The only thing better than winning the World Series might be marrying a supermodel the same week, as Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander is about to find out. The athlete, who got a huge smooch from love Kate Upton when his team clinched the World Series in Game 7 Wednesday night, will be tying the knot with his supermodel fiancée in Italy this weekend.
The couple, who announced their engagement at last year’s Met Gala with a one-of-a-kind ring designed by Verlander and jeweler Anita Ko, have been dating since early 2014. Verlander proposed shortly before baseball season in 2016, but the couple kept it under wraps for a few months – and have maintained that same low-key approach as they’ve planned their wedding over the past year and a half.
In February, Upton said her focus was on “fun, party, tequila and food,” and added, “we haven’t done any details. We are getting married, but it’s really hard. Everyone’s always like, invite whoever you want, do whatever you want, don’t feel bad about it, but you feel bad!” In May, she started looking at dresses, attending the Pronovias show in Barcelona in search of a dress that was “something that’s classic, with a sexy twist,” and noted that Verlander would love anything that she chose: “Justin is so supportive and I don’t think that he would honestly have a strong opinion in that way. He’s a lover, not a judger.”