Real Housewives of New Jersey ‘queen’ Teresa Giudice ties the knot with Luis ‘Louie’ Ruelas

Sealed with a kiss! Teresa Giudice and Luis ‘Louie’ Ruelas have made it official exchanging vows and a kiss before a congregation bristling with reality TV stars.

DailyMail.com was there to witness the Real Housewife of New Jersey and queen of reality TV – appropriately wearing a crown and dripping with jewelry – as she nervously held a piece of card from which she read the vows she had written herself.

At one point Ruelas, 46, too seemed overwhelmed with emotion, wiping tears from his eyes as he looked at his bride. He stood, dapper in his white tuxedo, as the pair married on a raised rotunda before a white floral display of two intertwined hearts.

They lit a candle together before sharing a kiss as they were declared husband and wife. Sparklers were lit as Rhianna’s ‘Shine Bright Like a Diamond,’ played out.

As the party got underway girls dressed in white flapper dresses and feather headbands arrived along with partners dressed in top hat and tails – a dance troupe there to perform for the couple’s guests. 

Giudice, 50, and Ruelas tied the knot Saturday at the Park Chateau Estate & Gardens in East Brunswick, New Jersey in front of 220 guests.

The New Jersey housewife walked down the aisle to Ave Maria in honor of her late parents.

Her daughters – Gia, 21, Gabriella, 17, Milania, 16 and Audriana, 12 – stood by her side as she vowed to her now-husband: ‘I will love you for a million tomorrows.’

Ruelas’ two sons, David and Nicholas, also stood by their father’s side.

Each of the kids, all from prior relationships, joined Giudice and Ruelas in the lighting of the ceremony’s unity candles, People magazine confirmed.

The ceremony, keeping with the theme of family ties, was officiated by the groom’s sister, Dr. Veronica Ruelas.

The wedding has been months in the planning with the Giudice and Ruelas telling friends they wanted a ‘somewhat’ traditional feel. Saturday they got their wish.

And though the tans may be fake, they announced to friends, family and fans, the love is real.

As attendees waited for the ceremony to begin they were serenaded by a string quartet playing classic love songs such as, ‘Fools Rush In,’ as well as a soprano singing Schubert’s Ave Maria.

Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com Miami housewife Alexia Nepola said of Giudice: ‘I believe in love, and I know this is real love. I’m very happy for her.’

The guest list was a Who’s Who of the Real Housewives franchises from New York to Beverly Hills, Miami, Potomac, Dubai and, of course, New Jersey. And it’s all about big hair, high heels and high hopes.

Real Housewife of New York Dorinda Medley looked ravishing as she arrived wearing black sequined catsuit and fuchsia pink jacket, her hair freshly blonded for the event.

Ashley Darby from the Potomac off-shoot look fresh and glamorous despite a seven-hour Amtrak delay that saw her arrive in New Jersey well after 2am Saturday morning.

New Jersey housewife, Margaret Josephs, looked stunning in an orange silk column dress, paired with chunky necklace and topped off with her long peroxide hair pulled back and poofed high. Her husband Joe Benigno accompanied her, looking sharp in his tux for the black-tie affair.

Real Housewife of Atlanta and former Miss USA, Kenya Moore, looked resplendent in a long turquoise gown with her clutch purse a bright pop of yellow. 

Ex-model and former Atlanta housewife, Cynthia Bailey, herself a relative newlywed having married beau Mike Hill in October 2020 two years after she was set up by friend Steve Harvey, cut a predictably glamorous figure.

New Jersey housewife Jackie Goldaschnwieder looked chic all in black alongside her husband, Evan. She has has a rocky relationship with Giudice whom she once accused of spreading baseless rumors that her husband was infidelity. But she appeared all smiles as they posed at their New Jersey home ahead of the drive to the venue.

Among the more surprising guests was supermodel Chanel Ayan who made her housewife debut on the newcomer to the pack, the Real Housewives of Dubai this season. She also joined the bridal party at their intimate rehearsal dinner last night.

But of course, amid the flurry of arrivals lurked the drama of some notable absences.

Friends and castmates Jennifer Aydin and Dolores Catania are among the bridesmaids but Giudice’s sister-in-law Melissa Gorga, 43, is not and neither she nor her husband Joe, 42, are present today.

