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As Laila Ali floated down the aisle to meet her fiancé, Curtis Conway, she had one important pit stop to make. Instead of escorting his youngest daughter along the long path, Muhammad Ali—who sometimes relies on a walker to get around—waited eagerly for Laila to meet him at his front-row seat. The father of the bride stood up to kiss his daughter and grasp her hand. Conway then made his way over to hug the 65-year-old former heavyweight champ before guiding Laila toward the gazebo. While Laila's mom, Veronica Porsche Anderson, took out a tissue, Muhammad beamed. "My dad couldn't really sleep the night before because he was so excited," says Laila, 29. "He was happy. You could see it in his eyes."

The same joy was reflected in her eyes as she exchanged vows with former NFL star Conway, 36, on July 22 at the Rose Garden of the Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey, Calif. "The way they look at each other, you can see how much they love each other," says Anderson, who was divorced from Muhammad in 1986. "She's the happiest I've ever seen her."

And the giddiest. During the non-denominational ceremony officiated by Rev. Michael Beckwith of the Agape International Spiritual Center, "I'd throw in a 'you handsome baby' or a 'cutie-pie' on the end of every sentence [in the vows]," says Ali. Their service hit a more poignant note when the couple exchanged long-stem pink roses—a tradition they intend to continue on every anniversary "to remind ourselves of when we first fell in love," says Ali. When it came time to kiss the bride, "We weren't going to be tonguing it up," says Ali, who planted a subdued smooch on her man. "I'm not going to do the dramatic kiss in public."

But she's not against grand gestures. After the 200 guests tucked into a dinner of beef medallions and candied yams ("I didn't want froufrou food," says Ali), Ali disappeared to prepare for a surprise serenade for her groom. "I had to hype myself up and drink some wine. I was nervous as hell," says Ali, who worked with a voice coach for two weeks. When she finally started singing Oleta Adams' "Never Knew Love" to Conway, "I thought she was playing," he admits. "Once I knew she was serious, I got chills. I couldn't stop smiling." Nor could the crowd. "Everyone was jumping in the air like they're at a Chaka Khan concert," says Ali's bridesmaid and longtime friend Lijuana Gilreath. (Ali's sister Hana and pal Rekiyra Williams were also part of the bridal party; Conway's daughter Leilani, 8, and twin sons, Kelton and Cameron, 12, from a prior marriage, served as flower girl and ring bearers.)

Not everything was a big production. Before the newlyweds' first dance, Ali told her guests, "I know you guys are expecting this elaborate dance, but Dancing with the Stars is over. Me and my baby are just going to have this moment." When "Darlin' Darlin' Baby (Sweet, Tender, Love)" by the O'Jays filled the room, "we locked up and hugged," says Conway. "We weren't having a serious, uptight dance. We would do a silly move. Then everybody just rushed to the dance floor." And they rarely left. "Even my mom was out there! We did the electric slide and the usual wedding dances," says Ali. "Everyone was just having a good time celebrating our love. That was the whole theme of the wedding: love, love, love."

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"I wanted it to feel like you were in a beautiful park," says Ali, so wedding consultant Juliet Ryan decorated the reception room with cherry blossom trees and pink lighting. Keeping to the outdoorsy theme, Ali wore three diamond lotus flower brooches by Van Cleef & Arpels on her gown to go with her platinum band and 5.25-carat engagement ring from Lara's Jewelry.