Kelly Oubre Jr. and Shylynn.Photo: Emmylou Kelly
The Oubres said “I do” during a romantic weekend at Puerto Rico’s lavish St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort on July 9. The resort was their “ideal wedding location,” says Kelly, 26.
“We chose this location because it’s where Shylynn’s family roots are and there’s so much on the island that we both wanted to experience together for the first time.”
Benny Barrett for Melissa Andre Design Company
Kelly says he and his bride were especially eager to explore the island’s black sand beaches, the bioluminscent bay, and the rainforest. In fact, the newlyweds have had their eye on a trip to Puerto Rico for years.
“[Puerto Rico] was initially going to be our first trip together as a couple but that was canceled with shutdowns and restrictions due to COVID.”
The wait was worth it, says the NBA star, who credits wedding planner Melissa Andre for helping the couple bring their dream wedding to life.
“From the ceremony to the reception, we wanted each part to be a completely different and unique representation of who we are as individuals, as a couple, and as a family while tying in the best representation of the love we have for each other.
Emmylou Kelly
The newlyweds say they “wanted to incorporate a galaxy theme with stars and planets — most importantly Venus, which we call ‘our planet.’ " Kelly says he and Shylynn see the planet, which “signifies love and beauty,” as a metaphor for their forever love.
“How much more infinite can you get than outer space?”
The couple, who met through mutual friends, began dating in 2020. “It was one of those things where we saw each other and didn’t leave each other’s sights again after that.”
And while their love is galactic, the Oubres are certainly partial to island life. “We wanted to bring our guests into our world, which a beautiful euphoria that only some dream of, but in our minds, that’s where we are 24/7, which we call T$unami Island.”
The final dress was a “Beyoncé-esque” 2-in-1 gown, that allowed her to celebrate with friends and family without sacrificing her aesthetic. “Wedding or not, this dress could turn necks anywhere — just like my personality.”
Some of those personalized details included custom-made furniture pieces and visual tricks, such as immersive artwork and floating walls, to transport guests into the Oubres' imagined infinity.
Kelly Oubre Jr with friend Faadel Soweidan.Benny Barrett for Melissa Andre Design Company
“The floors in their dining space were mirrored so that you couldn’t tell where the edges of the immersive artwork moving on the walls started and stopped.”
Before the couple exchanged vows, all eyes at the ceremony were on the couple’s adorable one-year-old daughter Málibu, who made her entrance in the front seat of a replica 2022 pink Maybach.
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“Málibu had just learned to walk 2 months before the wedding, and we knew she was going to be our flower girl, but with the 15,000 flowers we had planted we didn’t want her to get lost or distracted so opted for the 2022 pink Maybach to drive her down the aisle.”
Now that they’ve had time to reflect on their special day, the couple both say their favorite part was during the ceremony. “Standing at the bottom of the aisle completely zoning out and getting lost in each other’s eyes. It felt like it was just us there on the beach alone.”
As Kelly gets ready to enter his eighth season in the league, he has no doubt that the timing of this step in their relationship was right for them. “We wanted to take the next steps and give our love to God, for his seal of approval.”
“We know that it’s a rarity in our generation for relationships to get that far, and we also made a pact to break a curse that has been in both of our families for lifetimes, we just were ready to be together forever and what better way to do that than to tie the knot.”
source: people.com
