Chris Harrison Marries Lauren Zima in Two Stunning Wedding Ceremonies: All the Details! (Exclusive)

Chris Harrison and Lauren Zima said “I do” — twice!

Former Bachelor The host, 52, and his producer fiancee, 35, tied the knot in two weddings—first in an “emotional, joyous” ceremony in Napa Valley, Calif., on Oct. 14, followed by a “bachery” at a ranch in Austin, Texas. November 4.

“As much as we wanted an intimate weekend for our wedding ceremony in Napa, we also wanted to celebrate the wedding with all the great friends we have — hence the bigger party,” Zima tells PEOPLE. “I’m doing a second event in Austin [where the couple lives full-time] it gave us the ability to include all of our friends and also made sure we didn’t leave the wedding feeling like we hadn’t even seen any of our loved ones—a story we’ve heard before.”

‘Everything is bigger in Texas’

Chris Harrison and Lauren Zima at their wedding on October 14 in Napa Valley, California.

Photo by Joey Carman/@joeycarman

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To kick off the festivities in the Lone Star State, the couple hosted a “Bachelor World” reunion at their home on Friday night with Wells Adams and Sarah Hyland, Ben Higgins and wife Jessica, Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Lauren Burnham, Sean and Catherine Lowe, JoJo Fletcher, Trist Sutter, Colton Underwood and Jordan C. Brown, plus Bob Guiney and Jessica Canyon among other students. The group had to “remember,” Harrison says, adding with a laugh, “Then at the end of the night I’ll tell 10 of them they’re going home broken-hearted and can’t make it to the wedding.”

The next day, Harrison and Zima hosted their 225 guests (incl Bachelor students) for their outdoor ceremony and “cowboy cocktail party.”

“They say everything is bigger in Texas, and we strive for that,” Harrison says of the wedding. “We asked the guests to come ready to party!”

Chris Harrison and Lauren Zima at their wedding on October 14 in Napa Valley, California.

Photo by Joey Carman/@joeycarman

The evening began with a shot of their favorite Siempre Tequila and signature cocktails including “The Final Rose” and “The Bachelor No More” as a nod to Harrison’s nearly 20-year career as host of the long-running ABC show. Hall Wines served its Hall Sauvignon Blanc, WALT Chardonnay, 1873 Cabernet Sauvignon, BACA Zinfandel and WALT Pinot Noir.

Zima wore the same Sottero & Midgley strapless A-line satin wedding dress she wore to their Napa wedding in October, and the couple did a shortened version of their first ceremony and vows.

“The main joke was if we could find a way for Chris to officiate his own wedding, since he has so much experience,” adds Zima, “but instead we had Mike Levitt, a longtime friend of Chris’.”

Chris Harrison and Lauren Zima at their wedding on October 14 in Napa Valley, California.

Photo by Joey Carman/@joeycarman

Something Beautiful Dallas Floral mixed fall foliage and lush blooms for stunning flowers, while Harrison’s friend Cameron Treu, owner of Bam Bams BBQ, cooked up brisket, pulled pork, sausage, turkey, coleslaw, mac and cheese, potato salad and banana pudding. They also served warm chocolate chip cookies from their favorite restaurant, Tiff’s Treats, and Zima’s mom, Donna, made a few of her famous homemade desserts for the crowd: gooey butter cake and red velvet cupcakes.

Musician William Beckman performed, and as a tribute to Lauren’s dad Gary Zima, who passed away in 2010, Beckman sang their favorite song — Frank Sinatra’s “Summer Wind” — for the couple’s first dance.

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“We now live full-time in Austin and have loved every minute of it,” says Zima. “We moved here in part to start a new chapter of our lives together in a place neither of us had lived before, so we wanted to celebrate in a place where we built a life together and with people we’ve grown close to.”

Their California dream

Chris Harrison and Lauren Zima at their wedding on October 14 in Napa Valley, California.

Photo by Joey Carman/@joeycarman

For the couple’s wedding on October 14, they chose the wine country of California. The location is “near and dear” to them as Harrison popped the question to Winter in October 2021.

“We lived in Southern California and visited Napa a lot,” explains Harrison. “Over the years we have made so many amazing friends and so many lasting memories here. Napa has always been a part of our relationship. When we thought about where we wanted this momentous celebration, it made sense to end where it all began.”

Zima adds: “Great people, great wine, that’s really all you need for a great wedding!”

The night before their California “I do’s,” the couple hosted a welcome party at Lokoya Winery, where their close friend ex Bachelor The evening was hosted by Andrew Firestone, and opera singer Nadine Levitt performed.

The wedding of Chris Harrison and Lauren Zim on October 14 in Napa Valley, California.

Photo by Joey Carman/@joeycarman

The wine flowed all night and the group nibbled on small plates of caviar, braised ribs with celery root puree, crispy parmesan potatoes with bordelaise aioli and duck confit with root vegetable hash and a massive meatloaf board.

