New England Patriots Quarterback Bailey Zappe Marries College Sweetheart Hannah Lewis at Secluded Lake in Montana

NFL star Bailey Zappe said "I do" to his college sweetheart!

The New England Patriots quarterback, 25, married Hannah Lewis on Wednesday, July 3, in Montana. The couple announced the happy news via a joint Instagram post with The Knot, featuring a series of photos from the ceremony on the shore of a secluded lake with sweeping mountain views.

They told the outlet that their intimate wedding, which was attended by just 32 loved ones, was partly inspired by their favorite TV show.

"We're from Texas where it's all flatlands," Lewis said. "We wanted our venue to have scenic mountains, and we both love the show Yellowstone. So we landed on Montana."

Initially, the pair had planned a much larger event in Texas but as they got deeper into the process, they had a change of heart. "We both have very small circles, and we aren't huge partiers," Lewis told The Knot. "It just didn't fit our style. We sat down and talked to each other and said, 'Let's just elope with our family.' "

After they made the location change to Montana, they teamed up with photographer Sydney Dahl, who also offers inclusive wedding planning services. She helped the couple bring their dream wedding vision to life.

Zappe and Lewis booked a cabin two hours from the lake, and their loved ones gathered there to kick off the wedding weekend with group hikes and various sightseeing activities. Everyone then boarded party buses on July 3 to transport them to the lake, where the athlete and his bride exchanged vows by the water.

The newlyweds told the outlet that the processional was the moment they most anticipated about their nuptials. "I never grew up envisioning my wedding," Lewis explained. "The only thing I've ever thought about was my husband seeing me for the first time walking down the aisle."

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They opted to forgo a first look so that they could experience that special reveal. "I told him if he didn't cry, I'd turn around!" Lewis recalled.

The pair's respective siblings joined them at the altar, as their small circle of guests — all dressed in black — looked on. Zappe's college football coach, Zach Kittley, officiated the ceremony.

After the newlyweds sealed the deal with a kiss, they and their guests headed back to the cabin to celebrate at a reception. Guests enjoyed a dinner catered by Great Northwest Catering, with a menu featuring tomahawk steak and shrimp and truffle mac and cheese. In addition to a two-tier wedding cake from Bonjour Bakery & Bistro with both a lemon and a vanilla layer, the couple served Insomnia Cookies, one of Zappe's favorite treats.

Once the dancing kicked off, the football player and Lewis shared their first dance as husband and wife to Tim McGraw's "My Best Friend," per The Knot.

The pair first met as students at Houston Baptist University in 2017 and, after lots of texting back and forth, they eventually went on their first date to Panera. Zappe jokingly recalled to The Knot how he found himself stressing after Lewis refused to let him pay for her food.

"I'm from the South, and that's one of the things you have to do!" he explained. "I was sitting there like, 'Look, I have to do this, otherwise I'm gonna be shamed by my parents.' "

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Zappe proposed in May 2023 when he got down on one knee in a gazebo in Dallas. "I honestly had no idea it was happening. I wasn't expecting it," Lewis recalled to the outlet.

Now, when they look back on their wedding, Zappe and Lewis say the day was all that they hoped for and more.

"We put 'us' into every aspect of this wedding," they said.