'The Vampire Diaries' star Paul Wesley marries Natalie Kuckenburg; pet dog shines as 'Best Boy'

Actor Paul Wesley, best known for playing Stefan Salvatore in ‘The Vampire Diaries’, has married model and entrepreneur Natalie Kuckenburg in an intimate civil ceremony. 

Kuckenburg announced the wedding on Instagram on July 13, sharing a series of photographs from the low-key outdoor celebration. The images showed the newlyweds exchanging vows beneath palm trees, sharing kisses after the ceremony and posing with their pet dog Greg, who was given the honorary title of "Best Boy".

"Mr. and Mrs. and the Best Boy Greg ," Kuckenburg wrote alongside the wedding photographs.

The ceremony appeared to be a private affair attended only by the couple, their officiant and Greg.

A classic wedding look

For the ceremony, Wesley wore a navy blue suit paired with a black tie, while Kuckenburg chose the ivory "Lilou" gown from Galia Lahav's ready-to-wear bridal collection.

The designer later described the wedding as a perfect match for the dress, saying, "It was exactly the kind of chic, elegant and personal wedding the dress was made for: quiet, elegant and all about the couple."

Among those congratulating the couple was Wesley's longtime friend and ‘The Vampire Diaries’ co-star Nina Dobrev, who commented, "Congratulations!!!!" followed by several heart emojis.

From a New York bar to "I do"

Although Wesley and Kuckenburg were first linked publicly in late 2022 after being photographed together during a holiday in Italy, the couple's story actually began in New York City.

Speaking previously on Live with Kelly and Mark, Wesley revealed they first met in an East Village bar through a mutual friend.

"That’s rare these days, I guess, because everyone’s, you know, meeting online and all these dating apps," he said. "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.’"

He added, "It was nice because we had a mutual friend," explaining that the introduction made approaching her feel far less awkward.

Soon afterwards, the pair were seen sharing a kiss during a trip to Nerano on Italy's Amalfi Coast, where they also posted photographs from the same destination, confirming their growing romance.

Engagement at the place where it all began

The couple became engaged in July 2025, with Kuckenburg revealing the news on Instagram by posting a black-and-white photograph of the pair holding hands, prominently displaying her oval-cut engagement ring.

"Yes ," she captioned the post. "Always and forever."

The proposal came just days after the pair had been spotted holidaying on the Amalfi Coast. Wesley later revealed that he chose the location because it was where they had enjoyed their first official date together.

"It was fantastic. She fell for it," he said during an appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark. "It was a surprise. We did go back to this one hotel in Italy that was our first date years ago. And so when I said we were going there, she sort of was like, ‘Oh…’"

Although Kuckenburg sensed what was about to happen, Wesley said the proposal remained emotional.

"I asked her after the fact, ‘Did you expect it?’ And she was like, ‘Yeah, I kind of had a feeling.’ But she still broke down in tears," he recalled.

Kuckenburg also reflected on why the hotel held such sentimental value.

"Paul and me came to this hotel 3 years ago for our very first trip together and immediately fell in love with the place A charming little town, the most beautiful views of amalfi, amazing hospitality, cute street cats… the list goes on."

A relationship built on laughter

Before their wedding, Wesley had often spoken warmly about their relationship, saying humour was at the heart of their bond.

"There's two people that are the funniest people in my life–Number one, my dog, and number two, frankly, my girlfriend," he said in a previous interview with People.

"I think the reason we get along so well is because all we do is laugh, and I think it's probably one of the most important things in a relationship."

The marriage marks a new chapter for Wesley, who was previously married to actor Torrey DeVitto from 2011 to 2013 and later to jewellery executive Ines de Ramon between 2019 and 2022.