“The Challenge” Stars Kam Williams and Leroy Garrett Are Married! Inside Their Dreamy Detroit Elopement (Exclusive)

NEED TO KNOW

• The Challenge stars Kam Williams and Leroy Garrett eloped in Detroit on Aug. 5

• The couple’s two children, Kingston and Aria, were the only guests at their ceremony

• “It was intimate and personal. There was laughter, happy tears and that warm feeling of knowing you’re exactly where you’re meant to be, just the four of us, making this moment ours,” Williams tells PEOPLE

The Challenge stars Kam Williams and Leroy Garrett have eloped!

The couple tied the knot in an intimate wedding at a Peerspace home in Detroit on Aug. 5 — the sixth anniversary of when they “got together.” They were joined by just their two children, 3-year-old son Kingston and 1-year-old daughter Aria.

“We have been engaged for a while, and honestly we were just ready to get married already. Why wait even longer planning a huge, elaborate wedding?” Williams tells PEOPLE. “We knew an elopement style was for us. I didn’t want to be stressed. At first, we considered Chicago because we love the city and it’s such a fun mini-getaway from Michigan. But with two kids, staying in-state was way easier and less stressful logistically.”

The bride and groom, who got engaged more than three years ago, kept their “vintage and timeless” wedding a secret from all their friends and family members because they desired a “simple and stress-free” celebration.

“Any time something felt stressful, I knew it wasn’t for us, so we dropped it,” Williams says. “We decided to keep it easy and stay close to home. We kept it super simple: pick a date, choose outfits, book the location. I handled our daughter’s outfit, Lee handled our son’s, and that was that, stress-free.”

She continues: “I’ve never been the huge, dream-wedding type. I envisioned something stress-free, no heavy planning, simple, and perfectly us. In a few years, I’d love a small, intimate vow renewal with our closest family and friends. But this moment, our elopement, was just for us, and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

Still wanting their loved ones to “feel like they were part of it,” the couple made sure to hire photographer Jennifer Boris to take photos and videographer TENTHIRTY FILMS to vlog the big day so that their family and friends “could share in the moment from afar.”

From the start, the MTV stars didn’t want a “typical” wedding, and instead sought to put their “own vibe and spin on things.” For example, Garrett and Kingston wore Jordan 1 sneakers instead of dress shoes.

“We kept the elegance, but made it us,” Williams says. “A little less tradition, a lot more of our family’s personality.”

Williams walked down the aisle as “Here and Now” by Luther Vandross played. She wore the Serena Mini Dress and matching sheer Serena Gloves from For Love & Lemons, plus Jimmy Choo Aurelie 85 latte patent leather pointed pumps with pearl embellishments. She adorned her curled hair with the New Moon Veil from Ofrenda Studio.

Williams and Garrett recited handwritten vows from a booklet Garrett picked out.

To the couple, marriage means: “Having a partner for life, taking vows before God, and being loyal and committed to each other with our flaws and all.”

After the ceremony, which was officiated by Pastor Jacob R. Mangum, the newlyweds headed to Candy Bar at The Siren Hotel to take photos.

“It had that perfect pop of color with a vintage, playful vibe that matched us perfectly,” Williams says.

The night ended at Shinola Hotel, where they enjoyed a white vintage heart cake with black icing that read: “Just Married.”

“[Our wedding was] real, fun, loving, perfect… and very us,” Williams shares. “It was intimate and personal. There was laughter, happy tears and that warm feeling of knowing you’re exactly where you’re meant to be, just the four of us, making this moment ours.”

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“Our goal was to have everything complete before the kids’ nap time,” she jokes.

Williams and Garrett met in 2017 at a hotel in New York City before they flew out to film The Challenge: Vendettas, the 31st season of the MTV reality competition series.

“During the two to three months of filming, we made it to the end and really got to know each other,” Williams says. “We’ve been connected ever since.”

The couple made their relationship official in 2019 and moved in together the following year, according to Instagram.

In April 2022, Garrett proposed to Williams when she was eight months pregnant with their first child, Kingston, who was born the following month.

“I wanted to focus on my first year of motherhood before planning a wedding,” Williams explains. “When Kingston turned 1, I got pregnant again and was super sick the entire time, so a wedding wasn’t on my mind. Once Aria turned 1, the timing finally felt perfect.”

The parents of two announced their engagement news on Instagram in May 2022, with Williams reflecting on how her unsuccessful journey looking for love on Are You The One? ultimately led to her romance with Garrett. “We both found something that we didn’t go looking for & that just came naturally. We aren’t perfect & I wouldn’t trade any of our ups & downs for anything,” she wrote in part.

The couple welcomed their second child, Aria, in February 2024. At the time, Williams and Garrett opened up to PEOPLE about how they were looking forward to watching the relationship between their little ones blossom.

“I’m excited to live in each and every moment of watching my children grow, and looking forward to each and every stage that motherhood has to offer,” Williams said.

Now, the Michigan-based couple tells PEOPLE that they’re focused on “giving back and building something that will not only uplift the community, but also bring a concept that we haven’t really seen here yet.” They are also looking forward to their honeymoon, but are undecided on a location.

Above all, they hope to continue growing their bond and building their family.

“[Garrett’s] dedication to our family is unmatched, he always shows up and puts us first with everything he does,” Williams gushes. “He really values me and always ensures his words and actions back that up, which is so important.”

Garrett adds that he most admires Williams’ “role as a mother.”

“Seeing her nurture, teach and protect our children fills me with gratitude every day,” he says. “I feel so fortunate to have her as their mom.”

Read the original article on People