‘The Bachelorette’ Alum Jillian Harris Marries Justin Pasutto Wedding Exclusive

Jillian Harris is married!

The Bachelorette alum, 45, married Justin Pasutto on Thursday, Aug. 21, in a church ceremony, before the pair tied the knot again two days later on Aug. 23 in a “dreamy and romantic” wedding attended by 176 guests at their farm in West Kelowna, British Columbia.

“After eight years of planning, we’ve decided to really go for it!” Harris tells PEOPLE. “It is an actual fairy-tale dream come true. I’m so happy that we waited this long so that we could truly plan the day that we’ve always dreamed of.”

The couple, who got engaged on Christmas morning in 2016, first said “I do” in a “romantic, elegant, traditional” ceremony at the same church where Pasutto’s parents got married. As her piano teacher, Judy Yamamoto, played “Pachelbel’s Canon,” Harris walked down the aisle wearing a custom-made veil and long-sleeved lace wedding dress that was “built from scratch over three months” by Candé Bridal Boutique.

At the church, Harris and Pasutto exchanged traditional vows.

“We spent a lot of time customizing the liturgy so it felt special and personal to us as a couple and as a family,” Harris says. “Justin is Catholic, but I am not, and I was very nervous about that part, so it was important for us to make it meaningful.”

Later that evening, the pair hosted an Italian-themed rehearsal dinner as a nod to Pasutto’s Italian roots. Their home was transformed into a European escape with pops of blue and yellow by Vintage Origami Events by Yuriko. Guests feasted on pizza, pasta, and gelato, and sipped on Aperol spritzes and Lambrusco from local winery Tomato Wheels, before leaving with a bottle of Rao’s tomato sauce.

Friday, Aug. 22, was laid-back with yoga and golfing. The next day, the wedding took place at Harris and Pasutto’s lakeside property.

“Justin has worked tirelessly over the past two years to repair the property, replanting trees, moving dirt, planting grass, irrigating and managing the team,” Harris says. “He has devoted the last year of his life to making my wedding venue dreams come true.”

The theme of the nuptials was “flower farm.”

“Timeless, elegant, and luxurious, but with a floral touch,” Harris explains. “Lots of color: whites, pinks, corals, blushes, light blues, purples, yellows.”

Laurence Rich of FleuRich Creations arranged the flowers, which was a mix of blooms from the farm, including: white cosmos, zinnias, roses, delphiniums and hydrangeas.

Harris walked down the aisle as a local string trio, headed by Olivia Walsh, performed “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” 

When the bride first started wedding planning, she wanted her grandmother to be her maid of honor, but she died in 2019. In her honor, Harris carried her grandmother’s ashes in her pocket.

Harris — who shares 9-year-old son Leo and 6-year-old daughter Annie with Pasutto — found her wedding dress at Candé Bridal Boutique seven years ago.

“I fell in love with the dress,” Harris remembers. “At the time, it had long sleeves, but we customized it. As the years went by, I felt I no longer loved it, and it sat at Candé Bridal for seven years. When our wedding date was finalized, I started looking for a new dress, but could not find anything. Adriana asked me to come try on the original dress again. I reluctantly agreed, and when I tried it on with my cousins and daughter, I started crying and realized it was still the one.”

Annie wore a replica of the wedding dress in baby blue. Meanwhile, Leo and Pasutto wore suits from J.Crew and Harry Rosen, respectively. Each bridesmaid chose their own color and style of dress.

During the ceremony — which was officiated by the couple’s best friend, Warwick Andrews — handwritten vows and rings from Minichiello Jewellers were exchanged.

At the reception, Harris and Pasutto shared their first dance to Taylor Swift’s “Lover.” The newlyweds started the dance alone, then their two children joined in. When Swift sang “Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand?” wedding guests joined in on the dance floor.

Later in the evening, Harris changed into a “fun” and “revealing” gown adorned with sparkly stars, which she bought from Bisou Bridal seven years ago. She also had another dress ready for a potential “after-midnight change” from V. Chapman, the same brand as her rehearsal dinner dress.

