Kurt Busch is on the fast track to his happily ever after! The NASCAR driver, 38, married polo player and model Ashley Van Metre on January 7 in a small, sunset ceremony in St. Barts Island, according to People.
One week after the nuptials, the newlyweds celebrated their union with family and friends at The Breakers resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Guests were shocked when Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler took the stage, along with his new band, Loving Mary.
“Our wedding was just perfect,” Busch told People. “Ashley and I chose our favorite island, providing the perfect beach setting and surrounded with our closest loved ones. Eden Rock in St. Bart stands alone as our favorite place to visit, and we wanted to share our slice of paradise found with everybody.”
Busch went on to explain that he and his bride wanted to combine their simple beach ceremony with a big reception. “Not one detail was missed, and the evening truly defined the both of us,” he told the magazine.
Along with Tyler’s surprise performance, the couple enlisted a 14-piece band and a DJ for the reception. The bride–who always dreamed of a Disney World wedding–said the day was “truly a fairytale.”
“I was still able to have my Cinderella arrival with the carriage and white horses we brought to The Breakers,” she shared. “They shut down the main drive of the hotel just for us. It was so special!”
Van Metre said it was love at first sight when she first met the race car driver. “There was a feeling between us that neither of us had ever felt before or even knew existed,” she recalled. “I told him I would have married him if he had just given me a Ring Pop!”
Now that they’re married, Busch is anxious for the newlyweds to start a family. “I can’t wait to raise children with Ashley and start the next chapter in my life,” he concluded to People. “I know having a child together will be as wonderful as everything has been so far.”