Well, another fairy tale celebrity wedding is in the books. Dancing with the Stars judge Julianne Hough married her Canadian hockey player beau Brooks Laich in an outdoor ceremony on Saturday near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
The 29-year-old hoofer and her 34-year-old athlete, who most recently played with the Toronto Maple Leafs, were a picture perfect couple. After soliciting advice from fans to help her choose her wedding dress, Julianne opted for the custom strapless Marchesa gown. She went traditional with a lovely double-tiered, cathedral-length veil and accessorized with simple stud earrings by Lorraine Schwartz. Brooks rocked a classic tuxedo by Brooks Brothers.
Julianne was walked down the aisle by her father, Bruce. The couple’s Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Lexi and Harley, served as ring bearers for the ceremony. Friend and bridesmaid Nina Dobrev told PEOPLE Magazine that “I’ve never seen a man look at a woman like that when they said ‘I Do.’ It took my breath away.” Another wedding guest told E! News that the bride “had a huge smile on her face and looked giddy with excitement. When she met Brooks at the front of the aisle, she was ecstatic. The ceremony lasted 15 minutes and at the end, paper confetti shot up from all sides in the air. People were cheering and whistling. Julianne raised her arms in the air as they were announced as Mr. and Mrs. Brooks and Julianne Laich.”
Julianne, who said she wanted her wedding to be an “an intimate affair for close friends and family,” shared her big day with 200 guests, including Breaking Bad‘s Aaron Paul and fellow DWTS-er Mark Ballas. Interestingly, Julianne was wed the same day as her former Dancing co-stars Peta Murgatroyd and Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who were married in New York. Side note, I had over 200 guests at my first wedding, and I hardly felt it was intimate. But, I guess for a celebrity wedding it is a small group, right? Julianne told People, “I don’t think I ever really necessarily dreamed about my wedding as a kid. But I know I will always cherish and remember it for the rest of my life.”
Both the ceremony and the reception were held outdoors and it seems that, unlike my ex-husband, Brooks wanted to have some input in the wedding plans. Says Brooks, “It was really important to me that we had our ceremony outdoors. Julianne and I are very adventurous and free and wanted the setting to be in nature.” Guests were surrounded by blooms and lovely foliage and dined on gourmet fare. The evening ended with dancing and a fireworks display. Sounds like a great evening. Congrats, you two.
Photos: Getty Images, WENN.com
I wish she was still a contender because she’s another one whose dances are perfection.
She’s a better dancer than a judge. I remember the big conflict of interest when she was judging her brother. Glad he is no longer with the show.
he looks very good in his tuxedo. The dress is okay for me. I am more of a go big or go home for weddings and with that I do not mean a poofy skirt, but something more. This one is a bit too simple for my personal liking.
Basic dress on a basic person. I hope wearing blackface wasn’t part of the festivities, since Julianne is known to love doing that.
Seriously?! She did it once, apologized, and while it was a poor decision it’s not like she kept doing it.
Once is too much. Adults know better. It should be mentioned in every post about her so people know what ugliness is beneath her bland surface.
Based on your comments on the other DWTS wedding you’re either having a bad Monday or just someone who always goes negative. Hope it’s the former as the latter is exhausting.
Being honest is not being negative.
Uh wow.
She did it once, and apologized. It was in poor taste definitely, but it’s not something she did repeatedly. IIRC she even washed t off during the party once someone pointed out her error.
I don’t think much of people who can’t forgive and move on.
It’s a tough way to go through life, that’s for sure.
Racism doesn’t just go away because a person got caught doing something racist and offered up a weak non-apology. She also goes out of her way to be terrible towards black people on DWTS. She also once outed a gay contestant on DWTS. Julianne is a bigot and should be called out for her hatred.
I don’t think much of people who whitesplain and like to sweep racist behavior under the rug.
@ Merritt. Agree. No lies detected.
Please explain how saying forgiving someone for what they admitted was a mistake (a onetime mistake, no less) is whitesplaining or sweeping under the rug?
i agree with the person upthread–refusing to forgive when someone apologizes, letting things like this fester, it’s a terrible way to live.
@Goats
1. Not all apologies are genuine and Julianne’s was not genuine. Saying you are sorry and not meaning it is worthless. Telling people they should just move on when someone does something racist is whitesplaining. It is also whitesplaining to put the responsibility of how a racist incident is handled on the targeted group.
