Back in June, Michael Phelps married Nicole Johnson in a small, private ceremony in Arizona.
Phelps and Johnson had recently welcomed their first son, and they were eager to tie the knot, but sought to keep the news under wraps, so as to not distract from his preparation for the Rio Olympics.
Now, Phelps has retired as the most decorated Olympian of all time, which means he’s finally free to party like all the non-superhumans he shares a planet with.
Phelps and Johnson celebrated their marriage in style on New Year’s Eve, with a huge party for their families, as well as for the many friends who weren’t able to attend the previous, more low-key reception.
Celebrity-ish guests in attendance included Olympic swimmers Allison Schmitt and Elizabeth Beisel, as well as Johnson’s makeup artist, Lisa G.
“I am headed over to get Nicole, her mom and besties makeup ready for the evening!!” Lisa wrote on Instagram before the party.
“I can’t wait for all of the festivities and to dance the night away!!”
Phelps and Johnson had a second ceremony back in October, and now they’ve celebrated their love once again with a Gatsby-themed soiree that would put Fitzgerald to shame.
We guess when you’re one of the most celebrated athletes in American history, your have your wedding last all year and no one will complain.
As for why the couple decided to get hitched in June rather than just waiting until after the Rio games, Phelps says they were motivated by logistics:
“Simple reason,” Phelps recently told Sports Illustrated.
“Boomer’s last name was Phelps and Nicole’s was Johnson, and that was going to make overseas travel more difficult.”
He added:
“We were getting married anyway, so we just did it.”
Phelps has said little about how he plans to spend his retirement, but it seems like he’ll be focusing on family life and shooting Intel commercials with Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory.
Hey, with everything he’s accomplished, the guy could spend the rest of his life in a recliner and still get mobbed for autographs when he leaves the house to stock up on Hot Pockets and Miller High Life.
He may never return to the pool for competition, but at least swim fans can look forward to the Olympic debut of Lil Boomer.
