- Los Angeles Rams player Kobie Turner married his high school sweetheart, Alissa Villanueva, on March 8 at The Estate at River Run in Maidens, Va.
- The wedding was officiated by the bride and groom’s high school choir teacher, featured live music played by the couple’s mutual friends, and had all 94 guests participate in “ring warming”
- The “intimate” ceremony concluded with “fun and sentimental” game day-like guest interviews, and the reception ended with late-night chicken tenders
Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner has tied the knot!
The NFL player, 25, married his high school sweetheart, Alissa Villanueva, on Saturday, March 8, at The Estate at River Run in Maidens, Va. — the state where they met. Their earthy, Italian-style nuptials were attended by 94 guests.
“We’re marrying our best friend!” Villanueva tells PEOPLE. “It’s what we’ve always dreamed of and we can’t wait to make it official. From the very beginning, the purpose of our relationship was always to build toward marriage. Here we are almost eight years later, reaping the benefits of the commitment that we made together.”
Because the pair first crossed paths in high school choir, it was only fitting that their high school choir teacher, Lynne Babcock, officiated their “intimate” wedding ceremony.
“[It] was so special,” the bride says. “This was something we knew we wanted from the very beginning of wedding planning.”
But perhaps the most unique aspect of the ceremony was the “ring warming” portion, in which each guest was invited to pass along the wedding rings, “warming it with personal thoughts and blessings.” The final person to warm the rings was the bride’s brother and ring bearer, Franco.
Villanueva’s nephews served as the flower boys. They wore bow ties designed by Sarah Brodie and walked down the aisle to a rendition of “You’ll Be in My Heart” by Phil Collins. Villanueva then made her way down to an instrumental version of “To Build a Home” by The Cinematic Orchestra, featuring Patrick Watson.
Two of the couple’s mutual friends, AJ Rafael and Micah Hunter-Chang, played the wedding processional songs on keyboard and violin.
“The most important things were maximizing time with our people and making sure the wedding felt unique and personal to us, and not boring!” says Villanueva, who wore “The Palmer” wedding dress from Ava Laurenne Bride. Her sleeves and veil were designed by Fashion Irina’s Irina Ciobanu, and shoes by Dior.
“We truly did not want our wedding to look like it could have been anyone’s,” she continues. “We wanted enough elements that were fun and unique to us and I think we did a great job of that.”
At the altar, Turner — who was revealed as Goo on season 12 of The Masked Singer — exchanged handwritten vows with Villanueva.
“Everything that we do, we enjoy better together. In every moment, we long for each other and support each other,” Villanueva says. “Anything big or small, happy or sad, the first place we run is to each other. It’s special to have someone who is your home and your peace, and we’ve found that in each other.”
After the ceremony, guests participated in “post-ceremony interviews.” These on-camera interviews were meant to mimic interviews Turner often does after his football games. Guests were asked “fun and sentimental” questions about the wedding ceremony, which the newlyweds “can’t wait” to look back on.
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Everyone then headed to the reception. Its decor followed a green color palette as a nod to the bride’s favorite color. That evening, Villanueva slipped into a second look from ASTON Bridal.
Turner and Villanueva — who “hit it off” during a choir trip to Disney World and got engaged on April 22, 2023 — shared their first dance to a mashup of “Die With You” and “1+1” by Beyoncé, which was performed by Alex Aiono and Rafael.
The duo and their guests dined on chicken and steak Hibachi, seafood ravioli and Tuscan chicken on marble plates from Something Vintage Rentals before making their way to a cookie bar. The couple’s wedding cake from Louisa’s Homemades was almond flavored, filled with Chantilly cream and frosted with vanilla buttercream.
For a late-night snack, everyone had chicken tenders. There was a “sauce-off” among different sauces from Chick-Fil-A, Popeyes, Wingstop, Sweet Baby Ray’s and Ken’s Foods.
The wedding was planned by Vida Events.
The next chapter for the newlyweds begins with a two week honeymoon in Italy, where they’ll visit Rome, the Amalfi Coast, Florence and Lake Como. In the future, they hope to “build a family” together.
“Wherever this crazy life takes us, we’ll go together,” Villanueva says.
Additional Credits:
Catering: Grooving Gourmets
Florals: Steelcut Flower Co.
Videography: 87 and Smith
Music: DJ Bill Gilliam
Rentals: Rentequip
Linens: Curated Events DC
Hair and Makeup: Agape Hair and Makeup
Stationery: Cara Marie Villanueva
Groom’s Tux and Groomsmen’s Ties: Alba Legacy
Legal Officiant: Tiny Chapel Weddings
Escort Wall: Zelenika Design Co.
Transportation: James Limo Richmond
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