Former Denverite and “Bachelorette” star Gabby Windey has found her happily ever after.
In January, Windey tied the knot with longtime girlfriend, comedian Robby Hoffman, in a 20-minute ceremony in Las Vegas. Speaking with Cosmopolitan magazine, the couple described it less as an elopement and more as making the most of a harrowing situation.
They live together in Los Angeles, and as smoke and ash drifted into their home during the recent spate of wildfires, Windey recalled having to evacuate during similar circumstances in Colorado. It was the middle of the night, so she and Hoffman packed the car with their cat and some keepsakes and started driving to a place they knew would have open hotels. The penthouse suite where they were set up in Las Vegas had that honeymoon suite vibe.
“We had just evacuated from the fires. Literally cue Rihanna, ‘We found love in a hopeless place,’” Gabby told Cosmo. “What better time to get married than right now? Because if the world is ending, we want to be with each other.”
The wedding was a secret for a while. This week, the couple made a formal announcement by sharing pictures from the event on Instagram with the wedding date Jan. 11.
Marriage has been part of Windey’s story since she first appeared on “The Bachelor” in 2022. At the time she was cast, Windey lived in Colorado, where she worked as a nurse and performed on the Denver Broncos cheerleading squad. She then starred as one of two leads on “The Bachelorette” and ended the show by getting engaged to a man named Erich Schwer. However, the two separated shortly after filming wrapped.
A year later, Windey joined the women of “The View” and came out on live television by sharing that she was dating Hoffman.
“And look: I’ve been proposing since the day I met her,” Hoffman told Cosmopolitan. She had already designed a crossword puzzle spelling “WILL YOU MARRY ME, GABBY?” and busted it out during their Las Vegas stay. They celebrated the engagement over crab legs at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel.
The rest was fairly simple: They found a chapel, rings and wedding outfits. The two walked down the aisle to Chappell Roan’s “HOT TO GO!” and were married by a female minister in red sneakers.
The total wedding cost: $799. “That included the limousine. That included the photos. That included the minister,” Hoffman said.
The couple returned to Los Angeles to find their home still standing, which may have been the best wedding present of all.
“People are like, ‘How does it feel after you’re married? Does it feel the same?’ And the answer is honestly no — it feels better,” Windey said. “I feel more committed. This is my wife.”