Memphis Grizzlies' Marcus Smart Marries Maisa Hallum in 'Fairytale' Wedding: 'Dreams Do Come True' (Exclusive)

The NBA player and Hallum said "I do" in front of 300 guests at a Newport Coast, California resort

Marcus Smart and his fiancée, Maisa Hallum, are married! 

On Sept. 16, the Memphis Grizzlies player and his longtime girlfriend tied the knot at The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast, California in front of 300 of their closest family and friends. Among those in attendance were Boston Celtics players Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Grant Williams of the Dallas Mavericks, Daniel Theis from the Indiana Pacers and Gary Payton II from the Golden State Warriors.

"Our wedding truly was a fairytale," Hallum tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview. "Every detail came to life and made it special, and being together with our loved ones was the cherry on top."

"What can I say? Dreams do come true and this was the most incredible day," Smart, 29, adds.

The couple tells PEOPLE they chose to say "I do" in the Newport Coast because the destination is close to their hearts. "The grounds are breathtaking and the views of the ocean are unmatched, all around perfection," Hallum says. Throughout the weekend they had a black and white color theme with gold and neutral accents incorporated into every detail.

"A big thing for us is surrounding ourselves with friends and family and enjoying our time with them," Hallum says. "We knew one day wasn’t going to be enough to live in the moment and see everyone, so we extended it to a three day extravaganza and it allowed us to be present and truly share the love with all who attended."

Ahead of the couple's wedding, which was planned by Erica Estrada Design Smart revealed that he couldn't wait for the big day: "I looking forward to marrying the love of my life and celebrating all weekend with our loved ones."

Hallum explains that their weekend-long wedding extravaganza began on Friday evening with a "wedding warmup." To kick off the celebration, Hallum wore a party dress from The Attico and shoes from Rene Caovilla. Smart wore a tuxedo by Alexander McQueen, a Christian Dior button-up shirt and Christian Louboutin shoes.

On Saturday afternoon, the bride walked down the aisle to a wedding string quartet version of Ed Sheeran’s song, "Perfect," before the couple exchanged handwritten vows at the altar. The ceremony was officiated by Regan from Great Officiants.

During the ceremony, Hallum wore a sheer dress from The White Dress in Corona Del Mar designed by Galia Lahav paired with Christian Louboutin shoes. "What drew me to the dress was the fact that it was unique and whimsical. Being a custom, completely sheer, floral lace gown, it was incredibly intimate and I could not have asked for a more perfect dress," she says.

The bridal party wore gowns by Cindy Cohen’s Moda Glam Boutique and the groomsmen wore tuxedos courtesy of The Black Tux.

Following the ceremony, Smart and Hallum hosted a lively afterparty with musical performances by rapper YG and Grammy-winning singer Eric Bellinger. Later in the evening, the couple shared their first dance to "Best Part" by Daniel Caesar and H.E.R.

Smart changed into a custom Giorgio Armani outfit with Christian Louboutin shoes and Louis Vuitton sunglasses, while Hallum's afterparty dress was from Ines Di Santo and her shoes were Miu Miu.

Throughout the celebration, the couple served a plated dinner of ahi tuna crudo, gnocchi cacio e pepe, filet mignon with asparagus and potatoes, lobster risotto and herb roasted chicken. The dessert included a seven-tiered red velvet cake by Grace and Honey.

The couple also had a candy wall and soft serve station as well as a hookah and complimentary marijuana bud bar — "for guests who felt inclined," Hallum says. They also provided Raising Cane's for an after hours, post-event snack.

In addition to the live performances, there was an oil painter and guests could pose in a photo booth or take shots off an ice luge. "We also had belly dancers celebrating my Middle Eastern culture," Hallum adds.

To wrap up the weekend, on Sunday, the newlyweds hosted a farewell pool party to thank their guests.

After the weekend-long celebrations, Smart says they're going to keep the party going with a honeymoon in Bora Bora before he starts training camp for the upcoming NBA season.

"I love his heart, his tenacity, and his kindness. There truly is no man like him!" Hallum says of her husband, adding: "We tackle everything together as a unit."

"Maisa is caring, thoughtful, supportive and my best friend. I can talk to her about anything and everything," Smart says of his wife, noting that "becoming husband and wife means becoming one."

The NBA player and Hallum were first linked in 2017 when they were photographed together at a public event. Since then, they have largely kept their relationship out of the spotlight. 

Smart, however, made an exception for his proposal. On Dec. 25, 2022, he shared a video of himself popping the question with a little help from Will Smith. In the video posted to Instagram, the NBA star played a message recorded by Smith.

Related: Marcus Smart Encouraging Donors to 'Get Out There and Help' After Losing Mom and Brother to Cancer

“I just wanted to take a minute to wish you a very, very Merry Christmas,” Smith said. “I know that you may not have gotten the stuff that you wanted. I promise you, you’re not going to end this Christmas empty-handed. That’s all my message is… my message from Antarctica.”

As the video ended, Smart dropped to one knee behind Hallum, who said yes to his proposal. In the same post, he shared a photo of himself and Hallum wearing matching pajamas as his fiancée held up her hand to show off her engagement ring.

“(Whew!),” he quipped on Instagram before thanking Smith for the assist. “Thanks @willsmith for the setup help!”

In an interview with NBC Boston shared on X (formerly known as Twitter), Smart revealed why he chose Smith to help him with his proposal. “She actually likes Will Smith,” he said. “He’s one of her favorite actors.”

He added that he was grateful to the Men in Black star for taking time to film the video. “It was cool… Will didn’t have to do that,” he said. “He took time out of his day, so I really appreciate it.”

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