Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Nick Lachey reveals the books his kids love at bedtime
Now that he is a dad, Nick Lachey’s evenings are a little different from his “Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)” days. He and wife Vanessa make sure to read to their three children, Camden, 5, Brooklyn, 3, and Phoenix, 1, every night before bed. And he wouldn’t have it any other way. “I have very vivid memories of my mother reading to us as kids,” shares the 98 Degrees frontman, who was on the latest season of Dancing With the Stars. “If nothing else, before we go to sleep, we always read each one of our kids a book. It’s a very, very special time.”
Classics like Goodnight Moon, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site are in constant rotation in the Lachey household, and the latter is a particular favorite of Camden’s. “My son is all into construction vehicles like most boys are, so he’s enthralled with dump trucks and bulldozers,” notes Lachey. “It’s good for bedtime because it gets him into the mentality that everything’s shutting down.”
Lachey says his children are lucky because they have access to books, and he wants to help those less fortunate, which is why he recently partnered with Pizza Hut’s The Literacy Project and the nonprofit First Book to make sure kids in need have access to books and other educational resources. “Studies have shown that kids who aren’t reading proficient by third grade are four times more likely to leave school without a diploma,” says Lachey. “It’s important to get these books into the hands of kids and encourage them to read.” And if it’s every noche, even better.
Fun Boys' Night at 2018 Monster Jam - Nick Lachey
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by CORINNE HELLER
"We came last year and Camden had a blast and with most boys his age, monster trucks are king,” Lachey told E! news. “He's got quite a collection at home so he was excited to have the chance to sit in the trucks."
8 Degrees’ Jeff Timmons on the ‘Boy Band’ Stigma and 20+ Years as a Group (Interview at the NAMM Show 2018)
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By on
The NAMM Show brings together musicians and industry insiders from throughout the musical spectrum. For a weekend in Southern California, the entire music business comes together to celebrate music — and learn about the latest and greatest products from top manufactures. It’s also a great opportunity to catch up with musicians there for the fun. Jeff Timmons of the pop group 98 Degrees happened to be there this year and was kind enough to speak with Rock Cellar for a career-spanning interview — enjoy the candid and honest chat below.
Rock Cellar: We’re here at the NAMM Show, and I understand you come every year. What’s your main interest here, and which booths do you just have to hit up and visit?
Jeff Timmons: I have been coming every year for the past three years. I’m a big studio, behind-the-scenes guy. I’m very blessed to be in front of the scenes, love being on stage … we were very mainstream, considered a “boy band,” but a pop group, and still happy to be around 20 years later. But my real passion is to be in the studio. Producing other artists, producing things for TV, all that.
In terms of must-see booths at NAMM, I’m going to check out Universal Audio, Spectrasonics, all of the VSTI – virtual instruments, since I’m not very prolific on the keys or anything like that or any instrument in general – so any of the technology that makes that easier for me so I can compose things, I’ll be nerding around those booths.
Rock Cellar: So you do a lot of production work when you can, these days?
Jeff Timmons: Yeah, I’ve been doing that for a while. When 98 Degrees got off the road there for a little while, I was doing stuff for other artists, working with other acts, was fortunate enough to do some things for TV, I did all the music for a series on Discovery Science, that was an undertaking that I didn’t expect, but a great experience nonetheless.
Rock Cellar: You mentioned the phrase “boy band,” and I wanted to ask…20 years later, is it weird to be referred to as that?
At the time, we were young guys, we traveled the world, meeting girls everywhere, and be affiliated with a very successful genre. We didn’t have any complaints after the fact.
Rock Cellar: And then two decades later, you see your peers from back then doing these big cruises every year, still playing to large audiences.
Jeff Timmons: Cruises, we’ve been approached about them. We haven’t done one yet but we’re considering it. A few years ago we were considering coming back but didn’t know what the climate was going to be. We didn’t know if our fans were going to be there, and fortunately for us, they are, still coming out in droves supporting us. We’re having more fun than ever, as opposed to the pressures of the business and having to rely on that as our be-all, end-all. So it turned out OK, we’re still doing it and we’re having a blast.
