USA Gold Medalist Swimmer Ryan Murphy Marries His College Sweetheart in Lake Tahoe Wedding! (Exclusive)

Ryan Murphy is married!

The Olympic gold medalist, 28, said ‘I do’ to his college sweetheart, Bridget Konttinen, at the Everline Resort & Spa in Olympic Valley near Lake Tahoe, California on September 30.

“Bridget grew up skiing in the area and her dad is from Finland, so skiing was a big part of their lives when they were young. There’s a lot of sentimental value to her,” Murphy tells PEOPLE. “Honestly, I think it’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever been in the world, so it was a dream to get married there.”

Ryan Murphy and Bridget Konttinen at their wedding at the Everline Resort & Spa in Olympic Valley on September 30.

Monique Bianca

He continues, “Plus, I thought the idea of ​​getting married in a place called Olympic Valley was pretty cool,” he adds.

Murphy and Konttinen first met while both were students at the University of California, Berkeley, where Murphy won PAC 12 Athlete of the Year three years in a row.

In 2016, Murphy made his Olympic debut in Rio and won gold medals in the men’s 100m and 200m backstroke. Five years later at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he helped Team USA win gold in the men’s 4x100m medley relay with a new world record.

Ryan Murphy and Bridget Konttinen at their wedding at the Everline Resort & Spa in Olympic Valley on September 30.

Monique Bianca

Murphy’s wedding party included Olympic gold medalist Chase Kalisz, Nathan Adrian, who won the 400 medley relay with Murphy at the 2016 Games, and Lenny Krayzelburg, “who is like my idol,” he says. “Someone who I really looked up to and who was kind of a mentor to me in my career.”

Many of Murphy’s former swimming coaches were also in attendance, including Dave Durden, who was the head Olympic coach at the 2021 Olympics.

The bride, who had always wanted to tie the knot in September, says the duo’s wedding theme was “chic, rustic and vintage.” She worked with Emily Srok of Red Carpet Events & Design to plan the wedding, along with Monique Bianca Photography and Johnny B Films to capture every moment.

Ryan Murphy and Bridget Konttinen at their wedding at the Everline Resort & Spa in Olympic Valley on September 30.

Monique Bianca

“It’s old world meets modern in California,” says Konttinen. “They’re very neutral colors. There’s not really a splash of color anywhere. We used white and tons of green, gold and wood accents. Then a couple of just fun unique touches, like gold disco balls on the dance floor.”

She adds, “We have some surprise fun moments for our guests, plus an espresso martini tower and custom Cal bear shot skis for our alma mater.”

The couple, who got engaged in May 2022, kicked off the weekend-long celebration with a rehearsal ceremony on the 10th hole of The Links golf course. They later took a catamaran to Gar Woods Grill & Pier for a rehearsal dinner, before returning to the resort to host a welcome event.

Ryan Murphy and Bridget Konttinen at their wedding at the Everline Resort & Spa in Olympic Valley on September 30.

Monique Bianca

“I think that’s going to be the part I’m really looking forward to,” Murphy said ahead of the wedding. “This wedding is going to be so many different people from different parts of our lives and people who have had a really big impact on us.”

He continues, “It’s going to be great to see just the random connections people make and the unique friendships that come out of it.”

On Saturday, the 30-minute ceremony was led by Konttinen’s pastor. The bride walked with her father to Felix Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” in a Sinead dress from Varca Bridal. Murphy wowed in a custom white jacquard tux by Baynes + Baker.

Konttinen’s hair and makeup was done by Edin Carpenter Makeup Artistry.

Ryan Murphy and Bridget Konttinen at their wedding at the Everline Resort & Spa in Olympic Valley on September 30.

Monique Bianca

“It’s the perfect blend of traditional elegance with a modern edge. It’s all covered in lace with a full 6′ train and long sleeves that extend over the arms, a deep V-neckline and an open back,” Konttinen says of her dress.

She added: “The veil is custom made with traditional French lace and blush for added drama.”

Before the couple’s big day, Konttinen was most excited about the ceremony. “I simply love the tradition and the spiritual connection around marriage. The very thought of it chokes me up. We have two readers, which is traditional in the Catholic Mass,” she says.

“I think our faith has always been a hallmark of our relationship, as well as the way we want to root our marriage and our future family,” he adds. “Ryan grew up Catholic and I grew up in a more congregational Christian church, so we’re doing a bit of a hybrid ceremony.”

During the wedding, the couple exchanged personal vows in front of 180 of their family and friends. The moment is one that Murphy and Konttinen have been looking forward to for a long time.

Wedding of Ryan Murphy and Bridget Konttinen at Everline Resort & Spa in Olympic Valley on September 30th.

Monique Bianca

“I feel like in a lot of ways we’ve grown together in our relationship,” Murphy says. “We’ve been together for seven years now. And when I think about Bridget, there’s so much about her and I think that’s always been very attractive to me.”

He adds: “She’s so smart, she’s athletic. I like her sense of humor, so we had a really good time together, but we can also talk about deeper things, and I think that’s very important.”

After the ceremony, the newlyweds hosted a cocktail hour where they served three signature cocktails: aperol spritz, old fashioned and “Golden Bear” which is a tribute to the couple’s favorite drink from a bar in Berkeley where they used to go on game days.

During the reception, the couple presented the bridesmaids and best men in a special way.

Instead of entering in pairs, Murphy suggested that the wedding party exit in groups with choreographed dances. For the best man dance, they held Murphy’s brother and used him as a human limb.

Ryan Murphy and Bridget Konttinen at their wedding at the Everline Resort & Spa in Olympic Valley on September 30.

Monique Bianca

Later in the night, Murphy and Konttinen danced their first dance to Justin Bieber’s “Anyone.”

“We were like, no pun intended, fish out of water in that, because we never formally danced together, other than just going to a bar or something,” Murphy says.

“I was pleasantly surprised that Ryan is actually a pretty good dancer, so we’re really excited to be able to put on a show for our guests, not just slow dance together, but really make it fun for everyone,” Konttinen adds.

For dinner, the couple served a crab cake meal, with filet mignon, salmon or mushroom ravioli with truffle sauce. Dessert included lemon meringue and red velvet cake decorated with pressed flowers by their florist.

To end the weekend, the couple hosted a farewell breakfast on Sunday, before jetting off for a quick honeymoon.

“We’re holding off on a longer dedicated honeymoon until hopefully the 2024 Olympics if I make it,” Murphy says. “So for this one we’re going to do a quick three days down in Cabo. It’ll be nice to relax a little bit after the wedding, let’s go down a little bit and just enjoy a nice tropical destination for a little bit.”

Konttinen adds, “Ryan completely grounds me and calms me down. I just love how much fun we have together. We can go through a lot of serious things or big moments, but at the end of the day, we’ll always find time to sit on the couch together and just giggle like kids and goof around each other.”

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Source: HIS Education