For the California nuptials, the couple kept their wedding small, with Zima’s sister and Harrison’s daughter Taylor at her side, while Harrison’s brother, his son Joshua and Zima’s brother joined as his best men. (Harrison’s two children are from his previous marriage.)

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“While we were thinking about what we wanted to do, we wanted to ensure those emotional, intimate moments with our family and our closest friends,” explains Zima of their celebration.

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“I’ve just heard a lot of people say that on your wedding day you don’t have time with everyone, so we decided to have a really small, intimate ceremony, with people who have really been there for us since the beginning of our relationship.”

Chris Harrison and Lauren Zima at their wedding on October 14 in Napa Valley, California.

Photo by Joey Carman/@joeycarman

For her walk down the aisle, the bride wore an Aspen gown by Sottero & Midgley.

“I knew it was the one because I tried on maybe 15 dresses and kept comparing each one to this one. I even cried when I saw myself in it, which I didn’t think would happen,” she says. Harrison and his groomsmen wore custom suits from his favorite Dallas store, Ken’s Man’s Shop.

As she walked down the aisle in Napa to meet Harrison, she played a piano version of “La Vie en Rose” as a nod to the couple’s romance. “I love that song, because it talks about how true love leads you to a happy life,” says Zima. “And roses are part of our lives,” says Zima. “We met because I was covering Bachelorand certainly roses were in Chris’s life for 20 years,” she explains.

After the couple’s personal vows, they exchanged M. Robinson Fine Jewelers rings and joined their guests for dinner at the Roy Estate, where Zima changed into her second look of the evening, an Olivia Bottega gown.

Chris Harrison and Lauren Zima at their wedding on October 14 in Napa Valley, California.

Photo by Joey Carman/@joeycarman

“We wanted to lean into the time of year we were getting married: harvest in Napa,” Zima told PEOPLE ahead of their celebration. “This is the most important season in the region and it is a magical time when the grapes are harvested and the colors of the vines begin to change. Our colors are shades of cabernet and chardonnay, deep green and bronze. We wanted to pair with nature all around us.”

She continues: “The vineyards and the setting sun speak for themselves. And the Roy tasting room is so beautiful that it doesn’t need much!”

Chef Tom Stafford’s three-course dinner included caprese salad with burrata, short rib ravioli with mascarpone, and wagyu filet with grilled vegetables.

Chris Harrison at his wedding to Lauren Zim on October 14 in Napa Valley, California.

Photo by Joey Carman/@joeycarman

Instead of a wedding cake, the couple chose chocolate délice mousse with black currants and crispy meringue. “We were all for the perfect combination of chocolate and cabernet,” says Zima.

During the reception, Harrison’s daughter Taylor sang one of the couple’s favorite songs, “Beyond” by Leon Bridges. “It came out when we first started dating and it always meant something to us. Having Taylor sing for our first dance was a beautiful, tearful moment,” says Zima.

At the late night after party, guests danced the night away while sipping cocktails and enjoying late night fries, fried chicken sandwiches, donuts and pizza.

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Zima and Harrison first connected when she interviewed him in 2016 while working as a correspondent for Party tonight and was in charge of covering Bachelor franchise.

Chris Harrison and Lauren Zima at their wedding on October 14 in Napa Valley, California.

Photo by Joey Carman/@joeycarman

“I went to interview him and I wasn’t very familiar with it [Bachelor]. I texted some of my girlfriends from home after telling them about my day and they were like, ‘Oh my God, Chris Harrison. Is he that handsome in person? Oh wow. Are you that nervous?’ I said, ‘Not really. I don’t really know who this guy is.'”

Harrison jokingly adds, “It was love at first sight, that’s what she’s trying to say!”

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Winter interviewed Harrison many times before their relationship became romantic. After a “wonderful” first date where they talked for hours, Harrison knew he had found something special with Zim.

“I think it was a steady climb for both of us and it never wavered, which was wonderful,” he says. “It wasn’t a roller coaster ride full of ups and downs in our relationship. It was always a wonderful climb together, where every outing, every time with our family, opened new doors that we really liked about each other.”

For Zima, the feeling was mutual. “Early on, I thought, ‘I could marry this guy,'” she recalls. “It felt simple and natural. He’s the best partner, and I’m happy every day.”

Chris Harrison and Lauren Zima at their wedding on October 14 in Napa Valley, California.

Photo by Joey Carman/@joeycarman

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While the newlyweds continue to cherish every moment of their two weddings, they both feel blessed to spend their lives with each other.

“Until Chris, I didn’t know what a real partnership was,” says Zima. “He is my teammate and supports me in everything. When someone tells you, and Chris actually tells me those things, he says, ‘I want to make your dreams come true. I want to do everything I can to make you happy.’ That level of selflessness from someone is incredible and that’s what a partnership should be. I think we both feel that way about each other.”

Adds Harrison: “Lauren is not only brilliant, but also kind and will love others to the point of exhaustion. That quality, that magnetism that attracts people and makes everyone feel like they are the only person in the world, is so rare. She loves me in a way I never dreamed I could be loved.”

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