American ice dancers, Madison Chock and Evan Bates married in Hawaii!
Olympic medal winners, ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates were professional partners. And now they have become life partners after their recent wedding in Hawaii!
Madison Chock weds Evan Bates
June 20 2024 was a special day for the couple, Madison Chock and Evan Bates. The ice dancers became life partners on this day. They exchanged wedding vows in Hawaii seaside.
The pair told People magazine the reason why they opted for Hawaii as the wedding venue. It was because Madison’s parents were born in Hawaii and they also grew up there. The theme of the wedding was tropical and included several Hawaiian cultural traditions and music.
They also had a lei (Polynesian flower garland) exchange. Madison explained:
“The leis represent unity and the coming together of separate elements to make a whole greater than the sum of its parts,”
“In marriage, you come together as individuals.”
The couple are dating since 2011 and on 11 June 2022, Evan proposed to her in Phuket, Thailand while holidaying there.
Details of the wedding
The wedding stretched over three days. Firstly, there was a welcome event held at the Queen Kapiolani Hotel in Waikiki. On this occasion, Hawaiian artist Honoka performed for the guests that included famous Olympic figure skaters like Meryl Davis, Adam Rippon, Alexa Knierim etc. There were games, golfing, and guests could freely mingle with each other and have conversations. They were served a brunch before heading for the wedding ceremony.
Madison was extremely thrilled and remarked:
“It’s always been a dream of mine to get married in Hawaii,”
“We were so excited to share the magical celebration with our loved ones, many of whom traveled to Hawaii for the first time.”
When Madison walked down the aisle, a local group Kailua Moon sang IZ’s song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”.
The bride wore a custom-made Vera Wang gown, which had a voluminous skirt with tulle at the top and a low back.
The personal touch to the wedding
Along with other programs and performances, Madison’s mother, Barbara gave an impressive performance to the Hawaiian wedding song that Elvis Presley had made famous in his 1961 film Blue Hawaii.
The pair’s skating mentor and performance coach Steffany Hanlen officiated the ceremony. The couple read handwritten vows during the wedding ceremony. Moreover, the steward of the wedding venue, Lanikuhonua Cultural Institute bestowed his blessings on the couple.
The menu had a lot of local foods and delicacies. Madison was keen to have shaved ice for the cocktail hour and had also ordered malasadas from Leonard’s Bakery. Additionally, there was Madison’s favorite, guava chiffon cake.
When the after-party celebrations started, Madison wore an attire that her friend Mathieu Caron designed. The bride noted:
“I wanted something fun with some sparkles, and he found a beautiful fabric embroidered with metallic palm leaves that was perfect for Hawaii,”
The reception started with some wonderful music followed by dance of the newly weds. They will honeymoon in Kauai.
Short bio on Madison Chock
Madison Chock is an Olympic ice skater and dancer. More bio…
