InStyle
February 2001
Family Affairs
grand slam

The courtship of champions: After only a nine-month romance
and 16-week engagement Pete Sampras and Bridgette Wilson
wed in an intimate backyard ceremony


He has earned a record 13 Grand Slam tennis titles playing singles, but when it came time to wed actress Bridgette Wilson, seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras proved that he may be even more of a natural at doubles. In an emotional ceremony that included friends' children as well as relatives, a sentimental dance between Bridgette and her dad, and a nod by Pete to his Greek heritage, the focus was on celebrating family: Pete's, Bridgette's and the one they were forming together. And as befits a tennis hero and his actress bride, there was a showstopping surprise as well.

It all began in September 1999. Pete, 29, had been dominating the tennis world for 10 years, but romantically he hadn't met his match. Then he spotted Wilson, 27, at an L.A. cinema. "I said to my friend, half-kidding, 'I'd love to meet her,'" recalls Pete. His pal got her number from a mutual friend, and the match was on.

When told about her famous admirer, Wilson had no idea who Pete Sampras was. "I had never watched tennis, so I wasn't familiar with him,'' she says, laughing. "But when I saw his picture, I was like, 'Oh, yeah, he's a cutie.'"

At her sister's urging, Wilson accepted an invitation to dinner with Sampras -- which she now calls "the closest thing to a blind date I've ever been on." (This was only after she was assured that the 6-feet-1-inch Sampras stood taller than her own 5 feet 9 inches).

Nine months later, on June 7, Sampras proposed with a platinum ring with oval-shaped diamond from Cartier. "I can't remember the exact day I knew she was the one; I remember it was an accumulation of what she's about, where she came from, and her family," says Sampras, who proposed at his Los Angeles home.

In the days after they became engaged, Bridgette had some experience playing a busy bride-to-be -- not only was she planning her own wedding, but she had also just wrapped The Wedding Planner (due out in theaters in February). Then she was cast in the series The Street and had to head to New York to shoot. Throw in Sampras's hectic tour schedule, and it became a major challenge to find a date to wed -- and the time to plan the event. To the rescue came wedding coordinator Rob Smith of Laurels Custom Flora in Los Angeles, as well as Bridgette's sister and maid of honor, Tracy, both of whom helped the jet-setting lovebirds plan an intimate but elegant event in just six weeks.

"Tracy chose the invitations and tasted the food for me. I was like, if you think it tastes good, I will," says Wilson. "Bless her heart, she did so much for me, and Rob just worked magic to get it all done in time."

"You always dream about who you are going to marry and think about
where she is," says Sampras. "And then I opened up the door and
there Bridgette was -- just everything I've ever wanted."


On September 30, as the sun set on a glorious California day, about 80 guests (mostly family members and a few close friends, including Wayne Gretzky) gathered in Sampras's back-yard, which had been converted into a dream-like setting with white chairs facing an archway covered in white flowers, and white candles and flowers floating in the pool.

Bridgette was also a vision in white, wearing a sleek georgette Vera Wang dress that had arrived by Fedex just the day before. After she and her father walked down the aisle to "The Wedding March," Pastor Tim Brueckner, a family friend from the Oregon Sunday school where Bridgette once taught and ran the nursery, performed the 20-minute Christian ceremony. "The moment I loved was when I was walking down the aisle and I got to look Pete in the eye. And when he was repeating a few of the vows to me, I started to cry," recalls Wilson.

After Sampras and Wilson became Mr. and Mrs., guests enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and cocktails by the pool before entering a tent that transformed his tennis court into a romantic reception hall with flowers, chandeliers and mirrors. The newlyweds entered, then danced their first dance to "I Know How the River Feels" by Diamond Rio. Guests dined on risotto and fillet of beef, prepared by Joachim Splichal, the chef at L.A.'s Patina restaurant.

After dinner Pete had a surprise for his guests: Sir Elton John arrived by limo, sat down at the piano and played 45 minutes' worth of his greatest hits, ending with "Can You Feel the Loves Tonight." Even the bride was floored. "That's one of my most vivid memories of the wedding," she says.

Another emotional highlight for Bridgette was dancing with her father to "I Love you Enough to Let You Go" by Alabama. "I was crying my eyes out," she recalls. "It was that moment of acknowledging that he's trusting Pete to take care of me and the family we raise together."

After a dance-music group, the One O'Clock Band, began playing, the newly-weds took to the floor again, staying there until guests left at about midnight. At one point Sampras took a break to honor his own family's heritage: Following a Greek celebratory custom, "I cracked a plate into a number of pieces for good luck," he says. Guests left with a favor of Jordan almonds, another Greek tradition, as well as an Elton John CD.

Sampras may be used to being the center of attention on center court, but being the focus of friends and family on his wedding day was a different experience. "When you win matches, it's a short-lived high," he says. "This was something I was committing to for life. Tennis will one day stop, but I'll always have Bridgette. That's the biggest reward of all."

"I just sort of glided through the evening," says Bridgetteof her wedding.
"But after it was all over, Pete and I looked at each other and said,
'This is perfect.' It was absolutely
everything that we could have hoped for."


A bunch of aces
From top: Bridgette with her sister, Tracy Wilson, and parents, Kathy and C. Dale Wilson.

The bride and groom with the kids in their wedding party. Wilson says: "We didn't have bridesmaids or groomsmen, just two ring bearers [Zach and Adam Weft] and two flower girls [Olivia Annacone and Brittney Wilson]."

Opposite: Pete and Bridgette are all smiles. Along with her platinum band with baguette diamonds from Cartier, Bridgette wore a $400,000 antique necklace-and-earring set borrowed from Fred Leighton.

Can you feel the love tonight
Opposite, clockwise from top left: Pete, who has played in several of Elton John's AIDS Foundation charity tournaments, asked John to give a performance for their guests. The 45-minute set was a highlight of the night -- especially for the bride and groom. "It was an amazing feeling, having Elton John playing, with the two of us dancing to one of his songs," says Pete.

The flower girls dance the night away in custom-made dresses by Vera Wang.

Pete and his mother, Georgia, take to the floor. Guests rock to the One O'Clock Band, in a tent draped with organza by planner Rob Smith.

Right: The newly-weds in action. Pete recalls: "Having fun dancing with everyone, and Elton coming out... it was all just a high."

A smashing celebration
Opposite: Pete, with his sister Stella, breaks a plate against the dance floor, observing a Greek tradition.

Above: Tables of eight were set with an eclectic combination of modern square glass chargers in amber and Victorian Limoges plates, topped with menus embossed with the couple's initials.

Right: The bride and groom cut the three-tier lemon-and-strawberry cake decorated with real roses, by Sweet Lady Jane bakery.

Below: To add warmth to the tables, Rob Smith from Laurels Custom Flora created richly colored center-pieces of polo, peach and amber roses, then surrounded them with votive candles.