Frank Catania, Dolores’s famous ex husband, arrived with his new girlfriend Brittany. 

Giudice may be determined not to let anything burst the ‘love bubble’ she shares with Ruelas, but the fact that her brother and sister-in-law chose to snub the wedding must smart.

Both Melissa, 43, and Joe Gorga, 42, rejected their wedding invitation after a fiery blow-out during filming of the season finale when Giudice encouraged rumors that Melissa had cheated on Joe.

Similarly former close friend Dina Manzo and her husband David Cantin were absent. Manzo declined to attend the event because she didn’t want to be filmed.

Sources close to Manzo deny any falling out while others have told DailyMail.com that the women – who were once so close that Giudice and Ruelas were vacationing with them in Greece when Ruelas proposed – are no longer on speaking terms.

Giudice stepped out Saturday afternoon ahead of her hotly anticipated wedding as an entourage of helpers ushered her out of the hotel. Just before 3pm, the bride and groom-to-be were seen shuffling across the venue with just hours to spare before their glamorous nuptials are set to take place.  

The marriage entourages were well-covered by Bravo security, who are keen to maintain the exclusivity of the multi-episode special that this wedding will become.

Glimpses of the groom showed him wearing shades and clutching a cocktail – perhaps to steady any pre-wedding jitters.Guidice wasn’t far behind him, screened by a canopy of open umbrellas. 

Real Housewives of New Jersey star Jennifer Aydin looked stunning as she wore an ostrich feather trim of a robe. The bridesmaid was in the glitzy attire ahead of the entourage.

Another person walking in the party behind the concealment sheet wore white hotel slippers – suggesting that the time had come to get down to the business of hair and make-up and dresses. 

Earlier Saturday, Ruelas took a moment to relax at the fair with his son and to exclusively share with DailyMail.com that he’s ‘winning big’ today.

Ruelas, 46, took a stroll to Middlesex County Fair, being held across the street from the Grand Chateau hotel where he and his bride-to-be stayed Friday night along with several members of their bridal party.

Clutching a cuddly toy, won at the fair, when DailyMail.com asked how he was feeling about his wedding he said, ‘I’m winning big today!’

Ruelas wore a trey tank and white shorts for his brief lunchtime excursion and smiled and waved as he made his way back to the hotel on Park Chateau Estate where his wedding will take place Saturday evening.

Large floral arrangements of white rhododendrons and roses were delivered shortly after noon as preparations for the hotly anticipated wedding got under way.

Moments later he stood on the balcony of the bridal suite where he and Giudice spent last night. He hugged his father, Luis Ruelas Sr and appeared relaxed and in good spirits as the two men enjoyed the sunshine ahead of the big event. 

DailyMail.com has exclusively obtained a copy of the elaborate invitations sent out by the couple. 

Printed on Lucite and delivered on top of a gift box Real Housewife of New York, Ramona Singer described it as the most beautiful invite she’d ever received when she accidentally leaked some of the details in an excitable social media post.

Friday night, the Real Housewives of New Jersey star hosted a gorgeous rose-filled rehearsal dinner ahead of their their hotly anticipated wedding weekend.

Stunning pictures give a glimpse into the opulent evening where the happy couple were joined by their guests. 

Many spent the glitzy night at the dazzling Grand Chateau hotel in East Brunswick on the Park Chateau Estate – where the wedding is due to take place Saturday evening.

Clusters of baby pink roses from Rose Box NYC decorated the tables of tony New Jersey restaurant The Highlawn which boasts panoramic views over New York City.

Candles were set on a white runner and each menu, adorned with a leaf holder, was topped off with a thank you note from the loved-up couple.

Guest enjoyed a five-course dinner rounded off with a trio of chocolate desserts – tiramisu topped with a shard of tempered chocolate, a chocolate napoleon and a mascarpone filled cannoli.

Friday, Giudice, 50, and Ruelas, 46, arrived shortly after midday for a run through the closely guarded ceremony that is destined to become a multi-episode special for the network that made her a reality star.

Bravolebrity, Giudice laughed and exchanged embraces with fellow cast-member and bridesmaid Jennifer Aydin, 45, there with her husband Bill, 42.

