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Updated Oct 14, 2024Exclusive: Inside Olympic Athlete Michael Norman's Southern California Wedding
The sprinter married his college sweetheart, Jenna, mere weeks after the Paris Games.
As two student athletes at the University of Southern California, it was inevitable that Michael Norman and his wife, Jenna (Adams) Norman, would eventually cross paths. Before he became a two-time Olympian, the athlete ran for the Trojans' track and field team, where he broke multiple world records. Adams played women's volleyball, and mutual friends ultimately brought them together. "My friend had taken a class with him," Adams, now a banking associate for Goldman Sachs, recalls in an interview with The Knot. "She said he was very similar to me, and thought he was someone I would like. So I took the initiative, introduced myself, and asked him to get breakfast."
After texting for a few weeks, they shared their first date at the campus Cava, and the rest was history. On September 28, 2024—mere weeks after Norman represented Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics—the couple exchanged vows in Encinitas, California. We have an exclusive look inside their "modern" beach wedding here.
Inside Jenna and Michael Norman's Wedding
After meeting over the summer between their sophomore and junior years, Michael Norman and Jenna Adams dated for half a decade before he proposed on a November 2023 trip to Japan. "It was my first time out of the country, so I was just trying to assimilate and experience a new culture," Adams says of their engagement. "It caught me by complete surprise."
Norman, though, had spent weeks planning the special experience. "I flew to her parents' house in San Francisco in the middle of the week while she was at work to ask for permission," the Toyota athlete recalls. After securing the perfect ring, he proposed on the first night of their vacation, thus setting the tone for the entire trip. "That week in Japan was a little blissful bubble," Adams recalls. But because the Olympics were less than a year away at that point, wedding preparations were already in motion by the time Adams said yes. "My mom started planning after [Michael] visited them," she says. "When we got back, she already had a list of venues for us to look at."
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While it may have been a non-traditional take on the planning timeline, the reason was simple: Olympic years leave little time for wedding planning. "Michael only takes one month off during the year, so that means that's the only month where he's allowed to eat whatever he wants, drink whatever he wants, and stay up as late as he wants," Adams explains. "I knew in order for him to fully enjoy the wedding day, it had to be in that month that he takes off right after the season, which in 2024 was September."
With the date easily solidified, the couple began dreaming up their "minimalist and modern" celebration. They enlisted the help of Stefanie Muse, owner of Muse Luxury Weddings, to bring their ideas to life. "Jenna knew her vision from day one and never let anything sway her from that," Muse says. Inspired by architectural concrete images Adams found on Pinterest, the trio curated vision boards that would transform their oceanfront venue, Alila Marea Beach Resort, into a monochromatic oasis.
As the wedding weekend began, the majority of the couple's guest list joined them for the kickoff party on September 27. "We wanted to welcome everyone for making the trek to Encinitas because it wasn't close to an airport," Adams says. Adds Norman: "We were anticipating about 40 people, but well over 100 showed up. It was huge."
On the morning of the wedding, the bride got ready surrounded by her bridal party, composed of her sisters, her college roommate, and her best friend. "It was important to keep it to people that either were family or felt like family," she explains. With the help of her mom, Adams slipped into her custom wedding dress, which she found on her first—and only—shopping day. "I knew I wanted a ball gown because I wanted to have a dramatic moment in the church," she says. "I fell in love with a tight dress, which had a cape and a sculptural one-shoulder detail. It just so happened that they had another dress that matched the fabric on the shoulder."
The alterations staff used that fabric to create an overskirt, but the finishing touches weren't done until 9 p.m. the night before the wedding. "It was really stressful," Adams remembers, before noting that it was worth the wait: "It was beautiful, and I loved it."
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The couple forewent a first look, instead choosing to save the big reveal for the ceremony professional. However, before she walked down the aisle, the groom surprised his wife-to-be with a thoughtful present. "I didn't want a wedding gift, but I told Michael I wanted a heartfelt note that I could look back on and read in the future," Adams says, explaining that he took it a step further by recording the message. "I listened to it before I walked down the aisle, and it was then I realized that I was marrying the person I love more than anything. The fact that he knew how much that would mean to me gave me more reassurance that he's the perfect person for me. After, I was so excited that I didn't have any nerves."
The couple's photographer, Allie Lindsey, recalls capturing the bride's joy in that moment. "Jenna was so excited to get to the altar," she tells us. "As soon as I arrived, she was counting down the moments to see Michael." That energy was palpable during the traditional Catholic ceremony, which was officiated by a USC pastor who has known the couple since they were students. "Seeing Michael watch Jenna walk down the aisle of the beautiful church would have taken anybody's breath away," Muse says. Adds Lindsey: "You could literally feel the joy between the two of them. They were ecstatic to be married."
During cocktail hour, guests enjoyed two signature drinks: an Arnold Palmer for her, and a clarified margarita for him, which was specifically made to be as clear as water—a cheeky nod to the athlete's beverage preferences. "Our friends know that if you could go out to dinner with us, he's ordering water and I'm probably ordering an Arnold Palmer," Adams says. The group also snacked on hors d'oeuvres like manchego and prosciutto croquettes, ribeye with ginger pesto, bruschetta crostini bites, and Tijuana-style tuna tostadas.
To maximize the golden hour glow along the coastal bluffs, the couple posed for portraits before the reception began. Adams surprised her husband by turning the moment into a "second" first look, where she completely transformed her wedding dress by removing the overskirt. "That was my favorite part of the day," Lindsey recalls. "They had the kind of happiness that's contagious to be around."
The newlyweds kicked off the reception by sharing their first dance to Kacey Musgraves' cover of Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love," complete with a choreographed routine. Then, at the recommendation of her mother, whom Adams says played a "huge part in helping plan the wedding," dinner commenced while a vocalist played instrumental music on an illuminated baby grand piano.
Since the couple wanted an "energized" dance floor, Republic of Music provided a soundtrack of early 2000s and 2010s pop music. As the party continued into the night, a DJ took over to create a club-like atmosphere. Calling it his favorite memory of the day, Norman took advantage of the rare opportunity to spend quality time with friends, family and a few fellow Team USA athletes. "It was a great celebration," he muses. "I don't think I've been that happy in a while."
Looking back, Adams credits her vendors—especially Muse and Lindsey—for bringing their dream wedding to life. "It was beautiful, and I wouldn't change a thing," she says. Now, the newlyweds are focused on enjoying married life, putting down roots in California, and, of course, gearing up for LA 2028. "We were so busy planning that now we can just enjoy being together. Plus," she quips, "We're at the very beginning of a new Olympic cycle."
Michael Norman's Wedding Vendors
Wedding Venue: Alila Marea Beach Resort; Photographer: Allie Lindsey Photography; Planner: Muse Luxury Weddings; Videographer: SD Wedding Films; Florist: Organic Elements; Glam: Triplow Beauty; Rentals: Organic Elements, Concepts Event Design; Entertainment: Republic of Music; Transportation: San Diego Charter
