The pair first met in Ukraine when they were kids.
Updated Aug 21, 2024His Online Persona Is "The Food Guy." Naturally, His Wedding Menu Had to Live Up to the Hype
An exclusive first look inside TikTok star Tommy Winkler and wife Jessica Pappas' "whimsical, European spring garden" wedding.
Tommy Winkler and his wife, Jessica Pappas, had a meet-cute worthy of a '90s rom-com movie—but with a modern twist. The social media influencer, who goes by "The Food Guy" and has amassed over 13 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, met his wife (and now-business partner) when he was a sophomore and she was a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in the fall of 2020. On the day Pappas moved into her student-athlete campus housing, Winkler stopped by her apartment. (He was on the men's golf team and she was on women's volleyball; it was common for the two teams to hang out.) "Initially, we annoyed each other in what turned out to be a more flirtatious way," Winkler recalls.
Their friendship began platonically. Pappas would throw tennis balls at Winkler's window, or use rackets to hit her ceiling (which was below Winkler's unit). "Our apartments were in a competition to see who could annoy each other the most," Pappas says. Things changed in November, when Winkler and Pappas contracted coronavirus at the same time and had to isolate in separate housing. Winkler would throw pebbles at her window to ask her to join him on walks outside when they needed social interaction. "It just felt so natural. We weren't even trying," he says. Adds Pappas: "I wasn't looking for a boyfriend. I wanted the true college experience."
While they were "fighting" their connection at first, it didn't take long for romantic feelings to blossom. Once they recovered, they continued seeing each other one-on-one and ultimately spent their winter break driving back and forth from Chicago, where she lived, to Madison, Wisconsin, where he lived. They made things official in January 2021, and the rest was history. "We call it the COVID love story," Winkler says.
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Winkler proposed four-and-a-half years later, though he jokes that Pappas was "getting on him" about an engagement three years into their relationship. While she didn't help design the ring, she sent him plenty of TikToks and photos of the general aesthetic she wanted, which was loosely inspired by her love of fantasy novels (like Fourth Wing, A Court of Thorns and Roses and Throne of Glass). Armed with ideas, Winkler went to Distinctive Gold Jewelry to bring her dream vision to life: an oval-shaped center stone flanked by botanical, leaf-like side stones adorning the band.
The ethereal vibe of Pappas' engagement ring also loosely influenced their search for the perfect venue. With a "whimsical, European spring garden" theme in mind, the couple set out to find a location with that vibe in the US. "We looked all over the Midwest because we really wanted the venue to feel like a destination wedding without actually having to have our families go that far," Pappas explains. They found exactly that in Meyer's Castle: a historic private home in Dyer, Indiana, just 35 minutes away from Chicago. "We found it pretty early on, and we loved it," Pappas continues. "It does not feel like Indiana at all."
Given the couple's desire for a nature-forward setting, the castle—which is situated in the middle of a forest—enhanced their floral design by The Flower Wall Company Indianapolis, which featured blooms in pastel shades of pink, yellow, orange and purple. Adding to the ambiance were free-roaming peacocks that prowled around the property grounds.
The bride wore a fitted dress by Renhue for the ceremony, which had a subtly-draped bodice and a pointed cateye neckline. She accessorized with elegant lace gloves and a dainty pearl necklace. The groom opted for a light suit from SuitShop, complete with a pastel pink boutonniere. The bridesmaids wore mismatched pastel dresses from Birdy Grey, while the groomsmen donned light green suits also from SuitShop.
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Pappas, a self-proclaimed Swiftie, ensured there were plenty of Taylor Swift love songs queued throughout the day. Her bridesmaids entered to "Enchanted," while she walked down the aisle to "You Are In Love," both of which were performed by pianist Veronica Gomoll. The couple shared emotional vows during the ceremony, which was officiated by Jonnie Winkler, the groom's brother.
After they were pronounced husband and wife, cocktail hour commenced with a lavish menu of drinks and hors d'oeuvres. Guests could also take horse-drawn carriage rides throughout the venue, adding to the regal ambiance. While Pappas took the lead on planning the wedding herself, Winkler was heavily involved in curating the dining experience. They had four signature drinks, which were named after their beloved cats: the Mango, the Olive, the Bosco and the Cheddar.
Appetizers were served butler-style; guests noshed on bites like beef empanadas, beef skewers, shrimp shooters, stuffed mushroom caps, and cucumber, hummus, and feta bites.
Dinner was a nod to the groom's favorite food—steak. To keep their loved ones satisfied, the entree was a duet pairing of filet mignon and chicken marsala served with roasted potatoes (the couple's go-to side dish when cooking at home) and seasonal vegetables. But perhaps the most important accompaniment was something you might not expect: "really good bread and butter," they say in unison.
The newlyweds shared their first dance to Swift's "Daylight," (specifically the "Live from Paris" version, the bride notes). After that, DJ Charvis Combs, who the couple sourced through DJ Indiana, kept the dance floor packed all night with an array of hits—though the light up glow sticks certainly helped as well.
The couple sliced into two cakes: the first was a three-tier confection with a layer of chocolate cake and chocolate butter cream, a layer of strawberry shortcake, and a layer of red velvet cake with vanilla buttercream. Their second sweet treat, a massive three-foot tiramisu cake, was inspired by one of their favorite trips to Italy. "We've been obsessed with it ever since we traveled to Italy and would do late-night tiramisu runs," the groom recalls. After the sun set and the party raged on, the group enjoyed Winkler's own viral cheeseburger sliders as a late-night snack.
Looking ahead to married life, the pair says they're most excited to one day start a family together. But before that happens, there's one smaller, meaningful change that delights the groom more than anything. "I'm truly grateful that she's willing to take my last name," he says. "Seeing her as Jessica Winkler means so much to me."
Tommy Winkler's Wedding Vendors
Wedding Venue: Meyer's Castle; Photographer: Anna Jane Media; Videographer: Julia Seitz; Content Creator: Abigail Kelly, From Someone Co.; Planner: Jessica Pappas; Florist: The Flower Wall Company Indianapolis; Officiant: Jonnie Winkler; Hair and Makeup: Pin Me Up Chicago; Catering: Meyer's Castle; Cake: Orland Park Bakery and Sweet Goodness Cakes; Live Music: Veronica Gomoll; DJ: Charvis Combs through DJ Indiana; Signage: Etsy; Groom's Attire: SuitShop; Groom's Shoes: SuitShop; Groom's Accessories: Birdy Grey; Bride's Attire: Renhue; Bride's Shoes: Winflag; Bride's Accessories: BYMARIAJewellery via Etsy; Engagement Ring: Distinctive Gold Jewelry; Groomsmen Suits: SuitShop; Bridesmaid Dresses: Birdy Grey
