For Dennis Quaid and Laura Savoie, faith is what brought them together.
The actor told People magazine on Tuesday that his love for the doctoral student has been fueled by their shared beliefs.
“We’re both Christians, and right from the start God has always had a hand in the relationship,” the 66-year-old said of the 27-year-old. “I think that’s where the real strength comes from.”
The couple -- who got engaged last October -- eloped in Santa Babara, Calif., and were married at a seaside resort on June 2. They originally planned a wedding in April in Hawaii, along with a second reception for family and friends in Nashville. However, the two had to postpone the festivities amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“With the quarantine, it hasn’t been easy,” Savoie told the outlet. “And when you just pray together and say that this is where I’m having a hard time, help us be the people we’re supposed to be towards each other. It changes everything.
“It brings you back to being loving and kind towards each other and working through those things that inevitably come up,” she continued. “And it’s just the greatest source of strength in our relationship to have, to share that.”
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Quaid and Savoie ultimately exchanged traditional vows with only their pastor as a witness.
“Everyone asks if you feel different [after being pronounced husband and wife] and I think it was just with everything that happened to have it actually done, it was kind of feeling of freedom, I think,” said Quaid. “It was really a freedom that we can really start our lives together.
“Just looking into her eyes, she was the most stunning bride,” he added.
According to the outlet, the couple began dating in May 2019 after being introduced at a business event.
Savoie, originally from St. Louis, attended Pepperdine University, where she was class valedictorian, the outlet reported. She went on to get a master’s degree in accountancy at the University of Notre Dame.
“It was love at first sight,” said Quaid. “I just love who she is as a person. Her character, her intelligence, of course, her beauty. And her point of view of the world.”
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Dennis Quaid and fiancee Laura Savoie arrive at the 'Midway' Special Screening at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Oct. 20, 2019, in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Marco Garcia/Getty Images for Lionsgate Entertainment)
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Quaid and Savoie hope to enjoy a honeymoon in the next month or so, along with a reception for family and friends. But for now, Quaid said they’re simply looking forward to “just sharing our lives together.”
“She’s the greatest person I ever met,” he said. “I love waking up and spending every day with her.”
In late 2019, Quaid opened up to The Guardian about facing criticism for dating a younger woman.
“That was really a laugh,” he said at the time. “I thought it was wonderful actually.”
The “Parent Trap” star said that he and Savoie aren’t taking the commentary personally.
“No, it really doesn’t bother us,” he insisted. “Everyone comes from the perspective of their own life and so I can’t comment on the way they feel; I can’t even get angry.”
Quaid also shared it was never his intention to find someone Savoie’s age.
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Dennis Quaid and Laura Savoie attend CASH FEST In Celebration Of YouTube Originals Documentary 'THE GIFT: THE JOURNEY OF JOHNNY CASH' at War Memorial Auditorium on November 10, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. (Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for YouTube)
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“I didn’t go out looking for an age gap or someone really younger than me,” he explained. “I met her at a business event and then the relationship developed.
“You have no control over who you fall in love with,” he continued. “I don’t fall in love easily. But I can’t let what a few people think control all that. I’ve been married three times and this is the final one, I know it is. I feel like I have a real partner in life.”
Quaid previously dated longtime girlfriend Santa Auzina, whom he was last photographed with in December 2018, People magazine reported. The couple, who were together for a little over two years, began dating after Quaid split from his wife of 12 years, Kimberly Buffington, in 2016. The former pair finalized their divorced in April 2018.
Quaid was previously married to actress Meg Ryan. The 10-year marriage ended in 2001.
And before that, Quaid was married to actress P.J. Soles from 1978 until 1983.
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