Jesse McCartney Marries Actress Katie Peterson in 'Romantic' California Ceremony

The "Beautiful Soul" singer popped the question in 2019 after seven years of dating

Jesse McCartney is a married man!

The singer-songwriter and actress Katie Peterson, both 34, tied the knot on Saturday in a romantic, rustic-chic ceremony at the Santa Lucia Preserve in Carmel, California.

The happy couple were married by Peterson's uncle and exchanged vows they wrote themselves in a floral-filled ceremony that also featured an appearance by their beloved dog Bailey, who served as a flower girl.

"I think that moment of settling in at the altar and just watching her come down is going to be pretty special and having our families there and witnessing all of it… It's hard not to be romantic about that portion of the night," McCartney told PEOPLE ahead of the big day.

The "Beautiful Soul" singer, who had his brother by his side as best man, wore a Brioni tuxedo with mother-of-pearl cuff links and a cream-colored shirt, while Peterson donned a Galia Lahav couture dress and champagne-colored Jimmy Choos.

"It felt very rustic, and almost like my dress is coming out of the woods as well," she tells PEOPLE of the look, which also included a Fionna Floral bouquet of dusty rose-colored roses, eucalyptus, dusty miller and green filler, which she held together with lace from her mother's wedding veil.

Jesse McCartney wedding photos
John & Joseph Photography

Peterson walked down the aisle atop a bed of white rose petals to a string quartet version of Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight," while the wedding party entered to a string version of the Jurassic Park theme song.

"I cry watching a Subaru commercial. That kind of sums it up for you," McCartney said before the wedding. "So I don't know how I'm going to get through this… I get dewy, as they say."

Following the outdoor ceremony, the couple — who were engaged in September 2019 after seven years of dating — took things to a rustic barn-like structure for the reception, where they turned to wedding planners Sharon Sacks and Robin Holt for help nailing all the details.

Of choosing the venue, Peterson says she was struck by its "magical" quality, and that they already felt connected to it, as McCartney had once brought her to Carmel for her birthday.

"It's breathtaking. It's extremely whimsical and like a fairytale, truly," she says. "You're in the middle of the redwoods and these trees are like, 800 years old and they're massive. It's a very special place."

Watch the full episode of People Weddings: Jesse McCartney & Katie Peterson on PeopleTV.com or on the PeopleTV app.

The couple welcomed 147 guests total, including country singer Hunter Hayes, whom McCartney befriended while competing on The Masked Singer last year, his Young and Hungry costar Jonathan Sadowski, and his Greek co-stars Paul James and Jacob Zachar.

McCartney was up for the task of planning the music, and assembled a 15-piece wedding band from Élan Artists, which backed him as he performed his song "Party for Two." He wrote the sweet track for his proposal to Peterson and first sang it to her the night they got engaged.

The couple later shared their first dance to "Lover" by Taylor Swift, and Peterson danced with her father to Jimmy Buffett's "Little Miss Magic."

Jesse McCartney and Katie Peterson
Jesse McCartney and Katie Peterson. Presley Ann/Patrick McMullan via Getty

Guests noshed on seasonal appetizers made in-house, and chose either filet mignon or halibut for dinner.

They also enjoyed a four-tiered wedding cake from Angelina's Bakery, and homemade sorbet, as McCartney is a "big ice cream and sorbet guy." A cigar roller was also present, rolling cigars for guests that featured custom labels.

The celebration represented just how far they've come as a couple since they first met when Peterson was tending bar and McCartney came in to celebrate a friend's birthday after-hours.

"I was sort of trying to sweet-talk her," McCartney says of trying to chat up his future wife. "I found her incredibly attractive and was just trying to charm her, but she wasn't having it. I eventually left my number on a napkin and she said, 'You didn't write your name down on it!' And I was like, 'Oh, of course, she probably got a million of these tonight.' I had to write my name down on the napkin and then eventually the rest is history!"

The pair went for drinks a few days later, and eventually had their first proper date at the Cut steakhouse in Beverly Hills — the same place McCartney would later propose on their anniversary with a ring from Jean Dousset, who also designed the couple's wedding bands.

"It started with just her sense of humor and our compatibility," McCartney says of knowing Peterson was the one. "I knew that we just had this effortless way about each other and everything that we did just seemed like it was so easy… We just have a good flow. She knows when to push, she knows when to pull, and vice-versa."

RELATED: Jesse McCartney's Save the Date Video

Peterson, meanwhile, says she most admires her new husband's generosity.

"He's just very thoughtful with his time… For somebody who's so busy and always on the go, he just has this generous way of prioritizing me," she says. "We just make each other laugh. I feel the most comfortable being myself when I'm with him, which I think is really the true tell of when you found your person."

Though the couple says they don't plan to honeymoon until the springtime, they know they have plenty to look forward to.

"I think going through life knowing that you have a partner that is excited about the same things as you is, overall, a really rewarding experience and I can't imagine wanting to live your life any other way," McCartney says. "Katie is very good at producing and actually making something out of nothing. She can make a very small moment feel very important."

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