The three-day celebrations for the wedding of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Mariah Riddlesprigger began today, Friday, in Messinia with an elegant party where the dress code required all guests to wear white.

The couple, known for their style and elegance, followed the same theme, providing a stunning start to the wedding events, arriving at Costa Navarino by boat. Today’s party is held at the “Between” bar, which is also located in the secure area of the “W” hotel.

Watch the video of the couple’s arrival at the party:

On Saturday, the celebrations will continue with a “Nigerian Party” to honor Giannis Antetokounmpo’s heritage. Guests will dress in traditional Nigerian attire, adding a unique cultural touch to the event. This day is expected to be full of color and tradition, offering a special experience for all attendees.

The highlight, of course, will be the wedding ceremony on the third day. The importance the couple places on hosting their guests and the emphasis on detail is evident in the fact that they spent five days at Costa Navarino tirelessly sampling more than 200 dishes to choose the perfect ones for the wedding dinner and the two pre-wedding parties.

According to reliable information reported by Thema, this will not be a religious wedding—the “Greek Freak” is Orthodox, and his beloved is Catholic—nor a civil ceremony, but rather a hybrid ceremony in which the couple will pledge to spend the rest of their lives together. This ceremony will take place on the evening of September 1st on the beach of the “W” hotel at Costa Navarino. The location was carefully chosen to ensure the wedding would not become fodder for the media and social networks—at least not without their consent.

VIP Parade at Kalamata Airport

Traffic at Kalamata Airport has increased since yesterday as the couple’s approximately 200 guests are arriving by air, mostly from abroad, on private jets and helicopters. Among the guests are the four owners of the Milwaukee Bucks. Other notable guests, most of whom will arrive from Greece and the USA on private flights to Kalamata Airport, with some also having access to the helicopter transport service of the resort, include 30 VVIPs.

Watch the video:

The term “VVIP” (Very Very Important Person) is not used lightly or to create an impression, as reliable information suggests that invitations to the three-day wedding celebration have been extended to, and are expected to be accepted by, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his wife Mareva, NBA legend LeBron James, who has a close friendship with the “Greek Freak,” Serena Williams, and even Kylian Mbappé, though his commitments at Real Madrid may prevent his attendance. Players and the coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, as well as the team’s president, Peter Feigin, are also on the guest list.

Teammates of Giannis from the Greek National Basketball Team and athletes who have played alongside him and the Antetokounmpo brothers in their early years at Filathlitikos are also expected to attend.

The most prominent guests will stay in the suites of the “W” hotel, which also offers the always welcome butler service, and in the more luxurious “Mandarin” hotel. Some guests will enjoy just one night in Messinian soil, while others are expected to combine their wedding invitation with a short vacation in Greece.

The Menu and Giannis’ Love for Mariah

The menu selected by the couple will feature a broad range of options—from refined, elevated versions of the traditional (for Americans) burger to sophisticated modern Greek cuisine. It’s also expected that Giannis Antetokounmpo will introduce at the wedding the first wine resulting from his partnership through Ante Inc. with Greek Wineries, in which he has held a 10% stake since 2022. This will be a rosé label named after Mariah Riddlesprigger, and in addition to the conventional 750 ml bottle, it will also be available in a magnum edition. The wedding guests will have the privilege of being the first to taste the “Greek Freak’s” inaugural vintage.

One cannot help but notice the imaginative way Giannis Antetokounmpo has chosen to once again proclaim his love for the woman who seems to embody the ideal partner for him. Although neither of them has spoken about how and under what circumstances they first met, the prevailing theory is that they first came into contact in 2014. At that time, Giannis was in his rookie season with the Milwaukee Bucks, while Mariah, a graduate of Rice University’s Sports Management program in Houston, was doing her internship with the NBA.

Coming from an athletic family—her father, Pat, was a basketball player—Riddlesprigger herself excelled in sports, particularly in volleyball, as did her two sisters, Makayla and Maya, and she even emerged as the MVP of the Collegiate Championship in her graduation year.