Yahoo Lifestyle CNN's Omar Jimenez Marries Maya Voelk in 'Elegant, Coastal' Wedding in Seattle: 'A Dream Come True' (Exclusive)
The couple — who got engaged in March 2023 — tied the knot over the Fourth of July weekend at the Seattle Tennis Club, joined by 145 loved ones
Omar Jimenez is married!
The CNN correspondent, 30, tied the knot with Maya Voelk on July 6 at the Seattle Tennis Club in Seattle, surrounded by 145 loved ones. The couple tells PEOPLE they saw their nuptials as a "rare" opportunity to bring their "proverbial village" all together at once, and therefore planned a big, multi-day celebration "to capture that essence and appreciation."
"We also wanted to give guests the opportunity to explore Seattle. Our friends and family are from all over the country and world, so we wanted a venue that was in the city, and to give people along weekend to build in the relaxation time they deserve — so the Fourth of July weekend felt like the perfect fit," says Voelk, who grew up in the city.
Despite Jimenez's high-profile job, the couple purposefully did not invite any celebrity guests, as they "wanted to keep the focus on bringing together our families and closest friends," the TV personality tells PEOPLE.
The festivities kicked off on Thursday, July 4, with a group outing to the Seattle Mariners' game against the Baltimore Orioles at T-Mobile Park. "We bought out almost 50 tickets of a section to host guests in town early for some baseball. Maya is a lifelong Mariners fan, and it's so special that we could gather so many of our guests for a classic pastime before the more formal events," Jimenez recalls.
On Friday, the couple — who worked with wedding planner Kara Galvan of Your Perfect Bridesmaid — hosted a rehearsal dinner and welcome reception ahead of the big day on Saturday. For their ceremony and reception, they chose the Seattle Tennis Club venue "to capture the natural beauty of not just the city, but the Pacific Northwest region," the Emmy Award-winning journalist says.
The 134-year-old club sits on eight acres along the shore of Lake Washington, and features panoramic views of downtown Bellevue, the Cascade Mountain Range and Mount Rainier. "What better blend of both worlds than a summer Seattle venue with Mount Rainier as the backdrop?" Jimenez says.
When it came to their overall wedding vision, the pair leaned into the coastal vibe of the Pacific Northwest and focused on "a modern and elegant" color palette of white with touches of soft blue, letting the décor enhance the stunning natural scenery. Oak and Fig Floral oversaw the lush flower arrangements.
During the ceremony, which was officiated by Jimenez's best friend Nick Petro, the couple exchanged handwritten vows. Voelk wore a custom Lihi Hod gown featuring an architectural bodice, a sleek, fitted bottom and a dramatic, four-foot-long detachable train.
She topped her classic bridal look with a cathedral-length veil detailed with lace florals, and wore Loeffler Randall white satin platform sandals. Carissa Blossom Artistry handled her wedding-day glam, and Gabrielle Hurwitz provided styling assistance.
"My everyday style is clean and classic designs with a twist of drama, and I wanted my wedding dress to be no different," Voelk notes.
She later swapped her formal gown for a "fun and flirty" look for the reception — Bronx and Banco's Jasmine Maraya minidress, decorated with 3-D floral appliqués and hand embroidery.
The wedding party processed to "The Princess Diaries Waltz," in a nod to the 2001 Anne Hathaway movie, which is a favorite of the bride's. Voelk made her walk down the aisle to Pachelbel's "Canon in D," performed by the Seattle String Quartet.
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After the ceremony, guests gathered at a cocktail reception where they enjoyed an array of passed appetizers including Wagyu beef sliders, spinach and feta spanakopita, smoked salmon crostini, spicy tuna hand rolls and roasted vegetable skewers. There was also an oyster bar curated by Pop-Up Oyster Bar Co. and a station offering artisanal cheeses and meats.
A plated dinner followed, featuring a menu that included Pacific Northwest Caesar salad, Chianti-braised short ribs with Boursin polenta and glazed baby carrots, seared king salmon with rainbow potatoes and French green beans, and wild mushroom risotto with summer peas.
For dessert, Jimenez and Voelk served slices of their multi-tier wedding cake, made by Lady Grey Seattle. In a sentimental touch, they recreated Voelk's parents' wedding cake as their own to surprise them. One tier had vanilla buttermilk cake, maple buttercream and cinnamon blueberry compote, while another tier featured vanilla buttermilk cake, brown sugar almond buttercream and caramelized bourbon peaches.
Later into the evening, guests were treated to additional buffet options such as mini hand pies (in cherry, coconut crème and French silk chocolate flavors), French fries and both Buffalo- and BBQ-style boneless wings.
The newlyweds shared their first dance as husband and wife to "Tattooed Heart" by Ariana Grande. They also took a special moment to honor other married couples in the room by having the DJ, Joshua Fields, call them up to the dance floor.
The wedding weekend capped off with a farewell gathering at a brewery on Sunday, July 7. Then, the bride and groom jetted off for a honeymoon on the island of Lanai in Hawaii for a week, followed by a week in Japan. "We wanted the combination of a relaxing time with the adventure of international travel," Voelk notes.
Jimenez and Voelk both attended Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism just one year apart but never crossed paths with each other on the Illinois campus. "We still believe we must have locked eyes at one point, even if just a fleeting glance walking down the street. We may never know," Jimenez says, adding, "But everything happened in its right time."
When the journalist moved to Chicago, a mutual friend mentioned Voelk and he looked her up on social media. After "a few Instagram likes here, a few DMs there and more than a year of messages" back and forth, the pair met up for their first date in February 2020 while Jimenez was visiting Los Angeles for work.
"We each planned on being there for about an hour and a half but ended up staying double that, and both of us were very late to what we individually had planned next in the evening," he recalls of the date.
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Jimenez popped the question to Voelk in March 2023 during a surprise proposal on the rooftop of the 1 Hotel in Brooklyn, N.Y. "[I got] down on a knee, [and] asked the love of my life to marry me," he tells PEOPLE.
Looking back on their wedding day, Jimenez says it was "a dream come true," adding of Voelk, "In each other we’ve found partners who love relentlessly, build ambitiously and understand what it means to respect each other in all aspects of life."
"Marriage is an incredible journey, partnership and love story," he adds. "To me it means understanding amid constant growth. To understand a partner is to love them, and everyday I want to be able tackle life with the person I understand most."
Reflecting on the many qualities he admires most about his wife, Jimenez says, I love her enthusiasm for life, her desire to squeeze every bit out of every day, not because she feels she has to, but only because she fears she might miss out on something amazing. The enthusiasm is contagious."
As for Voelk, she loves the CNN star's determination. "When Omar wants something, he sets his mind to it and he does it," she says. "And dating him was no different. When he asked me to be his girlfriend, I cautiously brought up the fact that I would be starting at Harvard Business School in just a few weeks and would be moving to Boston. He said, 'I've already thought about it, I have a plan.' "
"He is conscientious and purposeful, and I never doubt that he is constantly thinking of and working on us," Voelk adds of her new husband.
As they settle into married life, the couple says they are in no "rush" to have kids yet and simply plan to enjoy their time with each other.
"We want to savor the moments where we can just be a married couple traveling the world, one-upping each other on date nights, and building each other up in our respective careers. Everything comes in due time, but in the immediate future we look forward to setting a 'date each other' foundation that withstands any mini-sized additions to the relationship in the future," Jimenez says, adding: "Taking travel recs now!"
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