Rock Cellar: So it’s fun to get the crew back together, so to speak?
Jeff Timmons: it’s a nice luxury to have, yeah. It’s not like we have to start all over again, since we’ve been lucky enough to sell upwards of 15 million records by now, those fans are still there.
Rock Cellar: So back in the late ‘90s, I’m sure 98 Degrees got into all sorts of crazy experiences just from the pop music scene or your success in general. What was one of the moments that stands out to you the most in a “oh damn, we’ve made it” level?
Jeff Timmons: I mean, there were so many things it’s hard to count, to be honest. It sounds like an arrogant thing to say but it’s hard to pick just one. We got to do a song with Mariah Carey that went to No. 1, we performed for Michael Jackson and the President, toured the world, the list goes on. But I think some of the ones that really stuck out … the first time you hear your song on the radio. It was here in LA, KISS FM, that blew us away. It just sort of escalates from there. Doing a song with Stevie Wonder on the Tonight Show, all that.
Rock Cellar: Unlike the other boy bands, you guys put yourselves together, as you said earlier. But then, as your career took off, a lot of your big hit songs were credited to other songwriters.
Jeff Timmons: That’s right.
Rock Cellar: So once you formed, got signed and all that, did they basically tell you how things were going to go?
Jeff Timmons: It all happened so fast for us. At the time, none of us had any instruments, we just had our voices. So we all migrated to California, basically toured southern California singing a cappella until we were discovered. We didn’t have any instruments, we didn’t have any money, none of us were prolific on anything, so we just had our voices.
We got signed and immediately, rather than putting us in the studio and telling us to make music, they bombard you with a number of songs and you basically A&R your record rather than writing it. We’d have loved to have been more creative, but we did produce a lot of our stuff. We certainly won’t get credit for that in the liner notes, but we definitely arranged a lot of stuff and contributed to how the music sounded outside of just our voices.
Rock Cellar: You do a lot of charity work and charity events, safe to say that’s something important to you?
Jeff Timmons: I think it’s karma. It should just be in your nature. To be as fortunate as we have – the odds of selling as many records as we have is something like one in 55 million – it’s mind-boggling. And there are a lot of things that go into that, but we were blessed, whatever you want to call it.
I think it’s a natural thing that you should give back, and it doesn’t matter what degree your success is. It’s something that we’re obligated to do, I just think that for us, if we’re in a position to live our dream and have fans out there who enable us to do that, we should give back anytime we can and as much as we can.
I’ve been giving to a number of charities. Look – if it’s a legitimate charity and the money goes to somebody who actually needs it, then I’m all for it.
Rock Cellar: I’m assuming 98 Degrees had some familiarity or kinship with LFO back in the day. Unfortunately, Rich Cronin passed away a few years ago.
Jeff Timmons: The first time around it was such a whirlwind, you’d be on a plane, on the bus, off the bus, in stores, radio stations, TVs, on stage, whatever. That was a rinse and repeat for like five years, so it was really hard to get to know people as people. We’d done a number of shows with LFO but I didn’t get a chance to really know them until Rich and I did the Mission Man Band reality show on vH1. It was a complete disaster, but it was a wonderful experience. He was an amazing guy, brilliant lyricist, he could have been a stand-up comedian. A ton of charisma…it was so sad to lose him.
LFO wasn’t like the other boy bands. Their main thing was rapping, and singing was secondary. So they were a little of a deviation from the norm, so I think them not being very mainstream made them a bit harder to promote at the time.
Rock Cellar: At the NAMM Show, there’s classic rock and older music everywhere. In that mindset, what bands or artists did you grow up listening to and taking a liking to that might surprise people, considering you’re in 98 Degrees?
