Hallmark movies tug the hell out of your heartstrings.
But is all that steamy romance just for the cameras? These stars put a ring on it IRL.
And some even gave up blockbuster gigs to put their families first.
Alexa Vega and Carlos Pena, Jr. tied the knot in Mexico in 2014
and officially became the PenaVega's. The two first connected at a Bible study as friends,
partly because, as Alexa told People,
"I always said no actors — so, he was everything I wasn’t looking for,
but everything I needed. He is truly incredible!"
"It takes it from love to, like, love. I can't explain it."
Their actor-on-actor union works because the two share the same values and aspirations for
their family. And that includes their kids, Ocean, Kingston, and Rio. The couple enjoys
mixing business with pleasure, aiming to work together as much as possible. Enter Hallmark,
which has been a game-changer for the family. As Alexa told Southern Living,
"Anytime there’s an opportunity for us to work together,
they bring it up. And if there isn’t, they fly the whole family out and we’re together anyway."
That would explain why they've co-starred in five Hallmark films and three Picture Perfect Mysteries
together. But even when the schedule doesn't work out, the couple always puts their family first.
"Both parties have to sacrifice. If it means missing out on a really great TV show,
I love you and I thank you so much."
If you need proof that opposites attract, look no further than Eric Winter and Roselyn Sanchez.
According to InStyle, the pair crossed paths at a party in Los Angeles in 2005,
and they went on their first date shortly after. Three years later, they tied the knot in Puerto
Rico — the island where Sanchez was born. They soon welcomed their kids, Sebella and Dylan,
and in 2019, they took their collaboration to the next level with Hallmark's "A Taste of Summer."
"What are you afraid of, a little healthy competition?"
"Game on."
When it came to their professional lives, the couple wanted to make it
"a family affair." Sanchez explained to MediaVillage,
"If we are going to [work], let's do something suitable for our daughter to watch. […] Something
[we can] watch as a family without freaking out that the material wouldn't be suitable."
"We've tried to do our best to sort of keep the family united as much as possible
and be able to work at the same time."
As for the allure of collaborating, Sanchez told Us Weekly,
"If we work together, it means that we're going to
be located at the same place and that the family stays together."
Before making their Hallmark debut with 2020's "Love on Iceland," Patti Murin and Colin Donnell
were successful stage actors who met in a 2013 Shakespeare musical. Three years later,
they got married, welcoming their daughter Cecily in 2020. As they told People,
"We are absolutely head over heels in love with Cecily,
and parenthood is already the most insane and beautiful thing in existence."
Following a brief hiatus, they returned to the small screen.
And while they've never actually played a couple in a movie, that suits them just fine.
"We're not, y'know, constantly together all of the time."
"Which is probably the best for everybody." Victor Webster and Shantel VanSanten have
Hallmark to thank for their love story. The pair met on the set of 2017's "Love Blossoms"
and got engaged in February 2021. Dishing on their relationship, VanSanten told People,
"[We] balance each other out. He has this childlike wonder when it comes to adventuring
and exploring and pushing the limits. […] I would say I'm a
little bit more of a homebody. I'm not as social as he is."
According to Brides magazine, the couple tied the knot in three ceremonies in November 2021.
VanSanten admits that while it hasn't always been easy,
they never fail to work things out. She told People,
"He's the head and I'm the heart. […] We can be fire and fire, but in the end,
the way that we both come to the table with different things has
allowed me to grow and to see a different perspective in life."
Hallmark fans may recognize Daniel Stine and Rachel Hendrix from 2019's "Midway to
Love." But the pair first worked together years earlier in a non-Hallmark project.
In 2016, Stine was casting his feature-length debut,
"Virginia Minnesota." He told The Consulting Detectives blog that when Hendrix auditioned,
"We all immediately knew she was perfect for the role. We had some amazing auditions,
but she just seemed to fully understand the character and her nuances."
"Let me take you on a proper date…I've always loved you."
Needless to say, she won the part — and later, her director's heart. The two tied the knot in 2019.
"I'm looking for a prince."
"Oh, honey, aren't we all."
Hallmark movies don't just spark romances between the stars. Actor Taylor Cole and
producer Cameron Larson fell in love on the set of 2016's "My Summer Prince."
In June 2020, they tied the knot in Lake Tahoe,
despite the challenges that came with planning during the pandemic. As Cole told the outlet,
"It really turned out to be the perfect day — our own Hallmark version of love in the
time of COVID. […] When you know you know, and we wanted our forever to start as soon as possible."
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