‘The Bachelorette’ Alum Michelle Young Marries Jack Leius Wedding Exclusive

NEED TO KNOW

• The Bachelorette alum Michelle Young married sales consultant Jack Leius on June 7 in Chaska, Minnesota
• The “timeless” wedding was attended by 200 guests, and featured a violinist and late-night burger truck surprise
• “We both are excited to have found the person who we genuinely call our best friend and will go through life with. Looking forward to having some athletic babies,” the couple tells PEOPLE

Michelle Young tied the knot in a place that felt “like home.”

The Bachelorette alum and sales consultant Jack Leius, who both hail from Minnesota, got married on Saturday, June 7, at Woodland Glasshaus at Bavaria Downs in Chaska, Minnesota. Approximately 200 guests attended the couple’s “timeless” wedding inside a glass atrium set beneath a canopy of trees.

“It’s been a whirlwind of emotions and our cheeks may get stuck from smiling so big!” Young, 32, tells PEOPLE. “We knew regardless of how things turned out it would feel like an incredibly special day. So many fun moments and funny stories.”

Jack Leius and Michelle Young.

Reem Photography

Natural light shone through the forest venue’s floor-to-ceiling glass walls onto Young when she walked down the aisle as violinist Daniel Gilbert played “Love Me For The Both Of Us” by CJ Fam. She carried a bouquet made up of the same type of flowers in the bouquet Leius gave to her when he proposed in October 2024.

The Bachelor Nation alum, who was the runner-up on season 25 of The Bachelor, and later the season 18 Bachelorette, wore a white wedding gown custom-designed by Anne Barge, which contrasted her bridesmaids who were dressed in black.

“The timeless style is what really drew me in as well as the detail and care that is put in from the team while designing a custom dress,” Young says. “It was many months of meetings and flying to appointments but turned into one of the most special memories.”

Michelle Young and Jack Leius look into each other’s eyes, with their wedding party behind them.

Reem Photography

Dressed in a tuxedo from SuitShop, Leius had made his way down the aisle to “Lovers and Friends” by Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz featuring Usher and Ludacris. Once Young reached him, they played a game of Rock Paper Scissors to determine who would read their handwritten vows first.

The couple then exchanged rings from Wedding Day Diamonds.

“My favorite thing about Michelle is the aura she brings,” Leius tells PEOPLE. “She has this contagious smile and laugh and is just this magnetic person that people gravitate toward. I’ve loved watching how she navigates life with so much confidence.”

Michelle Young walks down the aisle.

Reem Photography

Young gushes, “Jack always sees the best in everyone and will go out of his way to help anyone. I can open up to him about anything and also have fun with him doing absolutely anything. He’s truly my partner in crime.”

Leius’ boss and former University of Minnesota football coach, Mike Sherels, officiated the wedding. Sherels’ twin daughters, Lyla and Cecilia, were the flower girls.

After the bride and groom said “I do,” they walked down the aisle together as Drake’s “Best I Ever Had” played.

The pair “made a pact to stay side-by-side the entire evening.”

Jack Leius and Michelle Young kiss.

Reem Photography

“We wanted our day to be very intentional,” Young explains. “It’s easy to get caught up in the planning of it all and not transition into the moment so we made sure to plan small moments aside with each other.”

They shared their first dance to “Hate That I Love You” by Rihanna, featuring Ne-Yo. This song is meaningful to Young and Leius because it played in the car the first night they met, which resulted in a “special moment” of them belting the song out together.

Before the wedding, Young told PEOPLE that she was most excited for “dancing until our feet fall off” — and everyone did just that.

Michelle Young and Jack Leius.

Reem Photography

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Embracing Leius’ Italian roots, partygoers dined family-style with catering from D’Amico Hospitality. 

“We felt like this would bring our two families together by sharing a meal,” Young says.

The couple then skipped the wedding cake and went straight to the dessert table. The bride has “quite the sweet tooth,” so she couldn’t have just one sweet treat. Cheesecake, key lime pie, butterscotch panna cotta, tiramisu, limoncello and more were up for grabs.

Jack Leius and Michelle Young have their first dance.

Reem Photography

Later in the night, Young and Leius surprised their guests by having Parlour’s food truck pull up with tasty burgers.

Wedding planning and floral designs were by Artful Events & Design. Reem Photography captured photos of the big day while Branson Maxwell took videos.

Young and Leius were introduced by a mutual friend. They made their relationship Instagram official in October 2023, joint posting loved-up couple photos alongside Young’s sweet caption, “Hit the Jackpot with you 🫶🏾.” In January 2024, they made their first public relationship debut at The Golden Bachelor alums Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist’s wedding.

PEOPLE exclusively confirmed that the couple got engaged on Oct. 24, 2024, at Centennial Lakes in Edina, Minnesota. Leius popped the question with a 3.56-carat emerald-cut diamond ring after making Young believe that she was taking part in a commercial shoot.

Jack Leius and Michelle Young pose next to the Parlour food truck.

Reem Photography

“I tried to say yes several times but was in shock that no words really came out. There were a lot of happy tears and of course I said YES!” Young said at the time.

The newlyweds are excited to “eat their way through” their two-week honeymoon in Italy at the end of this summer, and later start a family together.

“We both are excited to have found the person who we genuinely call our best friend and will go through life with,” they tell PEOPLE. “Looking forward to having some athletic babies and hopefully coaching them in the future.”