Ugly Betty Stars Finding Love & Marriage

Fans of the ABC dramedy Ugly Betty might want to wonder what type of love potion the caterers are sprinkling over the food on the show's set. Within months, one cast member said “I do” while another said “I will.” And there was certainly nothing unattractive about either significant event.

At the end of January 2007, Ashley Jensen who plays Christina McKinney, a Scottish seamstress who works at fictional MODE magazine, on the series tied the knot with her boyfriend, Terence Beesley, who is also an actor and a writer. Even though the couple had plenty of time to plan a fabulous wedding – they've been a couple for over 7 years – they opted for a private elopement in California.

Spur of Moment

The whole elopement was a spur of the moment event. Ashley had a day off from shooting, so the couple brought along a minister and their dog, Barney, to be a ring bearer and exchanged their vows in the beauty of a Big Sur forest. Unlike many brides who love the idea of planning out all of the intricate details including picking the font for their wedding invitations, Ashley just wanted to focus on the special day not all of the details.

A few months earlier, Ana Ortiz who plays Hilda Suarez, Betty's older sister, became engaged to her boyfriend, Noah Lebenzon, a California musician. The couple planned a June 9th wedding to take place in Puerto Rico where Ana was born.

Traditional Too

The engagement, unlike co-star Ashley's elopement, was very traditional. Noah called her father to get his permission before going down on one knee to pop the question. Obviously, she agreed.

One thing we can learn from these celebrity stories of elopement and engagement is the importance of doing your own thing when it comes to your wedding. You don't have to choose a formal wedding with hundreds of guests, photographers, limos, and catering to celebrate your marriage nor do you have to find a secluded forest to tie the knot with your pet dog as a witness. You can have a traditional down-on-one-knee engagement or you can choose something more unique like the ring in the champagne trick.

Choose the Best for You

You can do whatever fits your style best. For example, if don't want to elope but you're not crazy about having a big wedding either, you could compromise. Have a private ceremony and invite only a handful of your closest family members and friends. You could hold the wedding in a small church, in a botanical garden, on a beach, in Las Vegas . . . you get the idea. Afterward, you could always host a larger reception for everyone else.

When it comes to engagements, you could be traditional like Noah or you could throw in your own special touches. For example, you could get engaged at the top of a ferris wheel or at the restaurant where you had your first date. For Noah and Ana, the engagement was a private affair, but it doesn't have to be. A surprise engagement party is a fun way to ask that important question and spread the news quickly among friends simultaneously, although it's usually only a good option if you're pretty confident the answer will be “yes.”

The bottom line is that whether you're planning an engagement, an elopement, or a formal wedding, find ways to add your own style to the event. You'll be happier with the results.