Joe Manganiello Knew Sofía Vergara Was “The One” Right Away but Had to Prove He Wasn’t Too Young for Her

Joe Manganiello and Sofía Vergara aren’t just one of the most attractive couples in Hollywood, they also seem to be one of the happiest. In many ways, their relationship depended fully on Manganiello in the beginning, and he knew exactly what to do to swoon the woman of his dreams. We invite you to enjoy their love story and, perhaps, learn a few things about what makes a perfect union from their experience.

Joe Manganiello was smitten by Sofía Vergara upon their first meeting, but she needed some convincing.

Sometime before Manganiello first saw his future wife in real life, he’d admitted that Vergara was his ultimate celebrity crush. When asked which Hollywood lady gets his blood pumping, he revealed, “Sofía Vergara, that’s it...she’s got a beautiful face, beautiful hair, just gorgeous. And she’s feisty!”

In May 2014, during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the future couple finally crossed paths, but there was a catch: Vergara wasn’t single. Manganiello said they did, indeed, meet each other, but he couldn’t make a move, explaining, “We had talked, I guess...but we didn’t start dating until she was single. I mean, she had a boyfriend at that time.”

Not long after, the Modern Family star became single, and Manganiello didn’t waste any time. They went on their first date in June 2014, just a few weeks after their initial meeting. Understandably, Vergara had her reservations — first of all, she had just gotten out of a relationship, and second, she had doubts about Manganiello’s intentions, a man who was also 5 years younger than her.

Manganiello said she was throwing many reasons at him for why they wouldn’t work out. “Our first date was her giving me every reason why it would never work out,” he recalled, “like, ’You’re too young, you’re an actor, you’re this, you’re that.’”

Their relationship escalated quickly after the first date.

Manganiello didn’t give up on Vergara, as he knew she was a special person to him. They spent the next couple of months after their first date getting to know each other. And, inevitably, Vergara fell under Manganiello’s spell and said “yes” to his proposal later that year.

Manganiello explained, “Our first date was in June, and then I proposed to her on Christmas Eve; [we dated for] about 6 months. When you know, you know, and we knew right away — like, very quickly.”

It also helped that the Magic Mike star put his entire heart into the proposal to make sure he didn’t miss out on locking in his soulmate. “I had a whole speech prepared in Spanish. I proposed to her on one knee in Spanish with the sun going down. It was awesome,” the actor said.

The couple got married in a beautiful ceremony on November 22, 2015.

They discovered the simple key to a perfect union.

Now, years later, Manganiello and Vergara are the perfect picture of a couple deeply in love. Manganiello can’t stop singing praises to his beloved and their union: “It’s such an easy relationship — easy in all the right ways. Looking back on the relationships I had before this, I think the universe was giving me some tough practice, so I’d get this right.”

But what is their secret? Apparently, it’s simply laughter and enjoying each other’s company. Manganiello happily shared, “My life is great because I really like my wife. I like talking to her. I like goofing around with her. We laugh all day long, every day. My favorite thing in the world is making my wife laugh so much she cries. It’s the best.”

And Vergara shared the sentiment, “He is so funny, and ever since we met, that has been really important. We even talk to each other all the time in this little voice that we made up, like a couple of dorks. Whoever heard us would say, ’What’s their problem?’”

They are each other’s soulmates.

Without a doubt, Joe Manganiello and Sofía Vergara were made for each other.

His heart was set on her from the very start, as he recalls, “I just married the girl that I love. That was it. From the first date, it was just like, ’Wow!’ It was so easy in all the ways that you want it to be easy, and challenging in all of the most fun ways possible. So I knew right away, and that was it.”

In addition, aside from having fun together, the couple quickly agreed on what a healthy relationship means for them. Manganiello shared some wisdom: “We realized very early on that we each had to put the other person’s happiness and well-being ahead of our own. Once you realize that kind of trust has manifested, you hang on for dear life. Or, in my case, you go and buy a ring.”

What’s the secret to your happy relationship? Share your favorite thing about your partner with us.