Canadian country musician Aaron Pritchett emceed the wedding, and Harris told PEOPLE ahead of the celebration that she wouldn’t be surprised if he hopped on stage to sing too. Side One performed live music, and Annie even got in on the action by singing a song she wrote herself. 

Food was served family-style. White Table Catering made a few of the bride and groom’s family recipes for dinner and cocktail hour, such as Pasutto’s Captain’s Kale Caesar Salad and Italian favorites like gnocchi and sourdough focaccia, plus Harris’ grandmother’s beet rolls.

The couple’s pets were even incorporated into the food and drinks. The “Nacho Cilantro Spicy Margarita” was in honor of the pair’s late dog Nacho, who died in March and whose photograph was included on the “In Loving Memory” table. The “Peaches Cosmo” was named after the couple’s boxer, Peaches, and “Pearl’s Oyster Bar” was named after their cat, Pearl. Among the desserts was a churro station as a nod to the couple’s new puppy, Churro.

The three-tiered, traditional-style wedding cake was made by Kakes by Kathie, who has made the family’s birthday cakes since the kids were born. The family’s initials were all included on the cake.

The celebration concluded on Sunday, Aug. 24, with a farewell lake party that paid tribute to Harris’ Ukrainian heritage and her late grandmother. Ukrainian grab included pierogies, kielbasa, sauerkraut, and Caesars. Ready to Cook, the team of whom are Ukrainian refugees, catered the event.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Harris and Pasutto — who experienced “love at first sight” when they met outside a bar in Kelowna in June 2012 — had initially planned for a July 2020 backyard wedding but “something didn’t feel right,” Harris previously told PEOPLE. They attempted to have the wedding the following summer, but the COVID-19 pandemic was still a barrier. 

In Summer 2023, Kelowna experienced some “wicked wildfires,” which ripped through the couple’s farm and destroyed “most of the property,” including their heritage barn, and many of the trees, trucks and boats. So, Harris and Pasutto figured they “might as well run away and get married in Italy.” That was the plan last year, until the couple worried their parents could become ill and consequently be unable to travel abroad, so they made a “last-minute decision” to get married on their hometown property.

“The first four times we tried to plan this wedding, it did not go well,” Harris says. “We were stressed about location, budget, COVID, our babies being young, and still growing as a couple. But after being together for 13 years, and finding the most amazing wedding planners, Devon Dunn and Jordan Maxey of Smitten Events, the process has been an absolute joy.”

The couple’s goal was to create a multi-day celebration that was “beautiful and fun.”

“We have been together for 13 years and have been through highs and lows. We have had babies, lost loved ones, lost our dog Nacho, gone through COVID, and watched our property burn nearly to the ground,” Harris says. “At this point, we want to celebrate all that we have created together, everything we have accomplished, and all the hardships we have overcome. We want to celebrate the successes, the relationships, and the wins.”

For Harris, her wedding feels like “a congratulations and a seal” on her relationship with Pasutto, setting them “forward into the next chapter.”

“We have gone about this in a different order, having been together for 13 years and already having babies, building houses, and even having a TV show together. Usually, people meet, marry, and then build their lives, but we have already proven we can get through anything. We’ve already proven we can have those big fights and still love each other. We’ve already proven that we can travel together, go through pain together, raise babies together.”

The newlyweds “are excited for the next chapter as husband and wife,” which will consist of starting construction on their “forever home” on the acreage “over the next couple of years.”

“Next spring, we are planting a truffle farm with 500 oak trees, which will be a new business venture,” Harris says. “We will focus on our children, helping them grow, honoring their passions and growing with them as they get older.”

Additional Credits:
Photography: Minted Photography by Lyndsay Manyluck
Videography: Lumina Weddings & Events
Bartending: Sip ‘n Celebrate
Beverage Cart: Okanagan Bubbles & Co.
Custom Cocktail: Cactus Club Cafe
Stationery: Minted
Tent and Rentals: Avalon Event Rentals
Decor Rentals: Purple Rhino Events
Table Top Rentals: The Curated Plate Co.
Late-Night Pizza: Mystic Pizza
Hair Stylist: Nicole Pedherny and team from Pomme Salon
Makeup Artist: Jenny McKinney and team
Bridal Makeup: Kaitlin Hargreaves