PALM BEACH, United States — Venus Williams, the tennis champion and entrepreneur, and Andrea Preti, an Italian actor and restaurateur, marked their marriage this year with ceremonies in Italy and the United States, following a relationship that began unexpectedly at a fashion event in Milan.
The couple first met in 2024 during Milan Fashion Week at a Gucci show. Ms Williams was in Lake Como on a trip with her sisters when she received a last-minute invitation and decided to attend.
Mr Preti, who had not planned to go, went despite being tired. Sabato De Sarno arranged an aperitivo for VIP guests after the show, where the two met and exchanged conversation.
“We met at the Gucci show,” Ms. Williams remembers.
She later recalled, “I was in Lake Como on a sisters’ trip when I got an invite at the last minute and decided to go on a whim, and Andrea was tired. Neither of us was planning on being there.”
Early Meetings and Growing Relationship
After the show, the two began texting and later met again in London.
Williams invited Preti to breakfast with her family, including her sister Lyn Williams, who suggested they stay in touch.
“Do you mind if we start a WhatsApp conversation? I think my sister likes you,” Lyn Williams said at the time.
During that London visit, Williams also hosted the Serpentine gala in Kensington Gardens and invited Preti.
Reflecting on that period, she said, “I’m beyond the phase of sneaking around,” and added of introducing him to her family, “It’s not easy to sit around the table with powerful women.”
Mr. Preti later described the introduction, saying he approached Williams at the Gucci show after seeing her seated with friends and family.
“I saw V and wanted to introduce myself,” he said.
“She was on the sofa with her friends and family. I told her, ‘You’re so beautiful,’ and then she started speaking with me in Italian.”
Health Challenges and Engagement
Ten days after they met, Williams was diagnosed with adenomyoma.
She consulted several doctors before travelling to Italy for surgery and noted that she had previously frozen her eggs.
“Thankfully, I froze my eggs a while ago,” she said. The surgery took place about one month after she and Preti met.
“It was so early in our relationship, but we were going through a lot, and he supported me,” Williams said.
“I had surgery a month after Andrea and I met. It was crazy, but that’s how we met.”
The couple became engaged on January 31, 2025, while travelling in Tuscany.
Preti recalled asking her, “Do you want to hear my wish?” before proposing with the words, “Do you want to marry me?”
Weddings in Italy and Florida
Their first wedding ceremony was held on September 18 in Ischia, Italy.
Williams said the couple had initially hoped to complete all formalities there. “We had this dream to do our wedding in Italy,” she said.
“But we didn’t have enough time to do the paperwork—because I’m a foreigner, it can take about eight months.”
As a result, a second ceremony and extended celebration were held in Palm Beach.
The events were planned by Jennifer Zabinski of JZ Events and unfolded over several days, beginning six days before the main ceremony.
Twenty-five of Preti’s family and friends travelled from Italy to attend.
During the week, Williams’s sister Serena Williams gifted the couple a yacht, and daily pool parties were hosted at their home.
“It’s not an easy flight to come here, especially right before Christmas,” Preti said of his guests.
A Week of Celebrations
The Palm Beach wedding week included a boudoir-themed bridal shower on Tuesday, December 23, 2025 at the back patio of the couple’s home, where Williams wore a dress by Kim Kassas and jewellery by David Yurman.
She followed Bridal Fashion Week remotely. “So I attended via Instagram,” she said.
A group dinner organised by Preti took place at Sopra, upstairs at Forte dei Marmi in Miami.
On Thursday, the couple hosted a sports day featuring volleyball, tennis, dodgeball, wheelbarrow races and pickleball.
“I didn’t want to be the team captain—I just wanted to be on the team with my husband,” Williams said.
Early on Friday morning, the couple held a courthouse ceremony, arriving at 6.45 a.m. Williams wore a dress by Morilee New York.
Preti later described the moment, saying, “For me, the courthouse ceremony was very unique, emotional, and deep.”
The Main Ceremony and Reception
On the main wedding day, Williams wore a dress by Georges Hobeika.
Preti walked out with his mother to “I’ll Be There” by the Jackson 5, while Williams entered to “Ovunque Sarai” by Irama.
The couple wrote their own vows, and the recessional was set to “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder.
Their first dance at the reception was to “I Only Have Eyes for You” by the Flamingos. An after-party followed at Sophia’s Hobe Sound and continued until about 2 a.m.
Reflecting on the celebrations, Williams said, “They always say weddings go so fast, and they do.”
She added, “I can’t describe how beautiful, calm, sacred, exciting, and exalting it was. It was just a dream.”
Preti said of the overall experience, “It was the second-best day of my life.”
Ani Afuekwe | Entertainment Reporter
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