For the record, i have no intention of ever forgiving the racist former neighbor who shot a bb gun at my family’s home when I was growing up. But according to you, since they only did it one time, it was no big deal.
2. As already explained, Julianne has been terrible towards black contestants on DWTS, especially when she things she can get away with being overly critical and lowballing their score. And she outed someone. That is a pattern of bigoted behavior.
3. No one is required to forgive another person. Not willing to be a doormat, is not a terrible way to live. Just because you assume that something is festering, doesn’t mean it is.
4. Excusing racist behavior is a terrible way to live.
Please quit with the whitesplaining. It’s like slut-shaming in that people use it as a go-to to shut down any dialogue or dissent. It’s exhausting.
IF Julianne has a history of racist behavior, that’s a horse of a different color, and something I would support her being called out for. considering your first comment was that she “loves” to wear blackface when she in fact did it once, washed it off, and was seen crying after it was explained to her how disgusting it was (if memory serves), I don’t know how reliable you are as a source on the topic.
And you’re right, no one has to forgive anyone ever. But I’ll stand by what I said, it’s pretty darn exhausting to live that kind of life, tallying up wrongs and whatnot. I couldn’t do it, that’s for sure.
@Goats
What is exhausting is when people tell others to just get over things. What is exhausting is to have racist behavior glossed over because the perpetrator has blonde hair and despite being an adult tried to claim they didn’t know that doing something was offensive. To see that same person repeatedly do horrible things is exhausting. To see other people excuse that behavior is exhausting.
To have other white women tell you that is is wrong to remember that a person has a history of racist behavior is disgusting. When people whine about being called out about whitesplaining or slut shaming for that matter, maybe they should look into changing themselves instead of whining about the people calling out their behavior.
Frankly I could not live in a way that just excuses nasty behavior, but a lot of people can which is why Trump is now in the White House. Excusing offensive behavior has consequences. And while Julianne is unlikely to be in a position of true power she is a symptom of a larger problem.
When I was young I pressured my friend into wearing black face on Halloween.
It was really stupid, and we literally did not know better. I literally was that stupid. The girl we pressured had some small objections, but in the end it was bronzer for her, because ‘isn’t it the same as putting on a wig?’. There are pictures. Not a single person at the party said one thing. Every single person who was part of that group horribly regrets it, and most of us are very active in social justice circles now.
I’d like to think I’m not a horribly irredeemable person, and neither was the girl we peer pressured. We were just really super dumb and self involved and din’t realize the impact.
Hough seems to me to be the same, she changed her makeup mid event, as soon as she was told,that’s how much she knew she fucked up.
Now that may just be to save face, and if your comments about her microagressions and other blatant racist issues are correct, then she’s a POS, but I think a lot of people learn and grow. Obviously I’m biased because I’d like to believe myself and my friends aren’t horrible people to this day, even though we definitely were ignorant little monsters at the time.
Julianne was an adult surrounded by other adults when she made the choice to wear blackface. She didn’t change her makeup during the event, she did a poor job of washing it off. And it says something that she wore it all and none of her friends, who were also adults, said nothing before going out in public to the event.
Her continued poor behavior since that event, just proves that she is a bad person with an ugly heart. And that needs to be called out when people try to normalize
I feel this Detritus. I was younger (but still early 20s) when my BFF and I dressed up as Black Panthers for Halloween. It was her idea and I used her face powder to darken my skin and neither one of us realized the weight of what I was doing. When it dawned on me, several years later, that I had done blackface it made me sick to my stomach and I called to apologize. She laughed it off, but I still feel like a complete tit. While I wish I could go back and undo it, at the least I’ve learned and grown from it. Basically I’m also hoping that my mistakes don’t define me for the rest of my life. It’s so easy to lose sight of the bigger picture.
@merritt, I do agree with that, and the conversation regarding the appropriateness and cultural appropriation is loud right now. That was not present when i was a young adult, or i wasn’t in tune with it.
If her behaviour is a trend (and I don’t want nor would i necessarily be great at identify this type of thing, I trust your opinion), then it needs to be called out for sure.
I wonder if the apology shows that Hough is smart enough to care about her image, not that she actually truly cares. Thats an integral piece.
