Michelle Kwan gets married over MLK weekend

Over the MLK weekend, Olympic medalist figure skater Michelle Kwan and Coast Guard Lt. Clay Pell, a grandson of the late U.S. Sen. Claiborne Pell, got married at the First Unitarian Church in Providence, Rhode Island. (Just a few short month ago, the couple was engaged.) On Saturday, January 19, 2013, Michelle Kwan, who cried while walking down the aisle with her father, Danny Kwan, wore an ivory Vera Wang gown, while Clay Pell was dressed in full uniform. For the ceremony, the couple shared their self-written vows and incorporated the song “Fields of Gold,” the music from her final skating performance. About 250 guests attended, including Olympic champions Brian Boitano, Dick Button, Dorothy Hamill, and Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee and his wife. After the ceremony, four uniformed officers of the Coast Guard held formed a saber arch under which the newlyweds walked.

Kwan is a public policy envoy with the Department of State and the most decorated figure skater in American history. She won 43 championships, the silver medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics and bronze at the 2002 Games.