These Hallmark Channel Co-Stars Are Couples In Real Life

Chemistry is an essential ingredient to the love stories Hallmark is known for. While the romances are technically fictional, sometimes the tension of a good will-they-won't-they drama is so strong that it carries over off-screen. Fans will be thrilled to learn that it's not uncommon for relationships to develop between Hallmark stars during filming. It only makes sense, after all. Filming heartwarming content where there's plenty of holiday joy, cozying up to one another and monumental first kisses can get to anyone. Who could possibly resist all that romance? 

Love is often in the air for these familiar faces, and, for the most part, it seems like most of the couples who fell for each other while acting together on the small screen are still going strong, with several of them having married over the years. Others are still in their earlier stages, and may not have actually confirmed their status as a couple yet, but they'll get there! So, here's the thing. If you're dying for your favorite on-screen couple to get together IRL, you might be in luck. Yes, real-life Hallmark couples are aplenty! From married couples to brand-new partners, these Hallmark couples have proved that love can easily be found on-set.

Katie Cassidy and Stephen Huszar

Life imitates art for Katie Cassidy, who found her Prince Charming in Stephen Huszar when the pair met on the set of 2023's "A Royal Christmas Crush." Cassidy posted a behind-the-scenes snap kissing her co-star on the cheek, and the rest was history. In October 2023, the actress posted a heartfelt tribute to her beau proving that the two are in it for the long haul:

"There are no words to describe the love & appreciation I have for this man," Cassidy wrote. "Thank you for making me smile everyday & always leading with your heart first. You continue to amaze me..."

The couple regularly share snaps of their adventures together on Instagram, including romantic getaways to the French Riviera, Tuscany and Maui. Wherever they are, these two bring the glamour. Now if only they could, you know, fit a little filming into their vacations. We need another destination romance from these lovebirds pronto.

Kevin McGarry and Kayla Wallace

If you binged "My Grown-Up Christmas List" last holiday season, or caught the adorable monarch-themed tale "Feeling Butterflies" that debuted in Spring 2022, then you're familiar with Kevin McGarry and Kayla Wallace's chemistry. Seeing as how they've been a couple since 2020, it's safe to say that the connection formed during their on-screen moments was real.

It appears they met just a year prior, in 2019, while working together on the beloved Hallmark Channel series "When Calls the Heart." They've kept much of their relationship hush-hush, but in the lead-up to Christmas in 2022, the two announced their engagement via Instagram.

Erin Krakow and Ben Rosenbaum

"When Calls the Heart" actors Erin Krakow and Ben Rosenbaum have been a fairly obvious couple for some time, though they've yet to flat-out confirm their relationship status. However, the pair adopted a rescue puppy named Willoughby together in May 2022, which all but seals the deal.

Fans have long speculated that the two are an item, especially when it comes to their chemistry on the show they both star on. With multiple appearances on each other's social media profiles, and photos from what looks to be a couples vacation to the Amalfi Coast with Kevin McGarry and Kayla Wallace, all the signs are there. Besides, they certainly make an adorable twosome.

Daniel Stine and Rachel Hendrix

Even Hallmark Christmas movie fanatics might not know of this couple's story, as they keep things super low-key. But considering how adorable they are? Well, we're not surprised that it worked out for Daniel Stine and Rachel Hendrix.

The two met in 2016 while filming and working on the comedy-drama film "Virginia Minnesota," which Stine wrote and directed and Hendrix starred in. After a few years of dating, these lovebirds tied the knot and starred in the Hallmark classic "Midway to Love" in the same year.

Chris McNally and Julie Gonzalo

Not every celebrity couple wants their real-life romance to be in the spotlight — including "3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1 Ghost" stars Chris McNally and Julie Gonzalo. Even though a relationship clearly blossomed after playing former high school sweethearts who reunited in 2018's "The Sweetest Heart," the pair didn't confirm any rumors until Gonzalo announced the birth of their baby girl in 2022.

Prior to that major mic drop, McNally had only ever said he had a "girlfriend." However, fans were able to spot the fact that he and Gonzalo often posted photos of the same pups on their Instagram accounts. Consider yourselves busted. 

Alexa and Carlos PenaVega

Even if you don't frequent the Hallmark Channel, you probably know Alexa and Carlos PenaVega — the former known for her time on "Spy Kids" and the latter for his starring role on "Big Time Rush." Unlike the other couples on this list, these two met and married prior to working with Hallmark.

However, the network has still taken advantage of their chemistry, giving them leading roles in several projects over the years, including "Love in the Limelight," "Enchanted Christmas" and "Love at Sea," which also featured a quick appearance by their eldest son, Ocean. The PenaVega (a last name they created by combining both of their own) pair also starred in the 3-episode Hallmark series "Picture Perfect Mysteries."

Eric Winter and Roselyn Sanchez

The former "Days of Our Lives" and "As The World Turns" actors first met at a party back in 2005 — though it was nearly three months before Eric Winter asked Roselyn Sanchez out. After that, the pair were inseparable, marrying in 2008 and having two children, Sebella and Dylan, soon after. In fact, it was their kids who helped them decide to co-star in the 2019 Hallmark romance "A Taste of Summer."

"It had to be the right thing and something fun and cute that was a family affair, and that's what this was like," said Winter, who has a few other Hallmark films under his belt. "Our son and daughter could join us, so they were on set and able to be a part of the experience. That was important and a big part of the decision. The Hallmark audience is a great fan base and very supportive, so it all just felt like the right fit."

Colin Donnell and Patti Murin

You may recognize this real-life couple not just from Hallmark but also from Broadway. Patti Murin originated the iconic role of Anna in "Frozen," while Colin Donnell is widely known for his performance as Billy Crocker in the 2011 revival of "Anything Goes." Unsurprisingly, it was their love of the theater that first brought these two together. They met back in 2007 while performing a musical adaptation of "Love's Labour's Lost" and have been singing show tunes together ever since. And, yes, that includes releasing a joint album in 2022.

After doing the whole marriage thing, the couple decided to take on Hallmark together. Donnell and Murin have co-starred in "To Catch A Spy" and "Love On Iceland," which is actually where they learned they were pregnant with their first child. Can you get any cuter than that?

Fictional or not, these Hallmark couples certainly have romantic stories to tell. From their work on-screen and behind the scenes, it's hard not to root for them — especially when you know they've found love in real life, too.

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