Oh no Anners. yikes. i get that shame feeling too. It means you recognize you f*cked up though, and thats a good thing.
You’ve obviously grown a ton since then, and your obvious discomfort with it does you credit. We can’t be perfect allies, but part of being a good ally is constantly working to get better. I’d like to think by being introspective about our mistakes we are doing that, but the best way to atone is to actually do something.
Soooo hockey gossip, Brooks asked for a salary too large for his talent, so his hockey team, the team he played for his ENTIRE traded him last minute on their cup run and he missed a shot at the cup to be traded to the Leafs. Leafs then put him down to AHl I think, or Robidas island, and now he’s a UFA. It’s not looking good for his hockey careers.
Anyhow, it’s nice Hough is still marrying him after this abrupt downswing in his career. He’s always been a super classy and nice seeming guy, this actually reflects really well on her. I hope his post hockey career goes well, he’s always been a leader so I’m hoping there’s something in the works.
And that is why I am shocked that they made it to the alter. Once he was traded, I knew he was done for and I figured she would go on to greener pastures. Honey, you are no Carrie Underwood.
And considering her attitude and bigotry (I very much agree with Merritt), it shows that those two have a lot in common and classy and nice are not words I would use to describe him.
I think he knows hes on the downswing, he’s a smart guy if you listen to his interviews, so he probably locked down ‘the best’ he could get.
I tihnk she’s a dummy, but I’m not current on the DWTS gossip, so I can’t say anything to her class or treatment of others.
But the Caps didn’t win the cup, I think they lost in the 2nd round.
In any event, love hearing athlete gossip (about the salary request).
They are both gorgeous.
Naw, Cup run, not Cup win, if they won that would have been the biggest kick in the arse.
His salary was on the high side for his performance, and he had a limited no trade clause. As soon as the limited no trade was done, he was gone. Leafs took the bloated salary during their rebuild and got rid of him as soon as it was done.
There are spaces for players like that, but not at his salary (He was traded for Winnick and a draft pick. Winnick is a slightly less skilled but similar age and half the salary).
Hockey drama is hilarious, because its treated so seriously, but this was really the case of someone selling themselves so hard they ruined their chances later on. You gotta look long term, like McDavid did.
Yeah they lost in the second round to the Pens (GO TEAM) two years in a row. The Caps had a limited window to win the cup before they entered cap space hell so did they did what most teams do in that situation, dump a player with a terrible contract and hope for the best. Unfortunately it didn’t work out for them.
Laich’s former teammate Ovechkin had his wedding party this weekend too.
I remember being shocked when he was traded. He had been here so long, I guess I thought this is where he’d finish his career. I think pushing for extra money when he was seeing diminished playing time was epically stupid.
yeah, it was either ego or a bad agent. I think a lot of athletes want the big pay day, but they don’t relaize how it impacts their longevity as a piece.
If you are more talented than your contract pays, people want you for the cap benefit, but also your talent.
Awwww Georgina put the got glue gun and feathers down for this dress!! She must have been in pain but it is sweet and pretty. Julianne is probably used to being spangled and glittered from dance costumes she decided to do the opposite for her wedding gown. They look happy – good for them.
Wishing them the best. Seems awkward to have the wedding on the same day as her co-workers when presumably they share wedding guests who’ll then be forced to choose which one to attend. Not to mention they had to miss each other’s wedding.
my thoughts exactly.
cute couple!
He’s a lucky guy for sure
That dress is also ugly.
But they also look happy. Good luck, kids.
Betsy: your comment made me laugh! Dress IS ugly but good luck, kids. They seem verrrry extra.
This was a fun comment group: hockey gossip, possible info about how Hough could be lowballing contestants, dress critique!
I don’t watch dancing with the stars but I like dance shows, am curious now to find out more?! Kinda. Anyway, two hundred people for a wedding can be pretty standard if both sides having big families and friends, plus parents are helping to pay for the event. Everybody and their puppy want to be invited. I loved my marriage party *and* it was a lot of work & money. That’s why a quickie Vegas sounded good too!
She comes from a really large family so maybe 200 is intimate for them considering how much of the guest list consists of family. Anyways, happy for them! She seems really nice and is really talented.
Why are people still wearing strapless wedding dresses??