Although Ben saw Jessica as “the most beautiful girl he had ever seen,” they did not strike up a romance until they reconnected in 2007.
At the time, Ben took a break from filming Canadian Idol in Montreal and asked Jessica to go on a date. After grabbing sushi, they went to karaoke, where the Canadian host reportedly sang “New York, New York,” catching Jessica’s attention.
“I knew about halfway through the date that we would eventually get married,” Ben told PostCity in 2020.
After nine months of a long-distance relationship, Ben proposed to Jessica at Chez Nick’s Diner in Montreal.
“When I would visit Jessica, while we were dating, we’d always stop in so that I could have a bacon cheeseburger, fries and gravy and a black cherry cola (the only thing I have ever eaten at Nick’s),” Ben detailed. “I mentioned how I hoped that, when we had kids, they would have a chance to make memories at Nick’s, too. At which point, I got on one knee, whipped out a ring and popped the question.”
On October 30, 2008, Ben and Jessica tied the knot in front of their 60 guests during a private ceremony at St. Patrick’s Basilica.
“The moment I saw Jess walk down the aisle. It was the first time in my life that my breath actually left my body and I could not catch it,” Ben told Today’s Bride following the ceremony.
Their three-day wedding celebrations included a “Hallowedding” costume party.