Christian Watson Is Married! Inside the NFL Star's Malibu 'Dream' Wedding (Exclusive)

NFL star Christian Watson is married!

The Green Bay Packers wide receiver, 24, tied the knot with longtime love Lakyn Adkins in a destination wedding at the private Stone Mountain Estates in Malibu, California, on Friday. They were joined by 85 guests including singer Jordin Sparks and Watson's teammates Jordan Love, De'Vondre Campbell, Aaron Jones, Bo Melton, Josiah Deguara, Samori Toure and Romeo Doubs.

The athlete tells PEOPLE the couple was keen to marry in Malibu and when they visited their venue for the first time, they knew it was "a perfect fit" for their event.

"It was exactly what we were looking for," he notes of the scenic 40-acre property, nestled near the summit of the Malibu coastal range.

Adkins, 25, says their goal for the two-day event — a welcome party at Cambria Calabasas kicked things off on the eve of their wedding — was to throw "a great celebration with fun entertainment."

"The experience was most important. Ensuring that the guest have the best time with great company around," Watson agrees.

They planned their nuptials with the help of wedding planner Tori Perano of Passera Events. "Since I was busy with football, I let Lakyn take the lead with Tori. I gave her items that I really wanted to see happen for our wedding and she carried that out," Watson explains.

Everything turned out just as they envisioned, Adkins says. "Our wedding was exactly who we are — from the design, food, location, food and attire."

The pair exchanged handwritten vows during a private vow reading, which they followed with a traditional ceremony with their loved ones looking on. Watson's father served as the officiant.

Adkins walked down the aisle to a violin instrumental of Alan Ng's "Can't Help Falling in Love," wearing Rime Arodaky's Celine dress. The modern crepe satin design featured a strapless, heart-shaped bustier trimmed with pearls and removable balloon sleeves, along with a wrap skirt with a high slit. The upper part of the dress' back was detailed with a semi-transparent beaded tulle panel.

Watson wore a dark green tux with black tones, custom designed for him by Alba with fabrics sourced from Italy.

For the reception, Adkins changed into a short party dress, the Lottie by Nadine Merabi, featuring crystal waterfall beading. She and Watson also wore matching Alexander McQueen shoes in a fun bride-and-groom style moment.

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The couple treated their guests to quite a feast, as Watson says having unforgettable food was a top priority for the wedding. Stations were set up serving chicken and waffles, pasta, salad and more. In lieu of a traditional cake, a dessert bar offered an array of cookies and milk, cheesecake bites, white chocolate raspberry tartlets and Nutella bread pudding bites.

Later into the night, while guests were mingling and celebrating on the dance floor, they were served a selection of snacks including sirloin sliders, fries and barbecue chicken wings.

Watson and Adkins shared their first dance together as husband and wife to Hozier's 2014 hit "Work Song."

The pair first met in 2017 during their freshmen year at North Dakota State University. They were introduced by mutual friends at — fittingly — one of their school's football games. Not long after, they began dating.

Watson popped the question to Adkins in April 2022 in Fargo while they were out taking family photos together with their dog. "Towards the end of the shoot, he proposed to me," she recalls.

Now, they are looking forward to new adventures and doing life by each other's side. "Being married means being with the partner you chose for the rest of your life and building a family together and growing old together — it's just you two taking on life together," Adkins says.

"We are team for life," adds Watson, who says he loves how his new wife "lets me be me and do all of the things that I enjoy."

"Spending time together at home is one of my favorite things [that we do] together," he tells PEOPLE.

Adkins says she appreciates that she and Watson can joke around together and embrace life's simple moments.

"We are huge homebodies and love to have dates at home like movie nights, cooking dinner or having take out brought in," she explains. "We have a relationship that is so unique to who we both are."