Alexa PenaVega’s getting married again, and this time it’s not to Carlos Pena Jr.!?!
OK, don’t worry team, it’s just for her new movie. The adorable Alexa tells us all about her latest wedding — or should we say weddings — as she discusses her role in Hallmark Channel’s original film Ms. Matched, plus her recent wedding to Pena Jr. and much more.
PenaVega is best known for her role as Carmen Cortez from the Spy Kids movie series, as well as being a 2015 contestant on Dancing With the Stars.
In Ms. Matched, PenaVega plays the sassy Libby Boland, planner of extravagant, fairy-tale weddings. Drama unfolds when she falls for Ben Reynolds (Shawn Roberts), author of the book Wedding Day Do’s and Don’ts, which details how to be cost-efficient when it comes to weddings. As the two fight for clients at a wedding expo, they must learn to use their strengths in order to work together.
Ms. Matched airs Saturday, June 4 at 9pm ET/PT as part of Hallmark’s “June Weddings” movie premiere block.
Related: Fall in Love with Hallmark Channel’s June Weddings
Ms. Matched is a lighthearted, fun romantic comedy. The movie is filled with wedding inspiration and ideas for the big day, just in time for you real-life wedding planners.
Newlywed PenaVega gives us a glimpse into her new film, as well as her special day with Pena Jr.
Two years ago you wed the adorable Carlos. How fun was it to slip back into a wedding dress for this film? Did you have any say in the dress?
Alexa PenaVega: Whether you are a girlie girl or a tomboy, there is something about trying on wedding dresses that will always feel special and exciting. There is just this “princess feeling” that takes over. I wanted something very simple for my wedding, but it was still so romantic and beautiful. I think that’s what made shooting Ms. Matched so fun! We got a chance to try on so many fun wedding dresses that were so different from what I would have naturally picked. There was this one dress (the one in the film) that once we put on, we just knew that it was the one. It fit so well and was just so “Libby.” It was a winner!
Your character, Libby, creates romantic fairy tale weddings for her clients. What were you surprised to learn about weddings in playing Libby?
I thought I knew a lot about weddings, but WOW. It is a whole other world! Truly, there are no limits when it comes to creating dream weddings. Libby was such a fun character to play and I certainly learned a lot about the game!
How do you think Libby would have rated your fairy tale wedding?
I think Libby would’ve wanted more glam in our wedding. But we truly did get everything we wanted. It was our perfect fairy tale.
In what way(s) are you similar/different to Libby?
Libby is much more of a girlie girl and LOVES the WOW factor about weddings. Los and I preferred a more intimate, small romantic wedding. I think Libby and I are similar in the sense that we really want to make people happy. Libby truly does want to make everyone’s dreams come true, whether they are realistic or unrealistic.
What would you say is the main message audiences should take away from the movie?
I always tell people how important balance is in your life. Watching Libby do so much for other people, she kind of loses herself along the way, and gets a little TOO sucked in to the BIG wedding world. She finds someone who helps ground her, in turn giving her a whole new perspective and approach to her business and personal life. So, if you could take away anything, I would say to be more open-minded and not so stuck in your ways and routines in life.
Wedding season is upon us. Do any of the “Do’s and Don’ts” from Ben’s book relate to your wedding or any weddings you’ve been to in the past? If so, do share some of the fun details.
Los and I really wanted to be as budget friendly as possible, but we still wanted to splurge on little things. I think we had a lot of balance. Our splurge was a destination wedding. But our balance was not needing the fanciest cake or a four-course, fancy dinner. We wanted it to feel like a fun beach gathering between our family and closest friends and that is exactly what we got!
The term “Bridezillas” came up multiple times in the film. What is with brides and bridesmaids that just make them so crazy sometimes?
I think there is so much pressure put on EVERYONE during wedding planning and the actual date that it just becomes too overwhelming for people! I have seen this first hand! It is nuts. I have no idea why. It takes all the fun out of something that is supposed to be so special and beautiful. I always tell my friends to not let people pressure them into a wedding that isn’t what THEY want. It has to be about the bride and groom and that’s it! I don’t care if your nana or auntie has suggestions, it’s about YOUR DAY!
If you were to plan your own wedding over today (after everything Libby has taught you) what would you do differently?
You know, I side more with Ben on the wedding planning stuff! So I feel like we could teach Libby a thing or two.
Any plans for a reality show starring you and Carlos?
Oh, reality shows! Los and I love to VLOG and travel and share our adventures with the world. But we have so much control over what we want to share and what stays private that I don’t think we would be comfortable doing anything more than what we are already doing. But we would love to find movies or TV shows that we could work on together. That would be a blast!
Can you tell me who the pink bridesmaid dresses were by in the first scene of ms matched movie?