“I was there Monday night eating dinner,” began Ali Riley. “Hanging with Mom and Dad. Watched the sunset.” Sounds beautiful, doesn’t it? But who would’ve thought that just a couple of days later, tragedy would strike—leaving her to say, “It’s gone forever.” Yes, her home. On January 9, intense wildfires tore through the Hollywood Hills, leaving a trail of destruction across Los Angeles, impacting none other than the Angel City captain herself. And as if that heartbreak weren’t enough, her wedding was just a week away—on the brink of being ruined. But stepping in like a true ‘hero‘ was her teammate, Sydney Leroux, who saved the day for her best friend.
Sure, judging by her social media activity, you might not immediately realize that Riley had gone through any sort of ordeal. But truth be told, it was something that nearly ended up spoiling the entire event. The incident came to light in the latest episode of the BFFR podcast with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley. “It’s Ali’s wedding day,” begins Leroux. “I am probably seven shots deep at this point,” both laughed, with Ali even insisting they even videotaped the drunk veteran.
Being one of the bridesmaids, it was only natural for Sydney to make everything “as seamless as possible” for her best friend’s big day. But unfortunately, problems weren’t on holiday that day, “pissing off” the Canadian-American player more than Ali. Yes, even after the ACFC skipper was coming from the upset of losing her childhood home.
“I had a pretty hard week… the house burned down. So I was trying to just let nothing bother me and I was doing a pretty good job until…” admitted Riley. Well, to complete her sentence, Leroux was among the four bridesmaids. However, the wedding planner ended up thinking there were just three, leaving both Angel City stars fuming. That even saw Syd furiously react by saying, “Okay, this is insane.”
Kansas, USA, 23th June 2021: Sydney Leroux, World Cup champion and current forward for NWSL s Orlando Pride, after the National Women s Soccer League game between Kansas City NWSL and Orlando Pride at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas. NO COMMERCIAL USAGE. National Women s Soccer League – Kansas City NWSL v Orlando Pride PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxBRAxMEX
If that wasn’t enough, the planners were literally gaslighting them, trying to take pictures of the entire bride squad by sharing just a single bouquet. That was the time things took a turn for the worse. “It was windy that day. And the wind took the pollen and went directly on Alli’s beautiful gorgeous white dress. Smack dab in the middle [of the chest],” recalled Leroux.
That made Riley more upset because her wedding dress was spoiled and she hadn’t even walked down the aisle at that point. But, guess the sheer audacity of the photographers, who said, “We can Photoshop it out,” and insisted it wasn’t pollen that marred her dress, leaving her more gaslighted. But then ‘ding ding ding,’ and Leroux’s light bulb glows.
While Riley and her husband Lucas Warrer Nilsson were taking pictures, the forward came out from the bathroom and shouted, ‘Tape!’ Others almost felt Sydney had too much of drinks for the day but boy did she really end up solving a problem with that tape. “Usually doesn’t happen to me. I’m not the smartest gal… It was that extra shot that got the juices flowing up,” she hilariously added.
Long story short, the tape was able to stick on the pollen and rip it off Riley’s wedding dress. “I was the hero. That was my moment though,” proudly remarked Leroux, with even Ali also agreeing with her BFF. Talk about one rollercoaster of emotions. Despite all such difficulties, Syd was able to help during Ali’s big day, especially after the events she had witnessed days ago!
A happy ending for Ali Riley
No bride wants to see her special day get spoiled. In Ali Riley’s case, it felt almost inevitable after losing her cherished home to the LA fires—especially with her wedding just a week away. One can only imagine the emotional toll it must have taken. And yet, despite the looming threat of her big day being ruined by pollen, Ali still found a reason to smile as wedding bells rang loud and clear at the Santa Rosa Valley.
“It gave us a few hours of joy,” she told the Herald while recalling the bittersweet moment. While not everyone could be there, she shared how much it meant to her parents to celebrate in the face of heartbreak. “It brought my parents so much excitement to be able to still do this and still celebrate,” she said through tears.
To sum up the entire experience in Ali Riley’s own words: “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. Together through it all. For the rest of our days.”
And, of course, a special shout out to Sydney Leroux. Ali Riley in indeed lucky to have a friend in Sydney Leroux, shots or not.
The post Angel City Star Saved Ali Riley’s Big Day a Week After LA Fires Tragedy Hit Childhood Home: ”I Was Scared” appeared first on EssentiallySports.
