Facts About Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade's Wedding

Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union went out of their way to keep #theWadeUnion a secret. But we’ve managed to sleuth out a few exciting facts about their big Labor Day event. And you’ll be surprised by what we found out.

Dwyane Wade Was In Charge of the Planning

Gabrielle Union told the New York Times, “He realized that I was trying to turn it into a frat party with K-cups and beer pong, and he took over.” So Dwyane took over “85%” of the planning to give the wedding a classier vibe: “I was thinking ‘Harlem Nights’ and Eddie Murphy, classic movies and the way they dressed.”

Dwyane Had Three Outfit Changes

Dan Caten of DSquared2 — the dynamic designing duo that designed all the outfits for the groom’s party — joked, “I was teasing him, you’re changing more than the bride.” While most of his outfits were plays on classic looks, Dwyane Wade wore white poplin boxer shorts to the after party.

Caten said the idea was “gentleman on top and athlete on the bottom.” Wade paired the boxers with a black-on-black camouflage silk lame jacket and black gladiator trainers with a silver shield on the tongue.

Everything Was Black And White

And that didn’t just apply to the bridal party’s attire. All of the guests wore black and white two: the men wore black tuxedos and the women rocked white dresses.

All the Men Wore Bow Ties

Before the ceremony, all of the male guests received one of three bowties. Each one of them was black, but with a different treatment.

Gabrielle Wore a Dennis Brasso Dress

But Gabrielle took a big part in creating her custom-designed dress. She said on Instagram, “Thank you thank you thank you @DennisBasso for helping me design THE most perfect gowns for the most special night of my life… So grateful… So happy.”

Dwyane Made A Big Entrance

Dwyane figured it was his big day too: “Everyone wants to look good on their wedding day. And I’m not going around the back. My fiancee may have the bigger moment, but I want everyone to turn and see me when I’m walking down the aisle. I want my entrance.”

Dwyane’s Sons Played A Big Part

Dwyane’s sons Zaire and Zion and his nephew Dahveon all wore white tuxedo blazers that mimicked Dwyane’s double breasted off-white tuxedo shawl collar jacket. Everything was designed by DSquared2 to make sure they looked like a family unit.

Essence Atkins Officiated The Ceremony

Actress Essence Atkins is Gabrielle Union’s best friend for life, and the only one she wanted to marry her to Dwyane Wade, which makes this whole wedding more adorable than we even imagined.

It Was An Outdoor Wedding

Even though it was hurricane season down in Florida, Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union risked an outdoor wedding. And it paid off — the ceremony went down without a cloud in he sky.

The Wedding Party Was Pretty Small

Even though they got married in a castle, Gabrielle and Dwyane decided to keep the wedding party small. Only about 175 to 200 people attended the wedding and just under 300 showed up for the after party.

Small But Star Studded

The backdrop for the red carpet read “Hollywood As Hell” and we believe it. Chris Bosh, Carmelo and LaLa Anthony, Kevin Hart and Eniko Parrish, Chris Paul and Jada Crawley, DJ Irie, Ludacris, Udonis and Faith Haslem were just a few of the celebrities in attendance.

There Were Five Themed Open Bars

It’s no wonder LaLa Anthony quipped “we partied non-stop.” Dwyane and Gabrielle’s wedding featured the moonshine-themed Battier Bar (Shane Battier), Bar Melo (Carmelo Anthony), Bosh’s Brewery (Chris Bosh), Ray’s Retirement Home (Ray Allen) and a “Cleveland, this Way!”

There were also plenty of snacks like waffles, cupcakes and cookies to give guests the fuel they needed to keep the party going.

The Couple Spent About $5 Million on the Affair

Chairs crafted with black crocodile skin, 72-inch viewing screens and a 19,000 square foot castle surrounded by a moat don’t come cheap. These two may have kept their wedding party small, but they spared no expense on the fabulous front.

It Was A Very Intimate Affair

Keeping their wedding party small helped everyone feel really close. The couple even nixed table center pieces because they would get in the way. Dwyane said, “Either you can’t see the person across from you or you can’t see the program.”