Olympic Ice Dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates Marry in 'Magical' Hawaii Wedding (Exclusive)
The Olympic medal winners found love on the ice after becoming skating partners in 2011
Madison Chock and Evan Bates are forever partners!
The ice dance duo — who have earned multiple Olympics medals and World Championship titles together — tied the knot in a romantic seaside wedding in Hawaii on Thursday, June 20.
The couple tells PEOPLE they got the idea to have their nuptials in Hawaii since Chock’s parents were born and raised there. Fittingly, they opted for a “tropical wedding theme,” incorporating several Hawaiian traditions into their big day, including a lei exchange and music popular to the islands.
“The leis represent unity and the coming together of separate elements to make a whole greater than the sum of its parts,” Chock notes. “In marriage, you come together as individuals to create a partnership together.”
Related: Olympians Madison Chock and Evan Bates Are Engaged! See the Sweet Photos from Their 'Perfect Day'
The three-day wedding festivities kicked off with a welcome event at the Queen Kapiolani Hotel in Waikiki, where guests — who included Olympic figure skaters Adam Rippon, Meryl Davis, Alexa Knierim and others — were treated to a performance by Hawaiian artist Honoka while they played games and mingled. Their guests then enjoyed brunch and golfing before everyone gathered for the wedding.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to get married in Hawaii,” Chock tells PEOPLE. “We were so excited to share the magical celebration with our loved ones, many of whom traveled to Hawaii for the first time.”
The couple and their guests were also serenaded by local group Kailua Moon, who sang a rendition of IZ’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” as Chock walked down the aisle to her groom. The ice dancer traded her skating costume for a customized Vera Wang gown, which included tulle detailing on the top of the dress, a voluminous skirt and a low back.
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The ceremony featured personal touches including a performance from the bride’s mother, Barbara, who was a singer in Hawaii and Japan when she was younger. Barbara performed the “Hawaiian Wedding Song,” popularized by Elvis Presley in the 1961 film Blue Hawaii, during the ceremony.
During the ceremony, which was officiated by their skating mentor and performance coach Steffany Hanlen, the pair exchanged handwritten vows as they said their “I dos.” They also received a blessing from the steward of the Lanikuhonua Cultural Institute, where they got married.
The bride also made sure to incorporate local foods into the wedding celebration, as she noted that the first thing she “asked to book was shaved ice for the cocktail hour” and malasadas from Leonard’s Bakery, two popular Hawaii desserts. The couple also had a guava chiffon cake, which Bates says is “Madi’s favorite island flavor.”
Related: Olympic Ice Dancing Duo Madison Chock and Evan Bates 'Fell In Love' on the Ice
As the afterparty celebration got underway, Chock swapped her Vera Wang gown for a custom look designed by her friend Mathieu Caron. “I wanted something fun with some sparkles, and he found a beautiful fabric embroidered with metallic palm leaves that was perfect for Hawaii,” she says.
The pair entered their wedding reception to Beyoncé’s upbeat song “XO” before switching to a more romantic rendition of “Moon River,” performed live by Kailua Moon, to set the atmosphere for their first dance together as husband and wife.
Chock and Bates say their wedding was a tribute to their longtime love, which initially bloomed after they began skating together in 2011. They eventually became a couple thanks to their “rapport on and off the ice,” and after six years of dating, Bates popped the question on June 11, 2022, during a vacation in Phuket, Thailand. Chock recalls that she had written the date out on the sand when her ice dance partner surprised her by getting down on one knee and asking her to marry him.
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Now that their dream wedding is in the books, the pair — who will be honeymooning in Kauai — tells PEOPLE they have more big plans on the horizon. They have their sights on competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, and also hope to also start a family “one day.”
“Getting married means I get to spend the rest of my life with my best friend,” Chock says. “We will face the future and share all of life's moments together, supporting and celebrating each other.”
“Now we start a brand new chapter as husband and wife, and the prospect of beginning this new chapter is so inspiring,” Bates adds.
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