Jeff Timmons: I grew up in the Midwest, in a small town in northeast Ohio. I didn’t get into pop music until Boyz II Men came out, so I grew up with Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, all that. Classic rock groups definitely inspired us, like Styx, Journey, the Eagles, harmony-based groups like them. We’re all about it. To be in the same place as somebody like that, look: Music transcends boundaries. It blurs the lines when it comes to emotion, so we consider ourselves just lucky to be here
Rock Cellar: The music world has seen some big losses lately, with Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington among the most tragic in the rock realm over the past year or so. The conversation about mental health is always important, but when you see artists like them succumb to their own demons like that, it says something about how difficult the struggle can be. Any thoughts on that?
Jeff Timmons: You’re not immune to life when you’re a famous celebrity or successful musician. Everybody goes through their ups and downs, peaks and valleys. Musicians and creatives, that’s a big part of what makes them so dynamic.
So couple that with taking your art and adding a business aspect to it – it’s not always the most fair business, of course – you can have success and not be able to sustain a family or a lifestyle. All of those things sometimes culminate into depression or lows that you can’t climb out of.
Part of being a celebrity is people think you’re untouchable, they’re afraid to approach you or whatever, and then you become isolated. I think that’s what happens sometimes, you feel isolated and don’t think you have anybody to turn to.
Nobody’s immune to that.
Who Will Win 'Celebrity Big Brother'? 'BB' Alum Jessie Godderz Offers Finale Insight
The house continues to vacate as the inaugural season of Celebrity Big Brother approaches its live finale this Sunday.
And watching the drama unfold right up to the final eviction is Jessie Godderz, who you could say is a resident Big Brother expert. That’s because Mr. Pec-Tacular was a houseguest for two seasons of the reality show competition and has made numerous appearances over the years, including a surprise cameo .
The Tainted Dreams star and pro wrestler has enjoyed watching the celebrity version of the show, believing it has all the intrigue, backstabbing and emotional turmoil that you would find on a typical summer season of Big Brother, just in a condensed format. He hopes it becomes an annual tradition. Out of everyone in the house, the 31-year-old believes he would use the same strategy that James Maslow is utilizing to win.
“James knows he's a very strong physical threat, so he's trying to lay low, not make waves, and continue to try to make secret alliances with people who have no enemies in the house, like Mark [McGrath],” Godderz said.
“And then only try to win HOH (Head of Household) and POV (Power of Veto) when he's 100-percent sure his back is against the wall, and he's the target. At this point, with only a few days left to the BB finale, that really is the secret to success. I think James is playing as strong a game as can possibly be played in his position.
"That being said, there is still a four-person alliance in the house that has yet to be broken up (Marissa Jaret Winkour, Brandi Glanville, Ross Mathews, Ariadna Gutiérrez), so anything can happen. Their alliance will be very, very tough to beat. Even tougher, Marissa and Ross are super-fans who know the game incredibly well.”
Godderz believes the key to victory at this point for Maslow is to solidify a three-person alliance with Omarosa Manigault Newman and McGrath. His advice is to band together and start picking off the other side of the house one-by-one.
“The turning point of the season is coming up very quickly though,” he said.
“If they lose the upcoming HOH, they can very easily get outnumbered and start falling like dominoes. Brandi, at this point, is the X factor. She was so close to moving to the other side on Monday night's episode. If she did, the whole game could have changed that night. If she suspects her alliance is going to turn on her again, then that may be enough incentive to team up with her arch-enemy James, and switch alliances! Now that would be a sight to see.”
Before this ultimate game of human chess began, Godderz picked Maslow to make it to the end and take the $250,000 prize. His backups were Keisha Knight Pullman, McGrath and Winkour. However, there was another polarizing figure in the house that has surprised him the most.
“I had no idea Omarosa was such a huge Big Brother fan. She has played an extremely awesome game so far,” he said.
“She's one of my picks to win it all right now. Her and again, James Maslow. James, in fact, reminds me a little bit of myself in BB10. His back is always against the wall, but when he needs to, he comes through with the difficult win. If he makes it to end, he will be very hard to beat. I'm thinking it's going to be James and Omarosa as the final two right now. If they could somehow keep winning HOH and pick off the other side of the house one-by-one.”
Godderz has been impressed by the players, with most (not Metta World Peace) coming prepared.
“There are fewer floaters this season than in any past season of BB that I can recall,” he said.
