NFL star Bailey Zappe recently tied the knot with his college sweetheart, Hannah Lewis.
The New England Patriots quarterback, 25, exchanged vows with Lewis on Wednesday, July 3, in a picturesque ceremony in Montana.
The couple shared their joyous news through a joint Instagram post with The Knot, featuring a collection of stunning photos from their intimate wedding held on the shore of a secluded lake, surrounded by breathtaking mountain views.
In an exclusive interview with The Knot, the couple revealed that their decision for an intimate wedding, attended by just 32 close family members and friends, was inspired by their love for the TV show “Yellowstone.” Lewis explained, “We’re from Texas where it’s all flatlands. We wanted our venue to have scenic mountains, and we both love the show Yellowstone. So we landed on Montana.”
Originally, Zappe and Lewis had planned a much larger event in Texas, but as they delved into the planning process, they realized a more intimate celebration suited them better. “We both have very small circles, and we aren’t huge partiers,” Lewis told The Knot. “It just didn’t fit our style. We sat down and talked to each other and said, ‘Let’s just elope with our family.'”
After deciding on Montana, they enlisted the help of photographer Sydney Dahl, who also provided inclusive wedding planning services. Dahl helped bring their vision of a dream wedding to life. The couple booked a cabin two hours from the lake, where their loved ones gathered to kick off the wedding weekend with group hikes and sightseeing activities. On July 3, everyone boarded party buses to the lake, where Zappe and Lewis exchanged vows by the water.
The newlyweds shared that the processional was the moment they most looked forward to. “I never grew up envisioning my wedding,” Lewis explained. “The only thing I’ve ever thought about was my husband seeing me for the first time walking down the aisle.” To make this moment special, they decided against a first look. “I told him if he didn’t cry, I’d turn around!” Lewis recalled.
The ceremony was intimate, with the couple’s siblings joining them at the altar and their guests, all dressed in black, looking on. Zappe’s college football coach, Zach Kittley, officiated the ceremony. After sealing their union with a kiss, the newlyweds and their guests returned to the cabin for a celebration. The reception featured a dinner catered by Great Northwest Catering, with a menu that included tomahawk steak, shrimp, and truffle mac and cheese. Dessert included a two-tier wedding cake from Bonjour Bakery & Bistro with lemon and vanilla layers, and Insomnia Cookies, one of Zappe’s favorites.
Their first dance as husband and wife was to Tim McGraw’s “My Best Friend,” adding a personal touch to the celebration.
Zappe and Lewis’s love story began in 2017 at Houston Baptist University. After many text messages, they eventually went on their first date to Panera, where Zappe humorously recalled stressing because Lewis refused to let him pay for her meal. “I’m from the South, and that’s one of the things you have to do!” he explained. “I was sitting there like, ‘Look, I have to do this, otherwise I’m gonna be shamed by my parents.'”
Zappe proposed in May 2023, getting down on one knee in a gazebo in Dallas. “I honestly had no idea it was happening. I wasn’t expecting it,” Lewis recalled.
Reflecting on their wedding day, Zappe and Lewis expressed that it was everything they had hoped for and more. “We put ‘us’ into every aspect of this wedding,” they shared, cherishing the personal touches that made their celebration uniquely theirs.
