Life without limits! Ethan Zohn married his longtime love, Lisa Heywood, on Saturday, July 16, in Bennington, Vermont, The Knot confirms.
The Season 3 Survivor winner and his New York City-based interior designer bride wed in a traditional Jewish ceremony in the formal gardens of the Park McCullough House, a 35-room Victorian mansion built in the 19th century, according to People.
Zohn, 42, and Heywood, 47, ensured guests would enjoy every aspect of their wedding day without unnecessary distractions. They opted for an “unplugged” union, asking friends and family for their undivided attention during the celebration.
“We don’t want to be walking down the aisle and see everyone on their phones.” the groom previously told The Knot. “We’re going to say no pictures on social media or anything like that, because we want to put up the pictures,” Heywood added. “We might have a sign, but we’re also going to have an announcement too.”
Guests were kept entertained (and well fed!) throughout the wedding festivities. There were vintage-style lawn games and Survivor-style games, along with over a dozen food stations.
“There are 16 stables, so each stable is going to be a different food station,” the groom previously shared with The Knot. He also hinted that there would be a “little Survivor reunion” with his previous costars.
After the reception – which took place in a carriage barn behind the mansion, guests were invited to a big bonfire next door, with a cauldron of popcorn, finger foods like empanadas, and a whiskey bar.
Zohn wore a custom ivory linen and silk suit by Aspetto while Heywood stunned in a beaded lace mermaid gown by Inbal Dror.
It has been a long, hard road for Zohn. After winning Survivor: Africa back in 2001, the former professional soccer player was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2009. Despite undergoing chemotherapy treatments, the cancer returned not once, but twice within a two-year period.
In 2013, Zohn announced that he was cancer-free after receiving stem cell transplants from his brother. The cancer survivor met Heywood at a Clinton Global Initiative charity event that year. After two years of dating, they announced their engagement in July 2015.
When the lovebirds began dating, they had a saying they shared: “We should never be apart.” Throughout the years, they continue to say those meaningful words to each other – so naturally they incorporated them into their wedding. “There’s one area with a very long hallway and we have marquee lights that are going to say, ‘We should never be apart,'” Heywood told The Knot during the wedding-planning process.
