Nieves Álvarez and Bill Saad marry in secret Orthodox ceremony in Paris, with a larger celebration set for 11 July

Nieves Álvarez and Bill Saad are married. The model and presenter, 52, and the Lebanese entrepreneur, 58, held an intimate Orthodox wedding on 12 June at the Greek cathedral of Saint-Étienne in Paris’s 16th arrondissement, as reported exclusively by ¡Hola! magazine. The ceremony, attended only by close family and friends, took place a month ahead of a larger party still scheduled for 11 July in the French capital.

The ceremony

Around a small group of guests, the couple wed under the neo-Romanesque arches of Agios Stefanos, the principal Greek Orthodox church in Paris. Built in the late 19th century, the cathedral has hosted the funeral of Maria Callas and the wedding of Édith Piaf. After the rite, the newlyweds and their guests moved to a Parisian restaurant for lunch.

I am enormously happy. We both are.

What the bride wore

Álvarez chose a midi-length ivory wool-gazar dress-coat by French designer Stéphane Rolland, a close friend and witness at the wedding. The piece, from Rolland’s spring-summer 2022 collection, featured a high neck that fell into a back hood, a marked waist with a large white stone, and French sleeves. She paired it with long white gloves, a ballerina bun, and gold hoop earrings from Bulgari, the brand that also reportedly supplied the wedding rings. The groom wore a white jacket and shirt with black trousers and no tie.

I have a love story with Spain.

A four-year romance

Álvarez and Saad met in September 2021. Last summer, during the wedding of the son of designer Elie Saab in Lebanon, Saad proposed inside a chapel dedicated to Saint Charbel. He knelt and asked, “Do you want to be my wife?” Without a ring, the couple improvised bands from herbs outside the chapel. Álvarez later told ¡Hola! that she kept the engagement quiet to enjoy a summer for themselves.

Do you want to be my wife?

Who is Bill Saad

Saad grew up between France and Canada, studied economics at the University of Montreal and at La Sorbonne, and earned a master’s in business from the University of Quebec. He founded the Lebanese restaurant chain Shukran in Madrid and chairs Jota 2 Group, which invests in banking technology (Mercury TFS) and virtual-reality and AI for airport security (Oreyeon Group). He has two children from a previous relationship.

The party ahead

A larger celebration remains on the calendar for 11 July, again in Paris. The couple’s inner circle will expand to a wider guest list for a festive event that contrasts with the discretion of the June ceremony.