Food Network star Anne Burrell marries Stuart Claxton (2024)

They had to put their nuptials on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but in the end chef Anne Burrell got her dream wedding.

On Saturday, the Food network star married Stuart Claxton in a gorgeous autumn-themed ceremony and reception in Cazenovia, New York, the bride's hometown, which is just over a four hour drive from Manhattan.

'I can't believe it's really here. It's kind of surreal,' theSecrets Of A Restaurant Chef host gushed to People, ahead of the wedding, which comes a year-and-a-half after the couple got engaged while in quarantine.

'We feel so much love and support from everyone who's coming.'

The event was held at Windridge Estates Red Barn 20, in scenic Central New York, which this time of the year is full of Mother Nature's colorful fall settings.

Living out the scene she had long had in her mind, the bride arrived for the ceremony by way of a horse and carriage.

'I don't care about the cheese factor,' Burrell, 52, said beforehand, in reference to the horse and carriage, before continuing, 'It's my moment and I mean to have it.'

The bride ended up wearing a dress byCarolina Herrera. It turns out the search for that perfect dress was among the easiest of all the decisions to make, considering it wasactually the first gown she tried on.

'I've loved Carolina Herrera forever because I feel like she knows how to dress real women,' she says. 'You don't have to be a stick figure, which I'm clearly not, but it still makes you feel beautiful and dreamy.'

Wanting to have some fun with his fashion choices, Claxton, 50, wore a black tuxedo by Ralph Lauren Purple Label with orange Nike high-tops sneakers.

Burrell had the love and support of four bridesmaids, including her sister and celebrity chef Rachael Ray, who were all decked out in burnt orange 'classic fifties-style party dresses'with an A-lined, tea-length skirt.

'My beautiful bridesmaids!! I feel so grateful to have such an AMAZING group of smart, strong, funny and just AMAZING people around me,' theIron Chef America star wrote alongside an Instagram photo of herself with her bridesmaids.'I am truly a #luckygirl !!! #ilovewhatido #weddingweekend'

Claxton,who works in ad sales marketing at Univision, ended up picking his 16-year-old son Javier, from a previous marriage, to be his best man.

On the morning of her wedding, Burrelldecided to share her enthusiasm with her 581,000 Instagram fans and followers, along with a photo of herself getting her hair done.

'Here we gooooooooooo!!!! Getting ready for the main events!!! I'm getting married today!!!' she wrote with obvious excitement in her words, along with the hashtags: #luckygirl #ilovewhatido'

Some of the more known guests, included stars Alex Guarnaschelli, Marc Murphy, Jeff Mauro, and Jenni 'J Woww' Farley.

The couple went with an autumnal theme for the decor, and hired a company to do the food selections, with the help of Burrell, who spent many months perfecting the menu.

'The caters, I'm sure, I've driven absolutely bonkers,' she said while laughing. 'They gave me a bunch of suggestions for menu ideas, and I was like, "Hmm, no. Hmm, no." I felt bad, but I was like, "I'm sorry, I'm a chef."'

They eventually settled on a menu that celebratesall the flavors of fall and its seasonal vegetables.

The starter was a roasted cauliflower steak with cauliflower puree, crispy potato shoestrings with creme fraiche, and caviar; the pasta course was a goat cheese and butternut squash ravioli in a sage butter sauce, with frizzled brussels sprouts leaves, toasted pumpkin seeds, and pumpkin seed oil; and the entree was a duo plate of braised short ribs with a celery root and parsnip puree, and herb and potato crusted halibut on a bed of spaghetti squash, with Tuscan kale and pistachio pesto.

For the dessert, the couple went witha zucchini cake, to go along with the multi-tieredwedding cake that was made by Cake Boss's Buddy Valastro.

The happy couple, who first met through the dating app Bumble in 2018 and got engaged in April 2020while quarantining with her family in Cazenovia, decided not to go on a traditional honeymoon. Instead they opted to stay home at their recently renovated apartment in Brooklyn.

'The thought of having a wedding up here, then getting home, turning around and going somewhere else is just so overwhelming to me,' Burrell confessed. 'So I'm very happy to just have some home time, and enjoy newlywed bliss at home for a little while.'