Paul Wesley and Natalie Kuckenburg were discussing a large wedding when a last-minute opening at a California courthouse gave them less than a day to organize an intimate legal ceremony.
The Vampire Diaries and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds actor said the couple had decided to complete the legal part of their marriage separately while continuing to consider a bigger celebration. They wanted to use the historic Santa Barbara County Courthouse, but its available appointments were booked approximately three months ahead.
That changed when a cancellation appeared the night before an open ceremony date. Wesley and Kuckenburg immediately accepted it, found a dress, hired a photographer and brought their rescue dog Greg as the only other member of their wedding party.
“I just got married, yeah, eloped,” Wesley said while discussing the ceremony at San Diego Comic-Con. “Everything was done the day before, and it was so special because it was so spontaneous.”
A Courthouse Opening Appeared the Night Before
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Wesley said he and Kuckenburg had been planning a larger wedding before deciding they wanted to become legally married without waiting for the full celebration.
“We were like, let’s just get legally married,” he recalled. The couple began watching for a cancellation at the Santa Barbara courthouse, which Wesley described as a particularly beautiful place to marry.
“We found a cancellation the night before,” Wesley said. Kuckenburg then searched for a dress while the couple arranged for someone to photograph the ceremony.
Kuckenburg Found Her Wedding Dress at the Last Minute
Kuckenburg wore an ivory “Lilou” slip dress from Galia Lahav’s ready-to-wear collection. The minimalist gown featured a draped neckline and a fitted silhouette that matched the understated civil ceremony. Wesley wore a navy suit with a white shirt and black tie. Photographs showed the newlyweds exchanging vows outdoors beneath palm trees, holding hands and posing with Greg.
Galia Lahav described the ceremony as “quiet, elegant and all about the couple” in a statement shared with People. Wesley said the compressed planning made the occasion more memorable rather than less meaningful. “It was so spontaneous, it made it more special,” he explained.
Their Dog Greg Served as the ‘Best Boy’
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The ceremony was limited to the couple, the officiant, their photographer and Greg. The black rescue dog appeared throughout the wedding photographs, including one image showing him sitting between Wesley and Kuckenburg while they exchanged vows.
“It was just us and our dog,” Wesley said. “It was amazing.” Kuckenburg publicly announced the marriage on July 13 by sharing six photographs from the day. “Mr. and Mrs. 💍 and the Best Boy Greg 🐾,” she wrote.
Entertainment Weekly reported that the ceremony took place over the preceding weekend, although the couple did not disclose its exact date.
The Couple Became Engaged in Italy in 2025
Wesley and Kuckenburg first became publicly linked in November 2022 after they were photographed together in Italy. Wesley later said they had met through a mutual friend at a bar in New York City’s East Village.
They announced their engagement on July 19, 2025. Wesley proposed at Hotel Caruso on the Amalfi Coast, where they had stayed during their first trip together three years earlier. “Yes 🤍 Always and forever,” Kuckenburg wrote when she revealed her engagement ring.