“BB Legend Rachel Reilly would be very proud that, so few houseguests need a life vest this season. It has made for a very, very entertaining dynamic in the house. Each week, the celebrities are truly ready to expect the unexpected, like Julie [Chen] always says. And for most of them, it's working.”
Beyond watching and analyzing Big Brother, Godderz has recently finished filming a music video with Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees for their single "The Girl is with Me," which also features Big Brother: Over the Top winner Morgan Willet.
Nick and Drew Lachey Are Closing Their Sports Bar After 3 Years: 'Onward and Upward'
Pour one out for Lachey’s.
The Cincinnati sports bar founded by 98 Degrees singers Nick Lachey and Drew Lachey is closing its doors after three years. Its final day in business will be Sunday, Feb. 11.
“This week will be our last week of operations,” reads a message on the restaurant’s website. “Party with Nick and Drew at Lachey’s one last time this weekend as a final farewell.”
Both Nick and Drew posted about the closing on their Instagram accounts, each sharing photos taken at the bar.
“Me and my boys enjoying one last hurrah at @lacheysbar,” Nick, 44, wrote on a photo with his sons Camden John, 5, and Phoenix Robert, 1.
“It’s been an incredible 3 years full of lifelong memories,” he continued. “Thank You Cincinnati for helping me realize a dream and the chance to share it with multiple generations of Lacheys and Lachey fans. We will be closing it’s doors after this Saturday night. Let’s make some more amazing memories this weekend and send her out in style!!”
Wahlburgers vs. Lachey's: Battle of the boy band burgers
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Polly Campbell
Sigh RIP Lachey's Bar
Undeniably, the Wahlberg boys have made it bigger in the entertainment world, especially Mark, whose muscles have been featured in movies like Transformers: Age of Extinction, Patriot's Day and Boogie Nights. The Lachey fame is a little more local. Currently, you can catch Nick as the voice of the streetcar.
But that's irrelevant to my question. Who makes a better burger?
So I had lunch with some friends at Wahlburgers and then re-created the same lunch at Lachey's.
Oh, yes, there was a clear winner.
Wahlburgers is in the former Pi space at Main and 6th streets. Hosts seat you at a table and there are servers, but it's kind of an upscale fast-food vibe. I had the Our Burger, which is their basic burger. Its innovation is to put the toppings on the bottom so that your teeth encounter the beef patty first. A good idea, but like so many burgers, the beef is still somewhat overwhelmed with even the simple toppings: lots of onions, tomato, Wahlburger sauce.
The meat was cooked medium, so it was still pretty juicy, but not juicy enough to really drip. It's served on the currently popular squishy sweet bun.
The OFD Burger (Originally from Dorchester, the neighborhood in Boston that spawned the Wahlbergs) is beefier (1/2 pound to the Our Burger's 1/3), but also had more on it, like three strips of bacon and tomato jam. So it was tasty, but the beef didn't necessarily shine through.
The Thanksgiving Burger, a turkey version, was likewise overwhelmed by cranberry sauce and stuffing.
The crispy haddock sandwich could bring Boston and Cincinnati together in agreement. It's a huge piece of fried fish sticking out from its bun. The sweet potato tots were quite sweet but the onion rings, which are more like onion straws, were good because they were very thin and the onions still fresh and snappy.
Oh look, they have the same kind of onion rings on a burger at Lachey's. Our group immediately went over there and had the same lunch over again.
The burger there is build-your-own, and we got more or less the same toppings, except the onions were crispy instead of raw. It's served open-faced on a bun that's more French-bread style. Not chewy, but also not sweet and squishy. You could taste the burger, and cooked medium, it was juicy and even a little drippy.
Their fish sandwich is mahi-mahi, grilled instead of fried and very good. And their turkey burger is served with guacamole and with sour cream, which I thought unbalanced it a little but the meat itself was still the star. The tots are regular tots.
It wasn't hometown loyalty that made us all like Lachey's a lot more. Like, a whole lot more. Even though we weren't really hungry when we sat down, we did some good damage to this lunch which was nicely presented, fresh, well-cooked.
