McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys Star Jesse McBee Marries Alli Ventresca in ‘Country, Modern’ Wedding (Exclusive)
The Bravo stars tied the knot in front of 200 guests, including Jesse’s brothers Steven, Cole and Brayden, who star alongside McBee on the family’s reality show
The Bravo stars tied the knot in front of 200 guests, including Jesse’s brothers Steven, Cole and Brayden, who star alongside McBee on the family’s reality show
McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys star Jesse McBee is married!
The Bravo star tied the knot with Alli Ventresca in a “whimsical” ceremony at White Iron Ridge in Smithfield, Missouri, on Oct. 19. Family was at the center of the “modern, country” wedding, as McBee’s older brother, Steven, officiated the big day, and the specialty cocktails were even named after the couple’s dogs.
Before walking down the aisle, the bridal parties, which included McBee’s younger brothers, Cole and Brayden, as groomsmen, each handed the couple handwritten letters.
“It’s the ultimate grand gesture of showing that you love someone in the most sacred way,” Ventresca tells PEOPLE of getting married. It’s the “biggest decision you could make in your life and a commitment that you will be there for them through the good times and the bad times.”
McBee, who had a sweet first look with his mother, walked down the aisle in a black cowboy hat to an acoustic version of Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams.” Ventresca then turned heads to a Bridgerton-esque instrumental of Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect.” She wore a sparkling Martina Liana Luxe princess ballgown with a sweetheart neckline from local Kansas City shop True Society.
After exchanging traditional heartfelt vows, the couple and their 200 guests headed to the venue’s romantic barndominium where they would dance the night away to ’90s country music. McBee and Ventresca’s first dance was to Shania Twain’s “You’re Still The One.”
“We love her. It’s a good representation of us, our relationship,” the couple tells PEOPLE. They say the song is especially representational of them because it conveys how they’re still together despite all odds and naysayers.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Guests enjoyed a chicken and steak buffet-style dinner. For dessert, a two-tier wedding cake with lemon flavor (McBee’s favorite) and white chocolate raspberry was served.
The morning of the couple’s nuptials, McBee and his groomsmen went golfing while the bridal party stayed at the venue to get ready. But the wedding festivities actually began the night prior when a new McBee family tradition was born during the rehearsal dinner.
“We want to take the McBee farm logo and burn it onto a piece of wood,” the couple told PEOPLE ahead of their wedding, which was filmed for McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys‘ season 2 finale. “We would like to carry it on as a tradition with the rest of the brothers. ‘Established . . . October 19th,’ so Cole and Kacie [Adkison] could use it, and the next weddings in the McBee family to come.”
The high school sweethearts’ love story began with a private message on Facebook Messenger. McBee slid into Ventresca’s PMs after attending her basketball game in 2012, writing, “Hey Alli, great game! :)).” The rest is history.
“The idea of high school sweethearts we feel is a lost art. We love our story and know that people change and grow and learn and we just want to do all of that together,” McBee tells PEOPLE. “We have been through a lot together over the years and have grown stronger because of it. We both love our friends, our families and our life together. We feel our story is special because it is not like anyone else’s.”
McBee popped the question on July 8 after taking Ventresca horseback riding to a sunset picnic with all her favorite snacks. The surprise proposal aired in the final episode of the first season of McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys.
“I love Jesse’s heart the most,” says Ventresca. He is kind-hearted, soft-spoken, and funny with his one-liners. He really makes me laugh and sometimes I am the only one who hears his jokes which makes them all the more funny. I believe I am really the only one who understands him. We know each other better than we know ourselves having been together so long.”
Now, the newlyweds are off to Maui for their honeymoon to enjoy a “little bit of mountains and a little bit of the beach,” adds McBee.
As for the next chapter of their lives, the couple can’t wait to live together and start a family.
“We have a house in the city and one on the farm and we are always going back and forth between the two and it gets to be a lot sometimes,” Ventresca explains. “We are excited to have kids. Jesse thinks three is a good number, two boys and a girl.”
“I honestly hope that we just continue to grow together and create a life together. Babies, houses, careers. We want to have kids soon. We love our story,” says McBee.