Her three younger daughters Gabriella, 18, Melania, 17, and Audriana, 13, dressed casually and looking happy and relaxed, were also there to support their mom. Gia, 21, was expected to join the party later.

Cast and crew congregated at East Brunswick’s lavish Park Chateau Estate the venue for the weekend long celebration.

Covid tests were administered before the group moved through to the immaculate, Versailles inspired gardens where the ceremony is due to take place Saturday evening.

White chairs were set out in serried ranks Friday morning, on lawns facing a raised rotunda where a microphone was set up in anticipation of the couple’s exchange of vows.

At one-point Ruelas’s sister, Veronica, dressed in flowing white dress and wearing a heavy silver cuff on her wrist stood at the microphone, apparently rehearsing her own role in the ceremony.

Giudice’s brother, Joe Gorga, 42, and sister-in-law Melissa, 43, were notable by their absence. The always fractious relationship between the siblings has grown increasingly tense with Giudice confirming that Melissa will not be one of her bridesmaids.

Speaking recently, she stated, ‘It is what it is. I’m not her best friend, she’s not my best friend. We’re family. I loved her. She’s my sister-in-law, and vice versa. And I’m sure she loved me because I’m her sister-in-law. But do we hang out like best friends? No, we don’t, and I’m okay with that.’

A chapel, its aisle strewn with petals when DailyMail.com visited Friday, is also on the site as a fallback venue should the thunderstorms that are forecast for Saturday break.

Giudice wore a white Chanel tank top paired with a thigh-skimming skirt embellished with ruffles, her husband-to-be wore white shorts and a white T-shirt. With ‘FREE MAN’ emblazoned across the front and ‘Lions Not Sheep’ written across the back it was perhaps a tongue-in-cheek reference to his impending marital state, or a thinly veiled dig at his predecessor, Joe, 50, who spent 41 months in prison for fraud in 2016 and was deported from the States on his release.

He is currently living in the Bahamas where his daughters are frequent visitors.

Joe has insisted there is no bad blood between him and his ex. For what it’s worth, he said, he has given the couple, ‘his blessing.’

Meanwhile all four of the fiercely loyal daughters he shares with Giudice have welcomed Ruelas into the family despite eldest daughter, Gia, once expressing concern that the relationship was moving too fast.

Giudice got together with the man she now calls her soulmate in July 2020 – two months before her divorce from scandal-ridden Joe was finalized. The couple didn’t go public with their relationship until later that year.

Even by the standards of reality television Giudice’s love-life has been turbulent embracing as it has her own stint in prison when she was found guilty of mortgage fraud alongside Joe.

She served 11 months of a 15-month sentence in 2015 with the judge staggering her sentence and Joe’s allowing one to remain with their children while the other did their time.

But while she was initially determined to stand by her man, Giudice’s 20-year-marriage to Joe quickly crumbled on their mutual releases, with hotly denied rumors of infidelity on both sides. They separated in December 2019 and their divorce was finalized in September 2020.

By then Giudice had already found romance with Ruelas. The father of two sons, Louis Jr and Nicholas, has had his own brushes with controversy in the form of allegations of domestic violence against his ex-wife Marisa DiMartino.

On one occasion he allegedly pushed DiMartino into a metal pole. DiMartino refused medical attention and declined to press charges though a police report was filed.

In another report filed by DiMartino on New Year’s Eve 2010 she claimed that a ‘verbal dispute’ with her then husband had forced her to leave the family home. Again, no arrests were made, nor charges pressed.

For her part, Giudice had no hesitation in saying ‘yes’ when Ruelas popped the question on a vacation in Greece with former housewife Dina Manzo, 50, and her husband David Cantin, 42.

Speaking to People magazine when news of their engagement broke in October 2021 a source said, ‘It was absolutely exquisite. The choreographed fireworks display illuminated a ‘Marry Me’ sign as Louie got down on one knee. Teresa was completely surprised.’

The group celebrated until 5am drinking champagne and dining on lobster, sea bass and lamb chops in the Amanzoe Resort in Porto Heli’s restaurant, Nama.

As their Friday afternoon rehearsal came to an end Giudice and Ruelas shared a tender kiss before hopping in his G-Wagon together for the quick spin round to the on-site hotel, the Grand Chateau, where they and other members of the bridal party, all in high spirits, checked in.