The comparison might not be strictly apples-to-apples. Lachey's is more expensive, doesn't have that quick casual vibe, though the service is good. Its atmosphere is overwhelmingly dominated by sports on TV and a crawl of sports news. And I'd never really noticed before how little Lachey's is about the Lacheys. No photos of them, anyway, while Wahlburger's has lists of Walhburger projects and a screen that supposedly Mark might occasionally FaceTime in on.
But in the end, you need more than celebrity to make good burgers and sandwiches.
Wahlburgers, 199 E. 6th St., Downtown, 513-457-7085, www.wahlburgersrestaurant.com (burger $7.95, Thanksgiving burger $8.95, Haddock sandwich $8.75, OFD burger $9.95)
Lachey's, 56 E. 12th, Over-the-Rhine, 513-275-0740, www.lacheys.com (burger $10, fish sandwich $12, turkey burger $11.50)
Nick and Vanessa Lachey Reveal Their First Date Was at Hooters: Watch
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By Marc Lupo
Could Nick and Vanessa Lachey be any cuter? The 98 Degrees frontman, 44, and his TV personality wife, 37, tested their knowledge about each other while playing the Newlywed Game with Us Weekly.
The duo, who attended the Pampers #SleptLikeThis event in New York City on January 17, gave Us a surprising answering when asked the location of their first date.
“Was Hooters a date? Hooters?” Nick asked his love. “For the record, people, it was the only thing open in Trenton, New Jersey, after I did a show in Trenton, New Jersey,” he continued, “Nothing against Hooters, though. Great wings.”
When asked who said “I love you” first, the proud papa answered: “I did. I’d been drinking. It was definitely me. I’ll own it. I have no shame. Still saying it 12 years later.”
Switching gears, the adorable couple opened up to Us about the joys and challenges of raising their three children Camden, Brooklyn and Phoenix.
“[Camden] is 5, [Phoenix] is 1, and we have been Pampers users from day one,” the brunette beauty said. “We are launching the #sleptlikethiscampaign, which is all about babies getting a good night’s sleep and spreading the word about Pampers Baby Dry, which allows for a night of complete dryness.”
Nick added: “I think the one thing we’ve learned from being parents to three kids is that a good night’s sleep, a solid night’s sleep is so valuable. Not only for the baby, but for everyone in the family.”
Of their children’s sleeping habits, the “What’s Left of Me” singer said: “Thankfully, they’re not the kids you have to coerce to go to bed. They actually look forward to going to sleep, and so for us, it’s been huge, because it still allows us to have some time together at the end of the day when all the kids are asleep for the night. As a couple, that’s a good thing.”
The Dads actress echoed her loves’ sentiments, saying: “It is magical. To look at three monitors, and you know that all three of them are asleep, and we’re just like, finally.We can sit down.We put on Netflix, have a glass of wine, and our night begins.”
With juggling two busy careers and a growing family, the couple admits they have to schedule date nights. “You do have to carve out date night. It’s easy for it to get lost unless you consciously schedule it, almost,” Nick explained. “But we’ve never, I think, scheduled a date night and regretted doing it. We’ve always come back and say, oh, thank God we did that.”
The fashion model added: “But it’s sometimes been like, ‘Man, I’m really comfortable, I don’t want to get ready.’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t want to put makeup on.’ And he’s like, ‘I don’t want to shower and put on jeans,’ he’s in his sweats, and we’re like, ‘Let’s just stay on the couch.’ So on that end, we have to make an effort, and whenever we go, we’re very grateful we go,” she continued: “We’re excited that we’re out, we’re excited that we got someone serving us food, and I’m not cooking, he’s not cleaning. I actually enjoy cooking, so that’s why we stay in a lot, and he’s so sweet. He’s like, ‘If you cook me dinner, I’ll clean up.’ So he does, and it just works out great.”
