The Bold Type's Katie Stevens Marries Music Producer Paul DiGiovanni in Dreamy Tennessee Wedding
This boy really likes his girl!
After meeting nearly six years ago, The Bold Type star Katie Stevens said “I do” to Boys Like Girls guitarist and music producer Paul DiGiovanni on Saturday in front of 250 loved ones just outside of Nashville, PEOPLE confirms exclusively.
“Our first date was five-and-a-half years ago. After dating for a couple months, I knew [he was going to be] my husband,” the 26-year-old actress — who wore a form-fitting, long-sleeved Flora gown and L’Dezen jewels for her walk down the aisle — told PEOPLE ahead of her big day. “From the second that I met him up until now, he’s made me feel special and more than enough every single day.”
During the couple’s first look before their ceremony, Stevens had a touching surprise for DiGiovanni, 31, hidden inside his custom-made BJ Gray of Grayscale suit.
“Paul’s mom passed away when he was 15, so I just wanted him to feel like she was with us,” says Stevens. “His aunt gave me a piece of his mom’s wedding dress, and I had it sewn into Paul’s jacket on the inside and covered with a patch.”
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Meanwhile, Stevens paid tribute to her family by finishing off her glamorous bridal look with her mother’s veil (“My grandfather stepped on my mom’s veil at her wedding, and since he is no longer with us I wanted to keep that as a little memento to him!”) and great-grandmother’s crown.
Watch the full episode of People Weddings: Katie Stevens & Paul DiGiovanni streaming now on PeopleTV.com, or download the PeopleTV app on your favorite device.
“I really did keep Paul in mind when I was choosing my dress,” says Stevens, who was sung down the aisle by her close friend Betty Who and Bold Type costar Meghann Fahy. “He’s seen me in so many red carpet looks and gowns and everything in between, but I wanted to look like the girl he’s in love with [on our wedding day].”
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After exchanging custom vows during an emotional ceremony, the newlyweds and their guests — including Stevens’ Bold Type castmates, Dan Smyers and his wife Abby, Sarah Hyland and Wells Adams, Shay Mooney and his wife Hannah, Olivia Holt, Chloe Bennet and Molly McCook — headed inside to dance the night away.
“Music is important to both of us. It’s what I do for a living, and Katie does a lot of it too, so that was a big thing for the wedding,” says DiGiovanni. “We took a lot of time picking out all the songs.”
DiGiovanni’s Boys Like Girls bandmates Martin Johnson and John Keefe were by his side as groomsmen, and the musicians hit the stage to give a special performance at the reception (planned by Kathy Best and the Front Porch team).
RELATED VIDEO: The Bold Type Star Katie Stevens Reveals How Her Co-Stars Reacted to Her Engagement
“Katie had a list of demands to Martin about how many songs,” jokes DiGiovanni, who shared his first dance with Stevens to Ben Rector’s “I Will Always Be Yours.” “He said, ‘I’m not going to do your full setlist! We have to pick a couple curated songs.'”
At the end of the night, the fun-loving couple will head to an afterparty to continue the celebrations with their loved ones.
Stevens says: “I’m going to be that bride at the bar in my wedding dress not really caring about anybody who’s looking at me!”
