Yahoo Movies HGTV's Steve Ford Marries Girlfriend Andrea Cargill in Surprise Wedding: 'The Love of My Life'
Sarah Barlow
Restored by the Fords' Steve Ford is a married man!
The renovation pro married his girlfriend of three years, Andrea Cargill, on Sunday in a "winter woodlands"-inspired ceremony at a resort outside of Pittsburgh, PEOPLE can exclusively reveal.
"I'm [so excited] to be married to Andrea," says Ford, who stars alongside his sister, designer Leanne Ford, in their HGTV series. "I'm looking forward to starting a family and taking on life together as husband and wife."
Steve and Cargill were friends for several years before becoming romantically involved. The pair, who both share a passion for adventure and the outdoors, got engaged less than a month ago.
Steve popped the question on Nov. 11, surprising Cargill with a proposal in their garden with his grandmother's ring, which has been passed down in his family. They did not announce their engagement publicly.
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steve ford/instagram
"When you know, you know. We've been together for three years, and figured it was time to make it official," Steve explains of the short engagement. "Why wait any longer?"
Embracing both Steve and Cargill's appreciation for nature, the ceremony was held outdoors at the Seven Springs Mountain Resort, surrounded by Pennsylvania's Laurel Mountains. A small number of friends and family members were in attendance, and a natural waterfall was the stunning backdrop to their "I dos."
The group headed inside for the intimate reception, which was held at the resort's acclaimed restaurant, Helen's, located inside a rustic-chic 1930s cabin, which the resort's original owners called home.
The space was decked out with moody candlelight, fresh greenery, dark wood features and a blazing fireplace. To make things a little more personal, Steve covered the restaurant's logo with a sign that read "The Fords' Love Shack," as "Love Shack" by the B-52s is a Ford-favorite song. He also brought in an oversized disco ball — one of the Fords' signature design moves — to hang in the restaurant while guests danced the night away.
Despite their non-traditional wedding planning, the couple did closely follow a few wedding norms throughout the day. "I love the classic wedding traditions and we're planning to do many of them on our big day," Cargill told PEOPLE ahead of the wedding.
"My Dad is giving me away, we are being married by a pastor who is a close friend of the Ford family and we'll be doing the first toast, cake cutting and throwing the bouquet," she explained. "I'm also doing 'something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue' for good luck."
steve ford/instagram
The couple also had a bout of good luck when they realized that the best day for their wedding also fell on another special date: Steve's birthday.
"We didn't plan to get married on my birthday — it just happened to work out that way," Steve says. "The good news is that I'll never forget our anniversary so that's awesome!"
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Though they don't yet have plans for their honeymoon ("Not sure where we'll go or what we'll do, but it's going to be great," Steve says), they're excited to start out on this new chapter ahead of the new year.
"Steve is the love of my life and I'm so excited to get married, have a family and spend the rest of our lives together," Cargill says. "He makes me happy and we bring out the best in each other."
"Andrea is happy and it's great to be around such a happy person," Steve says of his new wife. "She's also thoughtful and the most beautiful person I know, inside and out. She brings love and joy to my life, and she's always up for a new adventure."