With reporting by Marc Lupo
98 Degrees Celebrates Their 20th Anniversary: "I Think We Have More Fun Now!" (EXCLUSIVE)
In an exclusive interview with In Touch, Nick and Drew Lachey, Jeff Timmons, and Justin Jeffre — better known as the guys of 98 Degrees — talk about being older, wiser, and more grateful than ever in their 40s!
The '90s boy band celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2017 with an album and tour, and they tell In Touch they are having the greatest time of their life now. “I think we have more fun now because there’s less pressure and we have more experience,” Justin says.
“We’re not taking everything so seriously. We’re enjoying the moment more now,” Drew tells In Touch. “And we’re not taking it for granted. We have families now and other careers. Everything doesn’t revolve around 98 Degrees, so we’re enjoying the ride more,” Jeff adds.
The group admits that life on the tour bus has changed quite some bit, as well! “Sleeping on the bus, getting up and down out of the top bunk isn’t as easy as it used to be! It’s not like we have to ice our knees, but you do get little hiccups you didn’t get when you were 22!” Drew jokes to In Touch.
“It’s hard when you have a family at home, because you miss them. But we’ve learned it’s best for the kids to stay in their routines — so we go out and do our thing, fly back and forth, see them for a couple of days,” Nick explains.
And although their kids think they are just regular "uncool" dads, they are thankful to have their “dream job” after all these years. “We just have more perspective and more of an appreciation for how lucky we are to even do this 20 years later,” Nick tells In Touch.
Jeff Timmons Talks Boy Bands, Celebrating 20 Years With 98 Degrees And Why He’s Excited To Come To Boston This Weekend
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Saturday night, Boston will be celebrating in haute style with the first annual Generations Gala being held at The Royale. The event will pay homage to the late rock and blues icon Johnny Winter, all to benefit the newly formed Johnny Winter Foundation for the Arts, which assists in the battle against substance abuse.
The haute evening, which will showcase a variety of talent spanning three decades, will be hosted by 98 Degrees’ Jeff Timmons and include performances by 2018 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Elliot Easton of The Cars, Boston legend Charlie Farren from the Joe Perry Project, rising star Nicole Michelle and blues icon James Montgomery. Also performing will be singer/songwriter Wolftyle, Simone Cardoso, The Stumps (with a special tribute to the late Johnny Winter) and Jonny Glenn along with special guests Nicole Spiller and Brittany Baldi of the hit MTV series “Are You The One.”
We caught up recently with Timmons recently to chat boy bands, celebrating 20 years with 98 Degrees and why he’s excited to come to Boston this weekend.
What made you decide to get involved with the Generations Gala?
I’m working with Nicole Michelle, who is an incredible talent, and have been fortunate to work with amazing artists. All of the proceeds go to the Johnny Winter Foundation, which draws awareness to the opioid epidemic. Anytime I have the opportunity to give back to a legitimate charity, I am more than happy to give back because I have been so fortunate. I love Boston. I have a lot of good friends in Boston as well. Every time our group has been there, we have always had a great response.
Your song “Thank God I Found You” has stood the test of time nearly 20 years after it was released. What do you think was the secret to the song’s success?
That seems to be one song that transcends the test of time. Doing the song with Mariah Carey was incredible. There’s something amazing about having a number one song and you can definitely tell that people hold gravity to that.
98 Degrees just wrapped up a Christmas tour. What was your favorite song to perform?
When we were on tour, we sang two albums’ worth of Christmas material. I would say my favorite songs are “The Hardest Thing” and “Invisible Man,” which both get an incredible response when we sing them live. “Invisible Man” was the first song from our debut album, so it’s always special.
How did it feel to recently celebrate your 20th anniversary since the band’s founding?
It feels great. If you had asked me about founding a band with college kids if we would be here in 20 years, I never would have guessed it. These 20 years have gone fast, and I am certainly thankful that our fans are still supporting us after all these years.
What was it about 98 Degrees that made you stand out as a boy band?
We were signed on with Motown Records. We considered ourselves more of a vocal group rather than a boy band, but we didn’t shy away from the label of being a boy band because we were able to meet all kinds of girls. We had the fortune of having great songs and our fans gravitated toward that.
Tell us about some of your favorite moments on your most recent tour.
