The hidden detail about Serena Williams' royal wedding reception outfit

In a crowd of royals and A-listers, Serena Williams was a sartorial standout at Saturday’s royal wedding. The tennis champion — and friend of Meghan Markle — ditched her Wimbledon whites in favor of a pale pink dress by Versace, which she paired with a matching fascinator and heels.

Serena Williams, with husband Alexis Ohanian, wore pink heels to the wedding itself. (Photo: Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images)
Serena Williams, with husband Alexis Ohanian, wore pink heels to the wedding itself. (Photo: Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images)

By nightfall, however, it was time to switch things up. Serena — who shared footage of her post-wedding nap to “recharge” ahead of the evening reception — opted for a comfier outfit that still looked impossibly chic.

So what does one of the most famous women in the world wear to the biggest party of the year? Valentino… and tennis shoes.

Serena, who was joined by husband Alexis Ohanian for the event, admitted on Instagram that she wore sneakers underneath her floor-length, floral-print gown in a bid to keep her feet comfortable.

But fear not, fashionistas: Her black shoes with cut-out details came with the approval of Maison Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli, who designed her dress and gifted her the footwear at the last minute. How’s that for customer service?

Her crafty style move earned raves from fans, who praised her for keeping it real — and wisely giving herself more time for throwing shapes on the dance floor.

She’s not the only guest who made comfort a priority. Troian Bellisario revealed on Instagram Stories that slippers were handed out to guests who wanted a reprieve from their high heels.

Slippers were handed out to guests who were tired of their heels. (Photo: Troian Bellisario via Instagram Stories)
Slippers were handed out to guests who were tired of their heels. (Photo: Troian Bellisario via Instagram Stories)

It’s not the first time Serena has chose comfort over couture, with the star changing into bedazzled Nikes at her own wedding last November.

Serena walked down the aisle in a spectacular Sarah Burton designed ball gown from Alexander McQueen before changing into a more playful mini dress by Versace.

Dance with new edition? Check ✅. : Bob Metelus and Erica Rodriguez

A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) on Nov 21, 2017 at 7:01am PST

The sparkling Nike runners were specially crafted for the champion’s big day and perfectly matched her reception where all the tables were named after world Grand Slams like table two, the Australian Open.

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