born and raised in Manhattan Seashore, we’ve lived up right here for 4 years and we like it,” she says including, “Manhattan Seashore is the place we first met, on the AVP Manhattan Seashore Open, so it’s becoming we get married there as effectively, making a full-circle second.”
The pair was additionally drawn to the “calm and peaceable beachy, but fashionable vibe,” of the boutique resort. “They’ve a stupendous rooftop with a view of the ocean the place we had our cocktail hour and a secluded courtyard for the ceremony and reception,” provides April. “It’s excellent for what we needed our wedding ceremony to be.”
Befitting the venue, they opted for a “coastal, beachy” theme, which carried by way of from the flowers curated by Rolling Hills Flower Mart — white blooms accented with a number of greenery and eucalyptus with a pop of lavender — to the marriage occasion apparel which included white, impartial or sage clothes, and white linen fits.
In a touching tribute to her late mother, who died of breast most cancers in 2021, April walked down the aisle to “Can’t Assist Falling in Love,” as a particular nod to her mother’s love of Elvis Presley music. She wore a BHLDN gown and veil for the event, which she says “matched the vibe we have been going for completely.”
“It simply felt basic, subtle and timeless,” she says. “It was a kind of moments the place I simply knew it was the gown after I tried it on. I by no means thought I’d put on a veil, however after I put it on it was so fairly I knew I needed to include it.”
The bride’s glam was overseen by make-up artist and hair stylist Mallorie Mason.
The pair exchanged handwritten vows throughout a ceremony officiated by Tyler Caldwell. Their son Ross served as a hoop bearer, and April’s sister was her maid-of-honor. “We [decided to] learn our personal vows to share with our friends the issues we cherish about each other,” she notes.
Following the ceremony, April — who gained a gold medal within the 2020 Tokyo Olympics alongside associate Alix Klineman — swapped her wedding ceremony robe for a second BHLDN look with a little bit of a retro twist. “I had the highest, which was very bridal, with an enormous bow on the again and I paired it with a tulle skirt. It had a little bit of an ’80s vibe, however I feel it says, ‘I’m able to occasion!’ ”
Through the cocktail occasion, the newlyweds and their friends nibbled on appetizers together with spice BBQ pork sliders with cabbage slaw, prosciutto and burrata grilled cheese, and crostini with fromage blanc, dates, honey and toasted walnuts.
A plated dinner adopted, that includes a menu that included seared halibut with roasted fingerling potatoes, sautéed spinach and tomato fondue; vegan enchiladas with refried beans and Spanish rice; and braised beef quick rib topped with a crimson wine demi-glace and crispy shallots, accompanied by garlic mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus.
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The couple selected a three-tier carrot wedding ceremony cake with cream cheese frosting in a half-naked model, made by Lido Bakery. In a playful contact, the cake was topped with a pair of seaside chairs.
When the dancing kicked off, April and Josh shared their first dance as husband and spouse to George Strait’s 1997 track “Carrying Your Love with Me.”
Late into the night time, the celebration moved to native restaurant Simmzy’s. “We anticipated it being a late night time so we did not wish to obligate ourselves or our friends to a farewell brunch the next day,” April says.
She and Josh first met in 2017 at Shellback Tavern after the Manhattan Seashore Open seaside volleyball match. Josh popped the query in February 2022 whereas the couple was having fun with a spa and wine tasting weekend in Temecula, Calif. They welcomed their son on Oct. 25, 2023.
Reflecting on their wedding ceremony, April says it was an ideal day and one “huge occasion.” She additionally notes that it was a chance for her and Josh — who’re planning a honeymoon in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, later this yr — “to proclaim and share our love for one another with our dearest family and friends and have a good time that dedication to one another.”
For April, marrying Josh means “uniting as a household with our son” and “forming a staff stronger than its particular person members.”
She provides, “We’ve been collectively for seven years already, so it is a continuation of the life we’ve shaped already solely with a stronger dedication to one another.”
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After wrapping up her season taking part in for the AVP League all through the autumn, April plans to retire from seaside volleyball and transition into a training and commentating profession.
“I really like the little life we’ve created along with our son, Ross, and our bullmastiff, Rooney. We go on household walks every single day that Josh doesn’t need to be on the firehouse, and people small moments are probably the most valuable to me,” the athlete tells PEOPLE. “I additionally love and recognize our gradual mornings collectively consuming espresso, Caribbean Home Hunters on within the background, and taking part in with Ross.”
She says she loves how Josh can “flip each mundane factor into one thing enjoyable,” explaining, “I might be fairly severe, so I recognize his capacity to lighten the temper.”
She provides of her husband, “I most admire his loyalty, although — not simply to me, however to everybody he cares about in his life.”
For his half, Josh tells PEOPLE he appreciates “how pushed [April] is — it evokes me to develop and turn into a greater individual for her and our household.”
“I sit up for our household walks on a regular basis with Ross and our canine, Roo, in addition to cooking and consuming dinner collectively,” he continues. “We even have the identical good friend group and that makes life actually enjoyable.”