We had a gimmicky show this year that was different from the last couple of tours. For example, one time, Drew (Lachey) jumped into our arms and almost fell. The overall vibe this year was great. We weren’t sure what to expect from our fans because we never did a Christmas tour and were a little nervous doing it. We had so much fun that we may do it every year.
You were the founding member of the boy band 98 Degrees, had a solo career, wrote a book and even performed in a male revue in Vegas. What’s up next for you?
Who knows how much longer we will go out on the road. I have been doing a lot of production work right now and will be doing some work with Nicole Michelle.
Nick Lachey Reveals He Suffers From Serious Dad Guilt When He’s on the Road
“It’s sometimes been like, ‘Man, I’m really comfortable. I don’t want to get ready. I don’t want to put makeup on,’ and he’s like, ‘I don’t want to shower and put jeans on,’” confessed the mom of three. “And we’re like, ‘Lets stay on the couch.’” But once they’re out of the house, it’s all good. “We’re excited that someone is serving us food and I”m not cooking and he’s not cleaning!” Vanessa told Us.
Nick and Vanessa stopped by the Us Weekly offices to promote the Pampers Baby Dry #SleptLikeThis campaign.
Vanessa and Nick Lachey Tell Us Their Biggest Wedding Regret
It’s been nearly seven years since Nick and Vanessa Lachey married in an ultra-intimate ceremony on Richard Branson’s property in the British Virgin Islands, but the couple can still recount practically every detail from their destination wedding.
“For us, it was so exciting to just be like, ‘Make sure your passport’s valid and show up at the airport,’” Nick tells The Knot in an exclusive interview at an event for Pampers in New York City. As recalled, the couple managed to whisk away their family and friends for a tropical getaway, where their surprise wedding awaited. “We really just wanted it to be a fun experience and a celebration.”
And that it was. The couple—who just welcomed their third child in December 2016—worked with renowned celebrity wedding planner Sharon Sacks to pull off a lavish and lush wedding weekend for their closest family and friends, managing to work through some serious roadblocks along the way. The first being the surprise itself and the second was a weather-related woe due to the island’s ultra-humid July climate.
“The paparazzi was out on the water so we had to close the curtains!” Nick says of their ceremony, which was held in Richard Branson’s living room. “It was so hot, but our rehearsal dinner—which was a luau beach party—was perfect.”
“It was so sunny that the flowers died on the way over. Our cake was so hot that it was literally melting and tilting over sideways,” Vanessa adds. Nevertheless, she says: ”It was such a beautiful night… And it was still delicious.”
Years after the nuptials, the former bride has sound advice for brides planning destination weddings. “You can plan all you want but once the moment happens, you just have to let it go and not have any expectations. Nothing’s going to be perfect,” she muses. “Once I accepted that, I was really able to just enjoy the moment and say, ‘Everyone’s here for us. I’m marrying this guy. I’m barefoot in the sand, dancing in my wedding dress.’ If you were to stress about every little thing, you probably wouldn’t enjoy it.”
In fact, picking out their wedding location was Vanessa’s favorite part of the planning process. “We went on a scouting trip, and the only way to get to Richard Branson’s Island—it’s called Necker—is by boat. So we got off the boat, the music was playing, the sun was setting and as we walked upstairs with champagne in hand, I started crying. I just knew. I was like, this is it.”
Ultimately, though, there is one thing they would’ve changed about their nuptials. “We were only allowed 28 people on the island,” Vanessa explains. “So I told Nick, if we could’ve just had 20 more people from our circle of friends—that’s my only regret. I wouldn’t want a huge wedding, and I think we had a great amount, but a huge chunk of it was family. We would’ve kicked it up just a couple more people, but there literally wasn’t room.”
The couple—who’ve been together since 2006—plan to return to the island for Vanessa’s 40th birthday (just the two of them this time), although the region of Virgin Gorda where Necker’s located was recently affected by Hurricane Irma.
“We’re excited to get back down there once it bounces back. It was magical, and it always will be such a magical, special place for us,” Nick says.
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