July 16, 1988: Wayne Gretzky ties the knot

Wayne Gretzky married Janet Jones at St. Joseph’s Basilica in Edmonton in the summer of 1988

Edmonton - Hundreds of guests attended the Edmonton wedding of Oilers superstar Wayne Gretzky and U.S. actress Janet Jones at St. Joseph’s Basilica.
The elaborate wedding lured about 5,000 sidewalk well-wishers, 650 invited guests and a tangle of reporters and photographers. The event featured a seven-tiered wedding cake and a $40,000 bridal gown. There were eight bridesmaids and eight ushers
Crowds lined up five or six deep on Jasper Avenue to hoot with delight when the newlyweds, both 27, kissed on the steps of the basilica.
The Great One, who would be traded to the Los Angeles Kings just three weeks later, looked a little nervous, but his radiant bride clutched his hand and smiled at him reassuringly.
Celebrity guests ­included composer David Foster; actor/comedian Alan Thicke; Soviet goalie legend, Vladislav Tretiak; retired hockey great Gordie Howe and Premier Don Getty.
“I never dreamed anything like this was possible,” said the groom’s father, Walter Gretzky. “This is just incredible.”