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Updated Mar 06, 2025Jesse Sullivan and Francesca Farago Tease Their Wedding Vision: "We Want to Go a Little Goth"
Plus, the social media stars share why they put planning on pause for their fertility journey.
Francesca Farago and Jesse Sullivan may be soaking up the early stages of baby bliss, but that hasn't stopped them from daydreaming about their wedding. The former Too Hot to Handle star, 31, and social media personality and activist, 34, announced their pregnancy in March 2024, just one year after they got engaged. While they did begin planning their dream wedding day, the couple put things on pause to pursue their fertility journey—but with their twins' due date approaching later this year, their future wedding will be here before we know it.
Following their pregnancy announcement, we caught up with Jesse Sullivan and Francesca Farago to chat about their dream wedding vision, which is loosely inspired by the gothic nuptials of Kourtney Kardashian and Anya Taylor-Joy. Plus, we look back on their sweet love story, which began over Zoom in June 2021.
In this article:
- Inside Francesca Farago and Jesse Sullivan's Love Story
- Francesca Farago and Jesse Sullivan's Engagement Details
- Jesse Sullivan and Francesca Farago's Wedding Vision
Inside Francesca Farago and Jesse Sullivan's Love Story
A very modern meet-cute, indeed. While you may have watched Francesca Farago on Netflix's Too Hot to Handle at the height of the pandemic in 2020, she didn't end up with anyone on the show. Instead, she met her now-fiancé, Jesse Sullivan, over Zoom in June 2021. Farago was working with TikTok to host a live event in honor of Pride Month, where she was slated to interview Sullivan, a transgender activist and content creator. From the moment they both logged onto the virtual call, sparks flew.
"She was in a bikini top taking tequila shots, because she was in Mexico," Sullivan recalls. "And I was sitting there in my LA apartment like, 'Who is this girl?' I had never watched Too Hot to Handle, so I didn't know who she was. But I thought, 'That is the prettiest human I've ever seen in my life.'"
Farago felt the same way. "I saw him and thought, 'Who's this cutie pie over there?' I wanted to get his attention, but it was a serious interview. I tried to keep it professional but also make sure I caught his eye." Alas, it worked. "I instantly felt very drawn to her," Sullivan recalls. "There was something that made me want to know so much about her."
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Although they began dating shortly after their Zoom meet-cute, the couple did briefly split. (During their time apart, Farago went on to film season one of Netflix's Perfect Match in the spring of 2022, though she left the island single.) As fate would have it, they found their way back to each other—and things got significantly more serious when Farago developed a relationship with Sullivan's child from a previous relationship, Arlo.
"One of the great things about dating as a single parent is once you're at a point where you're ready to introduce them to your kid, it can filter people out for you," Sullivan explains. "With Francesca, it was so quick. The first time I introduced them, they were cracking up and making jokes, and that still continues to this day."
Francesca Farago and Jesse Sullivan's Engagement Details
Before long, Jesse Sullivan and Francesca Farago knew they were committed to forever. When Farago began discussing engagement ring ideas, Sullivan wrote everything down in a secret notebook. "When I started this process, I knew nothing about diamonds or engagement rings," Sullivan says. "Every time she would bring something up to me, I would research it."
For six months, Sullivan documented as much as he could about Farago's vision and landed on a modern toi-et-moi design with a botanical-inspired setting. With a looming trip to Canada, where Farago is originally from, the pressure was on to propose before they'd reunite with family and friends over the border. "I sent [my design] to Ring Concierge and asked if they could create it. They said, 'We've never done this before, but we'll make it happen.'"
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Within two weeks, the celebrity-favorite engagement ring brand brought Sullivan's sketches to life just in time for the proposal. Through a few sneakily-placed Easter eggs to throw her off, Sullivan made sure that Farago wasn't completely sure when the engagement would take place. He promised that both Arlo and their dog, Romi, would be present—so with Arlo seemingly out of town one night in April 2023, Farago wasn't convinced it would take place at the candlelit concert they were headed to. Of course, everything fell into place when she walked into the building and saw Arlo, Romi, and their family and friends waiting in the empty room.
After Sullivan popped the question, the fiancés celebrated with their loved ones at the concert before heading to dinner at the Beverly Hills Hotel. "It was the best night of my life," Farago recalls. "I wish we could relive it, because it was so much fun." Adds Sullivan: "She says this all the time, and that makes me so happy. I put so much time and effort into planning because I wanted her to remember this forever."
Jesse Sullivan and Francesca Farago's Wedding Vision
From there, Francesca Farago and Jesse Sullivan began planning their wedding, going so far as to search for venues and try on dresses at Kleinfeld Bridal Salon in New York City. All the while, they were renovating a house, planning for their IVF journey, and working with a wedding planner who didn't completely understand their vision. "We were stressed out and not really enjoying the process," Farago explains, "so we just looked at each other one day and said, 'Maybe we should do our egg retrieval now.'"
Immediately, they knew it was the right decision to toss the "traditional" timeline and pursue fertility options before getting too far into the wedding planning process. "We've both lived very long lives, we didn't feel like we needed to do this in order," Sullivan says. "We were so ready to start a family together, and now the wedding is going to be a celebration after we bring these kids into the world."
After a challenging IVF journey, which they documented in great detail on TikTok, the couple announced in March that they're expecting twins, due later this year. Despite the ups and downs—experienced while navigating comments and opinions in the public eye—they say it only brought them closer together. "I fall more in love with Francesca all the time, but this process is a different level," Sullivan says. "I think going through IVF can either make or break you. She stayed so strong and positive, which made me fall even deeper in love in a way that I can't describe."
Although they're still busy renovating their house, planning a lavish baby shower, and navigating a twin pregnancy, it hasn't stopped the couple from dreaming about what their wedding will look like. With their babies due around the holiday season, the couple hopes to get back to planning in early 2025, and their vision board is already coming to life. "We really like the vintage Italian look—the renaissance theme with deep shades of red and black with candles," says Sullivan, citing Kourtney Kardashian's Portofino vow swap as inspiration. "We want to go a little goth, but keep it classy and beautiful."
While they originally fell in love with Lake Como as a destination, the two want to ensure Farago's nonna is able to enjoy the festivities—so they're eyeing more accessible venues in Europe instead. One thing they already know, though, is that they're most looking forward to the ceremony processional, where Farago will walk toward Sullivan and Arlo at the altar. "I don't think I'm going to be able to keep it together while walking down the aisle," Farago says with a smile. "I'm gonna bawl my eyes out. I'll have to walk down with no makeup!"
Having gone through so many life milestones already—including dating long-distance, undergoing multiple egg retrievals and embryo transfers, Sullivan's top surgery, parenting Arlo together, and now, pregnancy—the couple couldn't feel more prepared for married life. "I really do think our love from day one was a little different," Sullivan says. "It was so connected and instantaneous. We called each other magnets because we couldn't stay away from each other."
Ultimately, this connection empowered them to tackle wedding planning and family planning their way, and on their terms. "At the end of the day, the wedding is about you and your partner," Farago says. "We don't want it to be stressful—we want it to be so rad."
