“You’re everything I’ve ever prayed for and more.” That’s how Tyrese Haliburton described his then-fiancée, Jade Jones, earlier this year. The couple, who have been together for seven years, got engaged last year and will have the big wedding on August 1. But before that wedding, the couple made sure to make it official legally.

The couple announced on social media that they had officially tied the knot at the courthouse, sharing a series of pictures with their loved ones. Jade wrote in the caption, “It’s (courthouse) official 🍾💍.” They are still almost two weeks away from their big wedding celebration, but some of the close friends and family were present for the courthouse ceremony.

It included  Haliburton’s mother, Brenda, and Pacers assistant coach Isaac Yacob. The now-married couple began dating in 2019, when both were attending Iowa State. Then, after 6 years together, the basketball player got down on one knee and asked the cheerleader to marry him.

At the time, Tyrese Haliburton was still recovering from that Achilles injury, and was even worried about how he would go down on one knee. His workouts were designed, which made the task possible, and the Indiana Pacers guard set up the surprise at mid-court in Hilton Coliseum, Iowa State’s iconic arena.

Before becoming this power couple in Indiana, they were just two Cyclones, one leading the basketball team and the other on the cheer squad. The couple met as students at Iowa State University in 2019, beginning a relationship that has now lasted seven years. Hali even captioned the announcement, “The place where our story started and where our next chapter begins.”

He even presented her with a massive oval-cut diamond ring, and since then, the couple has been busy with wedding planning. But Tuesday was another day of celebration for the couple. One of their close friends even shared a cute video of Haliburton and Jones. Haliburton was trying hard to pop the champagne bottle but couldn’t, so he needed his now-wife, Jones, to instruct him on how to do it.

They kept it casual as Haliburton went with an all-black outfit, complete with a pair of black Puma suede classic shoes. Jones opted for a white dress, white heels, and a bouquet of white flowers. Even the social media comments were full of love for the couple. Karl-Anthony Towns’ girlfriend Jordyn Woods wrote, “Yayyyy one step closer 🤍.”

Even Haliburton commented, “Okay WIFEY.”

The friend who had shared the champagne video wrote, “MISS TO MRS.”

Although the presence of close friends makes any event special, the couple will miss one of their closest friends, who had been with them since the start of their college romance. It was last month during Jones’ bachelorette, when Makenzi Nichole Kern unexpectedly passed away.

Tyrese Haliburton and Jones grieved over their friend’s passing

“Everyone knows how Kenzi and my story started,” Jones shared in a long emotional post on Instagram. “I never knew our hilarious hair-pulling fight would’ve turned into a friendship that has changed my life forever. Kenzi was the funniest, goofiest person I’ve ever met. She was always making me belly laugh. She had such a gift of bringing happiness to every room she was in.”

“We will always love and miss you Kenz,” Tyrese Haliburton wrote. “Forever thankful for you.”

According to her obituary, Kern passed away from health complications in St. Barts on June 8. The family quickly made sure to shut down any speculation about foul play or any reports linking it to the use of drugs or alcohol. The unfortunate incident happened just two days after her 26th birthday on June 6, when the friends celebrated on St. Barthelemy Island.

She was a cheerleader with Jones while Hali played for the Cyclones. That’s why Jones wrote in her statement, “I can’t even imagine our wedding day without her there celebrating with us. The day will not be the same without her, but I know she will show us she is there somehow.”