The ‘Deal or No Deal’ model married her longtime boyfriend Hiteman on the three-year anniversary of when they first met
Credit: Chad Salvador Photography
NEED TO KNOW
- Jessica Lee and Carl Hiteman married on the three-year anniversary of the day they met
- Lee wore two custom gowns designed by her longtime friend Rebecca Dominguez
- The bride surprised Hiteman with an original wedding song featuring Yellowcard’s Sean Mackin, blending their favorite musical pieces
Jessica “JLee” Lee and Carl Hiteman have tied the knot.
The Deal or No Deal model married Hiteman, a staff technical program manager at RIVIAN, at Galway Downs in Temecula, Cali. on Wednesday, June 24. The wedding featured white and green florals, as well as old books covered in crisp gold paper and candles to create a touch of Old Hollywood glamor mixed with modern-day fairytale.
“We always knew we wanted our wedding to feel magical, like a beautiful departure from the ordinary,” they tell PEOPLE. “Memorable. Full of laughter, love, hope and endless memories that will carry everyone through their darkest times, for decades to come.”
Credit: Chad Salvador Photography
Lee walked down the aisle in a gown by Madi Lane Bridal that was fully customized by her longtime friend Rebecca Dominguez. She first met the celebrity costumer when the two worked together on Deal or No Deal. They went on to forge a lifelong friendship, and Lee even calls Dominguez her “Fairy Godmother.”
“My Fairy Godmother worked her magic on this, turning an off-the-rack Madi Lane bridal gown into a fully custom and hand-sewn dress,” says Lee. “She spent over 380 hours crafting both of my wedding gowns. I absolutely adore her and am so grateful.”
Lee’s second gown was another customized Madi Lane dress. Dominguez deconstructed two off-the-rack gowns and transformed them into their own singular pieces.
Credit: Chad Salvador Photography
“She had her ceremony dress and her dancing dress because she knew she wanted to dance at her reception,” explains Dominguez. “The hours were as much as 380 doing what I love. [Lee] was worth every second.”
Once she met Hiteman at the altar, the two exchanged handwritten vows in a ceremony officiated by Lee’s friend Bud Galloway. The groom read from a small, moss green-colored vow book, while Lee recited her vows.
After the two said “I do,” all 75 of Lee and Hiteman’s guests — who were asked to dress all in black — were escorted to the reception. They enjoyed an array of passed appetizers before a full bullet that included chicken, fish, a carving station and vegan options.
For dessert, Lee and Hiteman opted for a 3-tier white lambeth Victorian-style wedding cake by Bo Cakes. The top tier was a vanilla bean cake with praline filling, the middle tier was a marble cake with cream cheese mousse and oreo filling, and the third tier was an almond cake with praline filing.
Credit: Chad Salvador Photography
They also created a sweet & salty candy bar — a nod to Lee’s Deal or No Deal nickname, Sweet 16 — with featured Chex Mix and an assortment of pink and green gummy candies.
One of the reception’s sweetest moments featured a song Lee had created as a wedding gift for Hiteman with Yellowcard musician and violinist Sean Mackin.
“Sean was amazing to work with and incredibly talented! He was on tour with Yellowcard and New Found Glory, but still made time to make this dream a reality for our wedding,” says Lee. “I knew they were touring so I didn’t tell anyone about the wedding gift song until it became real.”
Credit: Chad Salvador Photography
Lee recalls the first time she heard the song as an “emotional moment” and a “dream come true, like a moment only found in fairytales.”
“I grew up playing the cello and held first chair. Music really helped me through a difficult time (always has) and gave me a way to express myself that words nor fashion could,” she says. “I remember every time I would play Pachelbel’s “Canon in D,” I would think to myself, ‘I want this song on my wedding day.’ I also felt that way about The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony.”
Lee’s final song was created out of “Canon in D,” “Bittersweet Symphony” and Yellowcard’s “Believe.” The original song, titled “Once Upon A-Major,” was played for the first time as she walked down the aisle.
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“I was listening and watching her look more beautiful than ever and I couldn’t believe she had done it,” says Hiteman. “Only Jess could pull something like this off.”
Music remained a special part of the wedding throughout the reception. The bride and groom curated playlists for every moment, which they intentionally selected to create a storybook journey.
“Music is such an important part of our lives that we really took the time to craft specific playlists for each moment of our wedding, from the guest arrivals, ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner and reception,” says Lee. “I wanted each song to be intentional, and each song we selected has meaning to us. I am excited to share our playlists with our friends and family!”
The two married on the three-year anniversary of the first time they met. Lee and Hiteman were introduced in a mutual friend’s kitchen while the bride tried to charge her dying phone.
“The only available outlet was in the kitchen, so I was confined to three feet from the wall,” remembers Lee. “And sitting at the kitchen counter was Carl.”
They hit it off and before Hiteman left the party, he asked Lee for her number. A few years later, they went on to get engaged in December 2024 on the North Shore of Hawaii.
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