Olympic Gold Medalist Kerri Walsh Marries

By Amy Keith

Thursday December 08, 2005 03:00 PM EST

Kerri Walsh and Casey Jennings

Shutterbug Art

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Olympic volleyball gold medalist Kerri Walsh and her boyfriend, fellow beach volleyball player Casey Jennings, were married Sunday at a resort near Palm Springs, PEOPLE reports.

Some 200 friends, family members and fellow volleyball stars gathered for the ceremony at the La Quinta Resort – where Jennings, 30, once took Walsh, 27, for a surprise getaway.

"The resort is so magical. It's like old Hollywood and I love it," the new bride told PEOPLE as she basked in the sunny desert weather.

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The 6'3" bride opted against a conventional white gown in favor of a custom-made champagne-colored bustier top and silk organza skirt, while Jennings wore a black silk taffeta tuxedo with white silk tie. The seven bridesmaids – wearing teal green gowns by ABS – included Walsh's childhood friends and her Olympic partner, Misty May. (Walsh and May won gold at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, starting a streak of 50 consecutive match victories.)

Photo by: Shutterbug Art

"Misty was a huge part of bringing Casey and I together," Walsh said. "Her parents introduced us, so the day I tried out with Misty was a very good day. A gold medal and a ring later... ."

The couple, who got engaged after dating for four years, walked down the rose-lined aisle to Hans Zimmer's "You're So Cool" (from her favorite movie True Romance) and were married by a Protestant minister.

"It was so much fun, we didn't want the day to end," Walsh said.

After a few days of relaxing in Palm Springs, Walsh and Jennings were to head to Kauai for their honeymoon. The Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) tour resumes in spring 2006.

Until then, the two newlyweds are enjoying time off living in Redondo Beach, Calif. Walsh will be attending the Winter Olympics in Torino in February as a celebrity correspondent. This is the first marriage for both.