According to the fashion designer Galia Lahav, Simone Biles initially had doubts about wearing a ball gown for her wedding day, but Lahav convinced her otherwise. As Lahav told PEOPLE, “I love that we could surprise her” with the stunning dress. The gold medalist ultimately felt like an “absolute dream” in the gown.
Simone Biles initially doubted her choice of wedding dress for the ceremony, but Galia Lahav, her designer, convinced her otherwise. Lahav describes Biles as her “absolute dream” client and shared with PEOPLE in an exclusive interview how she helped Biles find the perfect dress. Despite Biles coming in with a clear idea of what she wanted, she surprised herself when she tried on a princess gown with a fitted corset top. Lahav explained that even shorter girls can pull off a princess gown, as long as a high slit is added to the design.
Designer Galia Lahav explains that the leg slit in Simone Biles’ wedding gown gave it the perfect proportions, elongated her body, and showcased her legs. Lahav believes that the high slit was an excellent solution to provide variety with Biles’ overall look.
After their intimate courthouse wedding in April, Biles and NFL player Jonathan Owens held a second ceremony in Cabo San Lucas on Saturday. Biles shared with Vogue that she felt extremely nervous on her big day and was worried about wearing a ball gown since she’s petite. However, the dress worked perfectly, and the leg slit was crucial in adding more length to her body. Biles felt “luxurious, beautiful, and on top of the world” in her wedding dress, and Lahav’s design proved to be a great success.
According to Galia Lahav, Simone Biles ended up with four wedding dresses for her celebrations because she “fell in love” with all the designs. Initially, Biles said yes to two dresses, Lahav’s GIMAYA and MAYA gowns. However, when she returned for fittings, she discovered more beautiful dresses that she couldn’t resist. In the end, Biles had four stunning dresses to choose from for her special day.
In addition to her four wedding dresses, Simone Biles also wore two pairs of shoes from Galia Lahav’s collection. She donned the Astrid Silver for the welcome party and Astrid White when she switched into the MAYA gown after the ceremony.
Lahav expressed her delight in working with Biles, describing it as an “absolute dream come true.” She found Biles to be charming and sweet, lighting up the room when she walked in. Lahav also appreciated the trust that Biles placed in her during the design process and wishes her a lifetime of happiness and success.
Biles started her Cabo San Lucas wedding celebrations in a Galia Lahav JILL mini dress at her rehearsal. The dress featured spaghetti straps, an asymmetrical hemline, and beaded fringe, making it a perfect choice for dancing.
Simone Biles wore three custom Galia Lahav dresses for her wedding celebrations. She wore the Galia Lahav GIMAYA dress for the ceremony, with a slit added for more flow and movement. For the reception, she wore the body-hugging custom MAYA dress with sheer panels for a touch of sexiness. Finally, she wore the sparkly custom G-502 party dress for dancing.
Galia Lahav expressed how special it was to collaborate with Biles, who was sweet, kind, and appreciative throughout the design process. Lahav was thrilled to surprise Biles with designs that she thought might not work for her, proving that anything is possible with the right approach.