Venus Williams Opens Up About Married Life With Andrea Preti and the Private Moment She Treasures Most

Venus Williams spent decades living some of her biggest moments in front of millions of spectators, but when it came to marrying Andrea Preti, privacy became a priority. The tennis champion and Italian actor-director have now opened up about their newlywed life, revealing how two wedding celebrations brought together their families, cultures and the places most important to their relationship.

In their first joint interview with The Knot, Williams and Preti shared new details about ceremonies in Italy and Florida and explained why one surprisingly simple moment at West Palm Beach City Hall became particularly meaningful. Their story offers a rare glimpse into a relationship Williams has largely kept away from the spotlight.

Williams and Preti Celebrated Their Marriage Twice

Rather than choosing between Italy and Florida, the couple incorporated both into their wedding story.

Williams and Preti first exchanged vows in Ischia, Italy, in September 2025. The location connected the celebration to Preti’s Italian roots and also carried significance for their relationship.

They later celebrated in Palm Beach, Florida, where Williams has longstanding personal and professional ties. The Knot described the Florida festivities as a six-day celebration, giving the couple an opportunity to bring another part of their lives and families into the marriage.

The two celebrations therefore represented different sides of the couple rather than simply duplicating one another.

A City Hall Visit Became Williams’ Favorite Memory

Despite all the elaborate possibilities surrounding a celebrity wedding, Williams said her favorite moment came during something far simpler: signing the marriage license at West Palm Beach City Hall.

Privacy required some unusual planning.

Williams said preparations began at approximately 3:30 a.m. so the couple could reach City Hall around 6 a.m. and take photographs without attracting unwanted attention. Avoiding bystanders with cameras allowed them to experience the moment more privately.

Williams recalled the modern building, views from its upper floors and sitting with Preti on a bench as they waited.

Her older sister Isha Price accompanied them, adding a family connection to what might otherwise have been a routine administrative appointment.

Williams Didn’t Realize They Would Sign the License There

Part of what made the City Hall experience memorable was that Williams apparently did not expect it to unfold exactly as it did.

She thought they were going to receive paperwork and was surprised to discover they would actually sign their marriage license during the visit. The realization transformed an official formality into one of the emotional milestones of their wedding.

Preti described the experience in similarly powerful terms.

He compared his emotions to “fireworks” and said he cried with happiness as the marriage became official. For Preti, the moment represented something he had wanted for years: beginning a marriage and building a family.

Williams nevertheless acknowledged one thing that would have made the occasion even more meaningful. She wished Preti’s parents and brother could have been there to witness it.

Their Romance Began at Milan Fashion Week

The couple’s journey to marriage began in Italy.

Williams and Preti met at a Gucci event during Milan Fashion Week in 2024. Williams had been spending time around Lake Como with her sisters before deciding to attend the party.

Preti approached her at the event, although he apparently did not initially realize that the tennis champion could speak Italian.

Family quickly played a role in what happened next. Williams’ sister Lyndrea Price encouraged the two to continue talking, and Williams and Preti eventually exchanged contact information and moved their conversations to WhatsApp.

Williams remembered one characteristic that made Preti particularly noticeable during their early conversations: he actually wanted to call her.

His Old Fashioned Approach to Dating Impressed Her

In an era when new relationships can develop almost entirely through text messages, Williams appreciated Preti’s willingness to communicate more directly.

She told The Knot that his desire to have actual phone conversations stood out to her. That seemingly ordinary detail became part of what attracted her to him.

Their romance subsequently developed quickly. Williams publicly confirmed their engagement in July 2025 after winning a match at the DC Open, telling reporters that her fiancé had encouraged her to keep playing tennis during a challenging period.

By September, the pair were celebrating their marriage in Italy.

Their Relationship Has Been Closely Connected to Family

Family repeatedly appears throughout Williams and Preti’s account of their relationship.

Williams was with her sisters when she first encountered Preti in Milan. Lyndrea encouraged their early communication, while Isha was present for the City Hall experience.

Their decision to hold celebrations in both Italy and Florida similarly allowed their marriage to acknowledge each partner’s background.

For Williams, Palm Beach is especially significant. Her family moved to Florida when she and Serena Williams were young athletes, and the region became closely associated with their development into tennis champions.

Preti, meanwhile, was born in Denmark and raised in Italy, where he developed his acting and filmmaking career.

Williams Has Always Guarded Her Personal Life

Williams’ decision to reveal these details is noteworthy because she has historically kept her romantic relationships relatively private.

Her public identity has instead been dominated by an extraordinary tennis career. Williams has won seven Grand Slam singles titles, including five Wimbledon championships, in addition to major doubles success alongside Serena.

She is also a five-time Olympic medalist, winning four gold medals and one silver. Outside tennis, Williams has pursued business interests including her interior-design company V Starr.

That level of fame helps explain why something as simple as arriving at City Hall before most people were awake could matter so much.

Their Biggest Wedding Memory Was One of the Quietest

Williams and Preti’s account of married life is striking because neither appears particularly interested in turning the relationship into a continuous public spectacle.

They celebrated across two countries, but the memory Williams singled out was not necessarily the grandest ceremony or most glamorous photograph. It was sitting beside the man she was marrying, accompanied by her sister, and completing the legal step that officially made them husband and wife.

For Preti, that same moment represented the beginning of the family life he had hoped to build.

Their romance may have begun at a glamorous Milan Fashion Week party, but the newlyweds appear to place greater value on what came afterward: conversations, family connections and private experiences away from cameras.

After a lifetime in which Williams’ greatest victories were witnessed by packed stadiums, one of the biggest milestones of her personal life ultimately meant getting up before sunrise so she and Preti could experience it largely by themselves.

Featured Image: instagram.com/venuswilliams