Which Hallmark stars have fallen in love in real life?
Which of them tied the knot? Or — maybe had a baby or two, or even three? Get your popcorn
ready because some of these romances are just as sappy as the Hallmark movies.
Shantel VanSanten and Victor Webster have proven that fairy tales really do exist. After meeting
on the set of the 2017 Hallmark film "Love Blossoms," in which they played love interests,
the pair dated for four years before getting engaged in February 2021.
The pair celebrated their love with not one,
but three dreamy weddings. The first wedding was a small, spontaneous civil ceremony.
It was held at Pasadena City Hall in California on VanSanten's grandparents' wedding anniversary,
August 9. It was also the day after her grandfather unexpectedly died.
In an interview with Brides, the actor described her decision to marry that day,
noting that her grandfather was originally set to walk her down the aisle, telling them:
"The idea of my grandparents being reunited and watching over our ceremony from above
gave me some peace. [...] They were married for 63 years [and] had such a special,
deep love. They were the example to me of how love is a choice and takes work.
It wasn't perfect, but their love was always pure."
Their second wedding ceremony was held two months later in Napa, and the third took
place in her hometown, Luverne, Minnesota, so older family members were able to see her wed.
Carlos and Alexa PenaVega's love story is like a real-life Hallmark movie!
"I'm like, wait a minute, we're married. There's already drama, okay!"
"You don't need to create anything!"
Unlike most famous Hollywood actors, the pair didn't meet on set,
but at a Bible study group in Los Angeles. They were engaged by September 2013,
and in January 2014, the Hallmark stars were officially married.
The pair had a luxurious destination wedding, and they tied the knot in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
It wasn't until they were signing paperwork that Alexa Vega and Carlos Pena decided they were going
to legally combine their last names. Carlos spilled the beans to People magazine, saying:
"We were literally at the county office in Ventura signing all the paperwork and the woman was like,
'Whose last name?' [and] I said, 'Let's see if this works.
Carlos and Alexa PenaVega. Just one word.'"
In December 2016, the pair welcomed their first son, Ocean, and later their second son, Kingston,
in June 2019. In 2021, the family welcomed their first daughter and third baby, Rio Rey.
The PenaVegas are well-known actors in the industry, but their dance skills are also
top notch. The pair competed against one another on "Dancing With the Stars" in 2015.
However, neither of them took home the trophy.
They've also worked on multiple Hallmark films together — including "Love at Sea,"
which was filmed on an actual cruise ship.
Patti Murin and Colin Donnell met through a mutual friend and knew each other for eight
years before they started dating. The two were then co-stars in the musical adaptation
of William Shakespeare's "Love's Labour's Lost," and before too long, they were an item.
"Our first real date after three weeks of being like,
ugh, I guess I'll kiss him or something or whatever."
Murin and Donnell have been in a number of shows and other projects together, including Hallmark
Movies & Mysteries film "To Catch a Spy," but have never actually played love interests on camera.
The couple married in 2015, and on July 14, 2020, they welcomed their first daughter, Cecily Philips
Ruth Donnell, into the world. Murin captioned her Instagram post of the big announcement:
"Meet Cecily Philips Donnell, born on July 14th. She's strong as heck
and ready to change the world, and we have never loved anything more in our lives."
Daniel Stine and Rachel Hendrix put on an incredible performance in the 2019 film
"Midway to Love." If you haven't seen the movie, Stine and Hendrix play high school
sweethearts who fall back in love all over again after several years apart from one another.
However, this wasn't the first time the couple worked together on set.
Daniel Stine, who's not just a writer, but a producer and a director,
made his film directorial debut with "Virginia Minnesota."
Hendrix played the leading lady of the film, and the two,
according to MEAWW, first met on set. The couple got married, though not too much is
known about their relationship as they have kept their personal life pretty private.
Eric Winter and Roselyn Sánchez were actually married way before they starred in a Hallmark
film together! Winter popped the question in December 2007 in Puerto
Rico while they were kayaking together at midnight. While that sounds very romantic,
it was also terrifying for Eric. He shared with InStyle:
"I was petrified she would drop the ring. [...] It never left the box.
She accepted; I shut the box and told her she could see it again on land."
One year later, the pair exchanged vows with a four-day wedding celebration
in November 2008 in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. A few years later, the couple welcomed their
first baby girl into the world, Sebella, and eventually, a baby boy named Dylan in 2017.
After having a daughter, the family of three was excited to add a boy into their home.
Sánchez shared with Us Weekly about the realization, saying:
"I was shocked my first baby was a girl. But the most important thing was I wanted
to have a healthy baby. I was over the moon when I found out it was a boy."
It wasn't until 2019 that the couple brought their romance to the small screen,
starring in the Hallmark film "A Taste of Summer".
Hallmark Channel star Lacey Chabert is happily
married — and a mom! The "Mean Girls" actor tied the knot with David Nehdar,
and the couple is known for keeping their personal life out of the spotlight.
In 2014, the couple said "I do" with a private wedding celebration.
Between dresses not arriving on time to her shoe breaking and other things somehow going wrong,
the actor described the big day by calling it the "perfect chaos."
In 2016, Chabert announced that she was pregnant in a tweet, writing:
"Kitty doesn't seem as excited as we are about this...I'm
pregnant!!!! My husband and I are thrilled & so thankful."
