“We were so disappointed,” Gates, 30, tells PEOPLE. “But when we showed up at the venue, it was clear skies and everything was perfect. It was a sign!”
In fact, Gates and Gottschalk, 31, who began dating when they met on the ABC show in 2017, have already done their share of pivots when it came to their nuptials, havingpostponed their original date three timesdue to the COVID pandemic.
“Replanning was exhausting,” admits Gates, a boutique owner. “But we kept our spirits up. And at the end of the day, it’s just about us and our marriage. And if Adam and I can get through this, we can get through a lot!”
For more about Raven Gates and Adam Gottschalk’s wedding, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribehere.
Raven Gates and Adam Gottschalk.CHARLA STOREY
During the interfaith ceremony (Gates is Christian, Gottschalk is Jewish), the bride, wearing her first of threeWatters gowns, exchanged tearful vows with her then soon-to-be husband, who wore aIndochino tux.
“That was my favorite part,” says Gates. “Adam did such a beautiful job writing his vows. It was so special. And to have just the people there who will be with us for everything was so intimate and spiritual.”
Adds Gottschalk: “Raven looked so beautiful. I was an absolute mess, sobbing and crying.”
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“They took some of the foods we liked and made it very unique,” says Gottschalk, who is from Los Angeles. “There was definitely a Southern twist.”
Adam Gottschalk and Raven Gates.CHARLA STOREY
Now, despite everything, “I couldn’t have imagined it any other way,” says Gates. “We couldn’t have asked for anything to work out more perfectly than it did. We feel so grateful.”
Next up? A honeymoon in Hawaii, and then starting a family.
source: people.com
