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    #Theowens, the sequel

    Simone Biles Owens reveals $120 wedding dress and possible minimoon spot — and shuts down her hair haters

    Steven Devadanam
    Apr 25, 2023 | 5:00 pm
    Simone Biles Jonathan Owens wedding 2023

    #TheOwens plan a second destination wedding soon.

    Photo by Rachel Taylor/Rae Tay Photography

    Not even a week has passed since Houston's G.O.A.T. Simone Biles Owens and NFL star Jonathan Owens announced their surprise wedding, and fans are already speculating on the couple's next wedding — and even debating Biles' wedding hair in her big day.

    More on the hair later, but first, the next wedding. The dynamic duo, whom Jonathan tagged as #TheOwens, tied the knot at the Harris County Courthouse with Judge Jay Karahan officiating. They shared poignant photos by Houston-based photographer Rachel Taylor of the ceremony as well as what Taylor tells us is a "top secret" photo spot. "I do," Biles wrote on IG, adding, "officially owens." Her proud husband commented, "Wifey got a great ring to it. ❤️💍 First day of forever."

    On his own post, Jonathan simply wrote "My person, forever."

    They then shared pics of a post-poolside toast on their IG stories, with Biles Owens' adorable caption, "cheers husband." In a move every husband can relate to, Owens captioned a photo of a metallic martini glass full of assorted fruits — and his gorgeous bride — with the caption, "My two favorite things 😂❤️." (Nicely done, J.O.)

    Simone Biles Jonathan Owens poolScreep capture via Simone Biles Owens/Instagram and Jonathan Owens/Instagram

    So what's next? Speculation abounds as to the celebrity couple's next wedding and its locale. “We will be having a wedding in a couple of weeks,” Biles Owens told fans during an Instagram Stories Q&A session on April 23. “We had to get married ‘legally’ here in the US—since our wedding will be a destination wedding.”

    Sports site Gymnastics Now (somewhat confidently) reports that the Owenses are "set to formally tie the knot in Baja California Sur on May 6." (CultureMap can't confirm these details.)

    Wedding site The Knot notes that the second wedding color theme will be champagne, gold and white, and that the couple plans to host some 140 guests at the mystery location. During the Q&A session, Biles Owens revealed that she and Jonathan are considering a minimoon in Bora Bora, most likely after the 2023-2024 NFL season.

    As for the Houston ceremony, Biles Owens reminded fans how relatable she actually is, noting on her IG session that she and Owens "went so over budget," (been there) and that, "you only live once." While she boasts a total of four wedding dresses, she nabbed her white, tiered wedding Selfie Leslie dress online for a mere $120 the week of the big day. Fans who're curious as to her white, strappy heeled sandals can find them online at Pretty Little Thing.

    Simone Biles weddingBiles Owens scored this dress for a mere $120.Photo by Rachel Taylor/RaeTay Photography

    In an eye-roll reminder of celeb scrutiny, Biles Owens' hair was actually the subject of dubious shade. Some actually called her hair “a mess.” One comment, which sparked numerous retorts, complained about her hairline and that her “edges should have been laid.” (Umm, okay.)

    Biles Owens — who has famously been through far, far worse worse than this kind of nonsense — actually fired back on Twitter, reminding haters that Houston is, well, balmy. "i think they also forget i live in HOUSTON TEXAS & I sweat those out!! soon as we stepped outside for pics but they can keep complaining idc idc idc."


    i think they also forget i live in HOUSTON TEXAS & I sweat those out!! soon as we stepped outside for pics

    but they can keep complaining idc idc idc
    — Simone Biles Owens (@Simone_Biles) April 23, 2023

    We don't care either, Simone. Here's to your big wedding sequel, minimoon/honeymoon, and endless days of bliss with your forever person.

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    hottest headlines of 2025

    Houston's richest residents, best suburbs, and more top city news in 2025

    Amber Heckler
    Dec 22, 2025 | 3:45 pm
    Museum of Fine Arts, Houston gala 2025
    Photo by Wilson Parish
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    Editor’s note: As 2025 comes to a close, we're looking back at the stories that defined Houston this year. In our City Life section, readers will notice several of our local universities earned high praise from prestigious global and national publications. Houston's sprawling suburbs continued to skyrocket in popularity for their livability and safety, and no top-10 list is complete without mentioning the city's wealthiest residents. Read on for the top 10 Houston City Life stories of 2025.

    1. 2 Houston universities named among world’s best in 2026 rankings. These two high-performing local institutions – Rice University and University of Houston – are in a class of their own, according to the QS World University Rankings 2026. QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) compiles the prestigious list each year; the 2026 edition includes more than 1,500 universities from around the world.

    2. Richard Kinder is Houston's richest billionaire in 2025, Forbes says. The Kinder Morgan chairman is the 11th richest Texas resident right now, and ranks as the 108th richest American. Kinder also dethroned Tilman Fertitta to claim the title as the wealthiest Houstonian.

    3. 2 Houston neighbors shine as top-10 best places to live in the U.S. Pearland and League City, respectively, claimed No. 3 and No. 6 in U.S. News & World Report's annual "Best Places to Live in the U.S." rankings. The 2025-2026 rankings examined 250 U.S. cities based on five livability indexes: Quality of life, value, desirability, job market, and net migration.

    4. 5 Houston suburbs deemed best places to retire in 2026 by U.S. News. The Woodlands and Spring should be on the lookout for an influx of retirees next year, U.S. News predicts. Three more Houston-area neighbors also ranked among the top 25 best places to retire in America.

    5. Activist group calls out Houston highway as a 'freeway without a future'. A May 2025 report from Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) included Houston's Interstate 45 expansion on its list of highways with infrastructure that is "nearing the end of its functional life." CNU claims further expansion of Houston's highway system could eventually lead to the loss of the city's bayous, while also diminishing the remaining flood-absorbing land.

    6. 10 things to know about America's first Ismaili Center opening in Houston. After nearly 20 years in the making, the long-awaited Ismaili Center, Houston finally opened its doors to the public. The 11-acre site was painstakingly designed and constructed to offer indoor and outdoor public spaces for all Houstonians to enjoy, connect, and engage.

    7. Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta asking $192 million for superyacht. Fertitta, who owns the Houston Rockets and restaurant and hospitality conglomerate Landry's, decided to sell his 252-foot yacht, named Boardwalk, to make room for an even larger superyacht he is expected to receive in April 2026. Among numerous luxurious amenities, Boardwalk also features a helipad.

    8. 2 Houston neighbors rank among America's safest suburbs in 2025. Spring came in at No. 19 and West University Place followed at No. 21 in SmartAsset's August 2025 study, which is the first time the two Houston suburbs have made it into the top 25.

    9. Houston is one of America's most overpriced cities, study finds. This likely isn't a surprise to some Houstonians. The study, conducted by Highland Cabinetry, said Houston "struggles with heavy pollution and underwhelming income levels."

    10. 9 Houston universities make U.S. News' 2025 list of top grad schools. Among the newcomers this year are Houston Christian University and Texas Southern University. HCU's graduate education school ranks No. 21 in Texas, and TSU has the 10th best law school in the state.

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