Chabert and Nehdar welcomed their daughter, Julia Mimi Bella,
in 2017. While appearing on "The Kelly Clarkson Show" in January 2022, Chabert confirmed that
her daughter does know she played the iconic role of Gretchen Wieners, in case you were wondering!
"She goes, ‘Mommy, I didn't know you were Gretchen Wieners. Did you know that was your name?’"
Like many 2020 brides, the pandemic put a wrench in Taylor Cole and producer Cameron
Larson's wedding plans. So, the couple ended up having a rather small, intimate ceremony.
Cole talked to People magazine about not postponing their wedding day, saying:
"We couldn't wait — we were too excited to profess our love and commit to each other. It sounds a
little cheesy, but when you know you know, and we wanted our forever to start as soon as possible."
Although their wedding day wasn't exactly how they imagined it would be,
the couple still found different ways to make it special. They had their entire
ceremony live streamed online so their friends and family could celebrate.
Cole was even walked down the aisle by her father virtually via a Facetime call!
"When Calls the Heart'' actor Paul Greene and his fiancee, Kate Austin,
gave birth to their first child together in December 2021. Greene told People magazine:
"Our little guy is born! [...] We are tired but beyond happy!"
Greene and Austin started dating in 2014 and became engaged in May 2019. The actor
shared on Instagram that he proposed while they were vacationing together in Italy, writing:
"Something extra romantic happened in Italy last
night. I am very excited to share my engagement to the most gorgeous woman
(inside and out) that I have ever met. Beyond thrilled to begin this next chapter together."
Even though Candace Cameron Bure left the Hallmark Channel for GAC in April 2022,
she’s perhaps best known for starring in over two dozen Hallmark Christmas movies.
She celebrated 25 years of marriage to her husband Valeri Bure in June 2021,
and apparently their first meeting was all thanks to co-star Dave Coulier!
Bure said in an Instagram post that Coulier invited her to a charity hockey game in 1994,
and that’s where she met her future husband. The pair got married in 1996,
and they have been together ever since. Two years later,
they welcomed their first daughter Natasha in 1998, son Lev in 2000, and son Maksim in 2002.
In another Instagram post celebrating the milestone in their relationship,
Bure opened up about the "secret" to a successful marriage, saying:
"Grace. Grace. Grace. Communication (which is so important but difficult
when one partner isn't willing.) Sex. Laughter. Patience. Lots of patience.
Love (a verb. which must be put into action, it's not just a feeling)."
In spite of actor Jen Lilley signing a four movie deal with GAC in January 2022,
she’s still most well known for her time on the Hallmark Channel.
The "Mingle All the Way" star and husband Jason Wayne met back in 2004 and tied the knot in 2007.
In the last couple years Lilley and Wayne’s family has been growing rapidly!
People magazine reported that the couple adopted their son Kayden,
who was in foster care for 984 days, in June 2019. That same year,
Lilley welcomed her first biological child, daughter Julie Evangeline Wayne, on July 30.
One year after that in October 2020, they welcomed their second son,
Kayden's half-brother Jeffrey, who was also in foster care for over 800 days.
In 2021, Lilley announced she was pregnant a second time, and their family of five is
about to be six! Lilley exclusively told People magazine about the news, sharing:
"I'm so, so happy."
The actor is due in May 2022.
Hallmark actor Jill Wagner officially welcomed her
second baby with husband David Lemanowicz in August 2021.
"You have a remarkable love story, one that Hallmark is actually gonna make into a TV movie."
"Yeah, we're forcing them to."
The "Christmas in Evergreen" star shared the big news in an Instagram
post dedicated to Lemanowicz for his support while she was in labor, saying:
"On August 19, 2021, you held my hand as we welcomed our sweet little Daisy Roberta
Lemanowicz into this world. [...] One of the reasons I fell in love with you is because you
always made me feel safe. I guess I never truly knew how very important that was until now."
Wagner and Lemanowicz previously welcomed their first child, Army Gray,
in April 2020, after tying the knot a few years earlier in 2017.
Early 2000s heartthrob Chad Michael Murray is off the market — and he's a dad! Murray began
dating Sarah Roemer following their meeting on the set of the Crackle series "Chosen" in 2014.
The pair officially tied the knot by January 2015.
Murray explained to E! News about why he keeps his personal life out of the spotlight, saying:
"I'm a romantic. I'm a family guy. I want that core [...] I tend to
keep everything quiet. I love my life. That's the part that I keep for myself."
A few months later, the famous couple welcomed their son into the world,
and by March 2017, they had a baby girl.
Murray and Roemer are known for keeping their life incredibly private, so when he shared
an Instagram post that showed him cuddling his daughter, our hearts instantly melted.
Former Hallmark Channel Christmas queen turned GAC star, Danica McKellar, finally found love
again! Prior to her marriage with lawyer Scott Sveslosky, the actor was married to
composer Mike Verta from 2009 to 2012, with whom she shares joint custody of son Draco.
After the divorce was finalized in 2013, McKeller met Sveslosky and immediately knew there was
something special about him. She shared her first thoughts about him with Us Weekly, saying:
"I knew. I was like, 'Oh my God, this is the person I've been dreaming about
my whole life.' [...] I knew I loved him almost instantly,
and we were saying 'I love you' on the fourth date. Sometimes when you know, you know."
The couple officially tied the knot in 2014. In an exclusive interview with Country Living,
McKellar opened up about what it takes to have a happy, healthy, and successful marriage, saying:
"It's not always easy,
it's not totally perfect, and my secret to a happy marriage is: Keep working on it."
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