After 13 years together and an eight-year engagement, it’s official: Jillian Harris and Justin Pasutto are married – and HELLO! Canada has all the incredible photos! “Everything was perfect! But we are definitely feeling rough today,” Jillian, 45, confessed to us the morning after the festivities. “I don’t think we went to bed until four o’clock! Every single person danced as long as they could possibly dance – until the band stopped playing!"“We definitely indulged in all the wonderful wines and bubblies,” chimed in Justin, 37. He confirmed that, while they were exhausted, the wedding – a five-day event that included a church ceremony, rehearsal dinner, bachelorette/bachelor day, massive outdoor celebration on their farm and farewell dock party – was well worth the wait.
© Minted PhotographyFollowing a Christmas-morning proposal in 2016, the betrothed couple made four attempts to plan a wedding but ultimately chose to focus on life: raising two children – son Leo, 9, and daughter Annie, 6 – writing, filming, struggling through the pandemic lockdown and rebuilding after a large chunk of their Kelowna, B.C., property was destroyed in the McDougall Creek fire two years ago.
While an Italian destination wedding was one of the options, they ultimately decided to stick close to friends and family, first marrying in an intimate church ceremony, followed by a bigger wedding on their Kelowna, B.C. farm.
© Minted Photography"It was a very traditional Catholic ceremony," Jillian told us. "I am not Catholic and I actually never imagined getting married in a church, but it was something that was really important to Justin and his family and my dad. I actually fought it for a while and then realized just how important it was to our family." This led to the decision to have two ceremonies.
“Jill had this vision of the wedding on our farm,” said Justin. “I never saw it, but she did. I don’t know how she does it. It’s what makes Jill Jill. And I made her vision come to life.”
The couple agrees that the day went exactly as planned. "Everything was perfect – absolutely perfect. It was a dream," Jillain said. "We are just so, so grateful and so lucky. It was beautiful. The weather was beautiful. Everything went off without a hitch."
© Minted PhotographyJustin agreed with his new wife, saying that the vows were one of his favourite parts of the day. "Jillian spends so much of her life doing for others, always thinking about everyone else first, wearing her heart on her sleeve. For me, it was an opportunity to pause everything and put the spotlight on her, to stand in front of our friends and family, tell her how deeply important and special she is to me, and make my promise and commitment to her for the rest of our lives."
The pair made a controversial decision and decided to include children on the guest list. The reasoning behind the choice? "We waited too long to get married! Everybody’s got babies and kids now. This was a special day for our kids, too, and I didn’t want them to be alone. So I said, 'Screw it! We are inviting kids!'
© Minted PhotographyLeo and Annie had a blast the whole week, and played special roles in the farm wedding, as ring bearer and flower girl. When Justin saw his daughter – wearing a mini version of Jillian's dress, but in blue, he was overcome with emotion. "It was just so beautiful to see my girls come down the aisle, seeing Annie and how proud she was of herself. I just started crying."
© Minted PhotographyJillian wore several bridal gowns, each customized at Candè Bridal boutique. She even found a dress a week before the wedding and knew it was a must-have for the reception. "I absolutely loved my church ceremony dress that they helped customize for me," she explained. "And I absolutely loved my farm ceremony dress. I felt like I was good for dresses. But when I arrived at my very last dress fitting, I saw that last one out of the corner of my eye and could not stop staring at it!"
Reflecting on their life together, Jillian says, "Most people meet, get married, have kids and then they do their life. We’ve done it backward. We have already been through so much – deaths, heartbreak, success, COVID, babies, houses, TV shows. We’ve been through all of it – and it has not always been easy. We are so proud of the life we’ve built."
© Minted PhotographyTo read the full article and see all the photos, pick up the latest edition of HELLO! Canada, on sale now. Subscribe to get Canada's only celebrity, royal and entertainment magazine delivered to your door – or download the digital edition online via Apple News +.
