Paul Wesley Explains His Last-Minute Decision to Elope with Wife Natalie Kuckenburg

Paul Wesley is sharing the reason why his recent wedding was so special.

The actor, 44, announced on Monday, July 13, that he married model Natalie Kuckenburg, 26, in an intimate civil ceremony. While chatting with Entertainment Tonight less than two weeks later at the San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, July 24, Wesley opened up about his nuptials for the first time, and explained his decision to elope.

“We were planning a big wedding, and then we were like, ‘Let’s just get legally married,’ ” Wesley said. “We were waiting for a cancellation at the Santa Barbara courthouse, ‘cause it’s such a beautiful courthouse, but it was booked out for three months, and we found a cancellation the night before.”

The time crunch left Kuckenburg with just hours to find a dress. She quickly said “I do” to the ivory “Lilou” dress from the Galia Lahav ready-to-wear collection. The designer said in a statement at the time, “It was exactly the kind of chic, elegant and personal wedding the dress was made for: quiet, elegant and all about the couple.” Meanwhile, the Vampire Diaries alum sported a navy blue suit with a black tie.

“Natalie is so amazing, she found a dress, like, that day,” Paul told ET, noting that “everything,” including hiring the photographer, was done at the last minute.

He continued, “Everything was, like, the day before, and it was so special. Because it was so spontaneous, it made it more special. It was just us and our dog. It was amazing.”

The couple’s rescue dog Greg appeared in several wedding photos shared by Kuckenburg on Instagram. She revealed in the caption that he had a special role, writing, “Mr. and Mrs. 💍 and the Best Boy Greg 🐾.”

The Nareia founder reflected on their last-minute decision to elope on Instagram on Tuesday, July 14. Alongside video clips and photos from her wedding dress fitting, and other moments from her big day, Kuckenburg wrote, “We decided to get married 24hrs prior to the wedding 😅 so here I am trying to find a dress that fits perfect, driving up to San Ysidro Ranch and waking up at 7 am to do my hair and make up for our 8 am courthouse wedding 🤍 So worth it and so fun!”

While the exact timing of when the newlyweds officially started dating is unclear, the two were first romantically linked in November 2022 when they were spotted together in Italy. Wesley later revealed how the pair first met during an appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark, noting their first encounter went down the “classic” way at a New York City bar.

“That’s rare these days, I guess, because everyone’s, you know, meeting online and all these dating apps,” he said of meeting Kuckenburg in an East Village bar. “It was just like the classic, pretty girl at a bar. There was a little look, and I was like, ‘Okay, I’m gonna go for it.’”

“It was nice because we had a mutual friend,” he added of the meet-cute. “Because otherwise it’s very awkward … it was kind of more of an introduction.”

The two got engaged last summer, announcing the news in a July 19, 2025, Instagram post alongside a photo of Kuckenburg’s sparkling new ring. Wesley popped the question at the Italian spot where their first official date took place.