For some mysterious – and for many even incomprehensible – reason, celebrity weddings often hold an irresistible allure for the public, likely awakening their most humble and insatiable scandal-hunting instincts. Just a few weeks ago, the opulent wedding of Anand Ambani, son of the Indian billionaire and Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, made headlines in all types of media – from tabloids to the prestigious pages of renowned newspapers – due to its almost otherworldly luxury, the multi-day celebrations, and of course the high-profile guests who traveled to western India to wish the newlyweds well.

There are weddings that have become historical milestones, such as the wedding of then Prince Charles and Diana in 1981 – Diana’s wedding dress with its famous 7.5-meter train even has its own entry on Wikipedia – or Grace Kelly’s marriage to Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956. Weddings that made the covers for the right reasons, like George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin’s in 2014, or for the wrong ones, like Despina Vandi and Demis Nikolaidis’s.

The exchange of vows – not quite as eternal as it turned out – between the “Beckhams of the Southern Balkans” remained monumental due to the strict security measures and the absolute privacy imposed by the newlyweds, who deployed around 80 security personnel, equal to the number of their guests.

Kostas or Giannis?

In the same path of total secrecy, Giannis Antetokounmpo seems to have decided to follow, as he is set to officially cement his relationship with his fiancée, Mariah Riddlesprigger, over the upcoming weekend (August 30 – September 1). Speculation about the Milwaukee Bucks superstar’s wedding to the former volleyball player started to heat up on the penultimate day of 2023. On December 30, the 31-year-old Californian posted an Instagram story that almost revealed the wedding preparations she had been working on ahead of time. In the post, which disappeared a few hours after it was published, one could see four hands toasting champagne glasses against a backdrop of bridal gowns. It was clear that it was a snapshot from a bridal dress fitting. Most likely hers.

As weeks went by, the rumors about the ceremony turned into certainty, with information leaking to both Greek and American media about the wedding taking place in Greece, specifically at Costa Navarino, where in 2021, Giannis Antetokounmpo bought two luxurious villas. And while paparazzi were polishing their telephoto lenses and devising strategic plans for their arrival in Pylos, on June 29, the 29-year-old Greek Freak made a twist.

On the sidelines of an event in Athens where Antetokounmpo was present, he was reasonably asked by journalists about his upcoming wedding, giving an answer that would confuse even the famously cryptic Pythia: “Who is getting married? Did they invite me to the wedding? I don’t know. Why is it news that I’m getting married? I can’t understand it.” He even hurried to clarify that the wedding rumors did not concern him but rather his 26-year-old brother Kostas and his beloved Demy Filippakou.

The truth is, Antetokounmpo was initially convincing. However, his bluff had short legs. As we approach the end of August, the matter that his wedding will take place at Costa Navarino is becoming a certainty. After all, as George Papadogamvros stated a few days before the “Greek Freak” clouded the waters, Giannis had already started fitting for his groom’s suit.

Moreover, the experienced – having tailored for over 4,000 grooms – and beloved tailor to both domestic and international stars – having been trusted by Sakis Rouvas, Giorgos Printezis, and Djibril Cissé, among others – revealed in statements that he had taken on the suits for both Giannis’ brothers, Thanasis, Kostas, and Alex, as well as some guests traveling from the US to Messenia for the happy event. Last week, the Antetokounmpo brothers indirectly confirmed the upcoming wedding as they were seen together in Mykonos for a brief vacation resembling a bachelor party.

Three Days, One Ceremony, 30 VVIPs

So why, while the world has it figured out, did the popular and influential Giannis want to keep his wedding a hidden gem? One version suggests that he wanted to experience the so-called happiest day of his life surrounded only by close friends, away from prying eyes and the crowded public. After all, in a world that lives, rotates, and is constantly available and permeable through social media, privacy has become a sacred grail – especially for celebrities.

After about a decade of relationship and three children, 4-year-old Liam, 3-year-old Maverick, and 11-month-old Eva, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Mariah Riddlesprigger will exchange vows of eternal faith and love before God and people on August 31. Or almost. According to reliable sources, it will not be a religious wedding – the “Greek Freak” is Orthodox, and his beloved is Catholic – nor a civil one but a hybrid ceremony where the two partners will commit to spending the rest of their lives together, taking place on the afternoon of August 31 on the beach of the “W” hotel at Costa Navarino. The chosen location was not by chance, as it meets the non-negotiable requirement set by the couple, which is to keep their wedding away from media and social media. At least without their consent.

The issue is, of course, how they will control their 200 guests and ensure that none of them will leak details about the wedding of the year through social networks. In this regard, guests are prohibited from having mobile phones and from bringing children. For commemorative photos of the event and with the “newlyweds,” there will be photographers chosen by Giannis and Mariah.

