Bachelor Bob weds soap-opera star

updated 5:55 p.m. ET July 7, 2004

NEW YORK - Unable to pop the question to Estella Gardinier on ABC’s “The Bachelor” last fall, Bob Guiney wed “All My Children” star Rebecca Budig Saturday in a surprise ceremony, Us Weekly and People magazines reported.

The ceremony was a casual affair at the Guiney family’s home in Long Lake, Mich., where 35 friends and family had gathered to celebrate the Fourth of July, the magazines said Tuesday.

“They were married outdoors by the lake,” Budig’s mother, Mary, told People. “It was low-key — just family and friends.”

Budig, in a two-piece white cotton dress, walked down the aisle to Bruce Springsteen’s “Thunder Road.” They exchanged their own vows, and afterward, changed into swimsuits and spent the afternoon in the water and dining on barbecued chicken.

Guiney, 33, met Budig, 30, in January 2003, while taping a recap episode of “The Bachelor” that she hosted. They began dating in late 2003, and in May, Guiney proposed.

Budig plays the character Greenlee on “All My Children,” and is the host of “Full Frontal Fashion” for the WE Network.

Guiney told People his fears of the altar, as seen on TV, aren’t applicable with Budig: “I wanted her to feel how committed I am to our relationship. We just have an absolute blast together.”

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