Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images From the moment he first met Sofia Vergara, Joe Manganiello couldn't take his eyes off her.
Or, famously, from her impressive derriere.
The problem was, when their memorable meeting occurred at the 2014 White House Correspondents Dinner, Sofia was engaged to entrepreneur Nick Loeb. So when, a few weeks later, her two-year betrothal was called off (officially, the couple cited conflicting schedules), nothing was going to stop Joe from sweeping the woman of his dreams off her feet.
The True Blood star called up their mutual friend, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and begged for Sofia's number. She was in New Orleans shooting a movie, and the idea of dating someone so soon after the end of her engagement was far from her mind. But Joe was determined and flew cross-country just to take her out to dinner.
A few thousand miles were not going to stand in the way of his perfect woman.
The rest, as they say, is history. And this weekend, the meant-to-be duo will make it official when--voila!--they became the sexiest married couple in Hollywood.
Of course we wanted to delve further into just how Sofia-and-Joe came to be and why they're totally meant for each other. Enjoy the fruits of our investigation:
1. Can someone say sexual chemistry?
The sparks were immediate on that first date. Neither could deny it. According to multiple sources, although Sofia was reluctant to date right after the end of a long relationship, she couldn't resist the pull of the hunky actor. Let's just say, we understand the appeal, his impressive six-pack having been on glorious display when he played a stripper in two Magic Mike movies.
A friend of the couple tells E! news that Sofia and Joe were crazy about one another right from the start. "They are totally in love," the insider says. "From the moment they got together, they fell head over heels and things have only grown stronger. On paper they may not seem like a match, but once they met and discovered the crazy chemistry that they have, they never wanted to be apart."
2. He worships the ground she walks on.
While before they met he gushed to People (while being interviewed for the 2014 Hottest Bachelors issue, ironically) about the still-engaged Sofia's impressive physical traits—"She's got the curves, she's got a beautiful face, beautiful hair, just gorgeous. Naturally beautiful. She's feisty!"—one of our insiders says that Joe thinks his fiancée is an all-around goddess.
She may joke that the only reason he loves her is because she wears nothing but perfume in bed, but the truth is there are deeper reasons behind why they mutually fell head over heels in love.
"Joe makes Sofia feel like she is the most important woman in the world," says our insider. "And that gives her the confidence to do anything. She knows he always has her back."
On her end, meanwhile, "she thinks he's gorgeous and sexy and she can't get enough of him. He is the nicest guy in the world and treats her like a queen. He's everything."
Friends say that Joe has never felt this way about anyone before. "Sofia is fun and exciting," one tells E!. "Things are never dull with her. She is always willing to try new things and go on adventures. She is supportive of everything he does."
Adds another pal: "I've never seen two people so truly in love. The way they talk to each other, touch each other—it's incredible."
3. He's a true romantic.
No dilly-dallying. Six months after he went the distance for their first date in Louisiana, Joe got down on one knee and proposed—and, once again, he went the extra mile.
The couple were enjoying a winter getaway in picture-perfect Kauai and there, in the comfort of their five-star hotel, he popped the question to the Colombian star in her native tongue of Spanish, telling her, "Eres mi todo." Translation: "You are my everything."
Swoon!
During an appearance on Live! With Kelly and Michael, he talked about how important it was to him for that moment to be perfect for her.
"I wasn't nervous that she was going to say no," the strapping actor recalled. "I felt pretty confident in that. But you only get one chance to do it and, if you're going to do it, you gotta do it right. So there's a lot of planning that goes in and, yeah, actually I proposed in Spanish. So I had a big speech in Spanish and that's what I was nervous about. The last thing you want to do is, like, mess up the Spanish on the proposal to the Colombian woman."
4. They're more than lovers.
In addition to the abundance of enviable physical traits, these two are compatible on the inside as well.
"They're best friends and share every aspect of their life together," another friend of the couple tells us. "They work out together, watch football together, go out to eat and to movies. They have lived together for many months and have a great routine established. They know each others' friends and family well and are a great couple. They honeymoon phase [of dating] has never ended for them."
5. They know how to throw a party!
On Sunday, the most lavish celebrity wedding of the year will take place in Florida—and the festivities are already under way!
We've been told that around 400 guests are expected at Joe and Sofia's nuptials, thanks in no small part to the bride's "huge family" and the couple's big pack of friends.
"They've invited many co-stars, including Reese Witherspoon, Ed O'Neill and Julie Bowen," a source says. "They want everyone they know and are close to to be there." We're also expecting Jesse Tyler Ferguson—he only introduced them, after all!
The wedding is taking place at The Breakers in Palm Beach, which is known for hosting breathtaking oceanfront occasions—but the spouses-to-be are determined to keep the ceremony intimate despite the size of the party.
"It's a nighttime affair and they want to make sure it's very private," a source says. "They have hired a ton of security and made everyone sign confidentiality agreements. They don't want any [unauthorized] photos to be obtained and are taking great measures by doing everything inside on the night of the wedding."
Leading up to the big day, Joe's been golfing with friends and Sofia is enjoying spa time with the nearest and dearest ladies in her life. "The entire hotel is rented out for the weekend," an insider says. "People are flying in from all over the world to be there with them.
"They're making it a long-weekend celebration with the wedding happening at 6 p.m. on Sunday evening...They're expecting [the reception] to go all night long with tons of dancing and live performances. People can rest and recuperate on Monday and stay for the Thanksgiving holiday if they choose. Sofia has a lot of family in Florida and will stay to spend time with them."
The ceremony and reception are taking place in different ballrooms; the decor will be "elegant and sophisticated, but with a flair." The couple's color palette is ivory and gold. "Sofia likes things big and grand and there will be tons of flowers and candles. Some of her Latin heritage will also be tied in."
But we know which detail you're really interested in: The bride is wearing a custom gown by Zuhair Murad.
"It's sexy and revealing, and she knows Joe is going to love it," a friend says. "She has kept it a surprise and doesn't want him to see it before the wedding."
Sofia and Joe are getting the happily-ever-after they've dreamed about since their first date. And which Joe has apparently been dreaming about since long before their first date.
We hear they're literally counting down the days.
"They already feel married, but are excited to make it official," our insider says. "They've been living together since very early on in their relationship but they feel like this is a new chapter. They can't wait to be able to call one another husband and wife."