Among the guests, most of whom will arrive from Greece and the US on private flights to Kalamata Airport and will also have access to the resort’s helicopter transfer service, are 30 VVIPs. The superlative term (i.e., Very Very Important Person) is not used excessively or to create impressions, as leaked information suggests that invitations for the three-day wedding celebration have been extended to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his wife Mareva, NBA legend LeBron James, who has a close friendship with the “Greek Freak,” Serena Williams, and Kylian Mbappé, although his commitments with Real Madrid may keep him away. Also, the players and coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, and of course, the team president Peter Feigin.

The most prominent guests will stay in the suites of the “W” hotel, which also offers the always welcome service of personal butlers, as well as the more luxurious “Mandarin” hotel. Some will enjoy only one night on Messenian soil, while others are expected to combine the wedding invitation with a short vacation in Greece.

To Mariah’s Health

The trilogy of celebrations will begin on the afternoon of the upcoming Friday with a welcome party at the “Between” bar – it is said that the dress code has been set to strictly white – which is also located in the secure refuge of the “W” hotel, and will continue the next day with another party, this time with Nigerian references. The highlight will naturally be the wedding ceremony, which will take place on the third day. The attention given by the couple to their guests’ hospitality and the emphasis on detail is evident from the fact that they spent five days at Costa Navarino, tirelessly tasting more than 200 dishes to choose the ideal ones for both the wedding dinner and the two pre-wedding parties.

The menu the couple settled on will feature a broad range of references – from refined, elevated versions of the traditional (for Americans) burger to sophisticated modern Greek cuisine. Also, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s decision to debut the first wine from his partnership through Ante Inc. with Greek Wineries, in which he has held a 10% share since 2022, must be considered certain. This rosé label will bear Mariah Riddlesprigger’s name and, in addition to the standard 750 ml bottle, will also be available in a magnum version. Wedding guests will have the privilege of being the first to taste the first harvest of the Greek Freak.

One cannot help but notice the imaginative way Giannis Antetokounmpo chose to once again declare his love for the one who seems to embody, to the fullest extent, the woman of his life. Although neither of them has spoken about how and under what circumstances they first met, the most plausible scenario suggests that they first came into contact in 2014. At that time, Giannis was in his rookie season with the Milwaukee Bucks, while Mariah, as a graduate of the Sports Management program at Rice University in Houston, was interning in the American basketball league.

Coming from an athletic family, as her father Pat was a basketball player, Riddlesprigger also had a notable sports career. She was an accomplished volleyball player, like her two sisters Mikaela and Maya, and even became MVP of the Collegiate Championship in her graduating year.

Wine, with its full name, is certainly not the first and definitely will not be the last gesture of courtesy from Giannis to her. In the 2021 book Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP by journalist Mirin Fader, there is a story about a surprise the NBA superstar planned for his beloved. In 2018, Antetokounmpo wanted to give Mariah a doodle puppy, which she adored.

Giannis found the only breeder in the state of Wisconsin, but due to his dense athletic schedule, it was impossible for him to make an eight-hour round trip to acquire the puppy. With the help of the Bucks’ management, he delegated the task to an apprentice team employee. After much difficulty, hardship, and many hours of driving through the vast state, and with the intermediary getting lost several times, the puppy finally arrived on time at the Bucks’ arena. After the game, Giannis presented the young dog to Mariah, they named her Mila, and she became famous enough to have her own Instagram account.

Mariah was also an accomplished volleyball player.

The Rock of the “Greek Freak”

Riddlespringer often expresses through social media the blessing of being Giannis Antetokounmpo’s partner, the mother of his children, and his fiancée since 2023—an announcement made during a press conference last fall. However, she strives for more than just the role of the superstar’s wife.

Though she has stated that she desires nothing more than to further expand her family with Giannis, the 31-year-old American remains professionally active, having launched the casual wear brand “Sincerely, Mariah”—an idea she conceived during the pandemic when she began to lose faith in herself and sought a way to counteract the negative thoughts that overwhelmed her. She also actively participates in the activities of the “Charles Antetokounmpo” charitable foundation, which the family created in memory of their late patriarch.

Mariah is considered by many to be the rock that supported Giannis Antetokounmpo after the untimely death of his father in September 2017. In interviews, she has not hidden her deep thoughts about how Charles’ loss had such a significant impact on Giannis’ psyche that it could have served as a barrier to his frenzied athletic performance. However, the couple has learned to overcome difficulties together and live through every significant moment, such as the births of their children, in which Giannis was present and cried uncontrollably, even though he is not the type to let emotions overwhelm him.

Mariah was also the reason why the “Greek Freak” reconsidered a very rigid, almost compulsive life pattern. Before meeting her, his daily routine was exclusively between home and the court. She showed him that there are other, small and big joys in life beyond those defined by the basketball court. The least he could do in return was a wedding in Greece, the country where she had dreamed of traveling since childhood. She never believed she would achieve it, but Antetokounmpo was there to overturn the odds once again. Old habits die hard.