Inside Hallmark Couple Marco Grazzini And Alvina August's Relationship

The Hallmark Channel is the go-to destination for people who love love, thanks to its seemingly never-ending slate of roms and rom-coms. How serendipitous it is that two of the network's most beloved stars should have a storybook romance offscreen. Alvina August is known for her roles in "Love in Design," "Deliver by Christmas," and "A Second Chance at Love," while Marco Grazzini's credits include "A Taste of Summer," "A Valentine's Match," "Right in Front of Me," and "Hearts in the Game." Though these stories are sweet, they hardly compare to the lovebirds' real-life relationship, which has lasted nearly a decade. 

Throughout their many years together, August and Grazzini have blossomed both as actors and as a couple. They've taken on some major TV roles: August on the CW's "Nancy Drew" and Grazzini on Netflix's "Virgin River." They've proclaimed their commitment to each other by getting engaged. They've even welcomed a baby into the world. Read on to learn what makes this real-life Hallmark Channel couple's bond even more magical than a holiday special. 

One might guess that Alvina August and Marco Grazzini had a Hallmark-style meet-cute — perhaps they locked eyes at a premiere party, or couldn't stop staring at each other on a film set. In reality, they crossed paths in a much more modern fashion: A dating app brought them together. Hallmark stars — they're just like us.

On the Hallmark Channel's "Bubbly Sesh" podcast, August shared more details about how her perfect pairing with Grazzini came to be. "We met on Tinder," she confessed. She had initially logged onto the app to promote her music career, but when Grazzini commented on one of the videos she had shared to her profile, her curiosity was piqued. August, for one, never foresaw a virtual courtship in her future — until Grazzini came along. "It's so crazy," she said in a 2020 interview with AfterBuzz TV. "I believed I would never meet someone that way. I always imagined that I would lock eyes with him across the room and then there would be this magic that I've always seen in '90s movies, I guess." 

The real-life Hallmark Channel partners spent three months flirting and bonding digitally before finally setting up an in-person date. When they came face-to-face at long last, their chemistry was nothing short of electric. "[W]hen you see each other it's just sort of the icing on the cake because we've already got such a strong connection," Alvina told AfterBuzz. Hopeless romantics take note: true love can still flourish in the digital age.

Sometimes it takes a while for true love to bloom. Not so with Hallmark movie power couple Marco Grazzini and Alvina August. The two clicked so quickly that their first date ended up being a day-long hangout. "We had an eight-hour first date playing table tennis," August recalled on the "Bubbly Sesh" podcast. "And then we had three more that same week — the next day, and the next day. And they just got longer and longer. I just couldn't spend any time away from him."

August noted that she and Grazzini largely got along so well right off the bat because they had so much in common. "We had so much to talk about. It was so easy," she said. "We were both only children, so there were a lot of similarities there." She concluded her response by telling the world how grateful she is for his presence: "I'm so happy I have him in my life. He's such a good guy."

Today, Marco Grazzini and Alvina August are equally invested in acting. However, as August dished on the  "Bubbly Sesh" podcast, she was initially more focused on her career as a musician. She first dipped her toes into acting by auditioning for "The Lion King" musical. When she decided to take the big leap into the television world, Grazzini was there to support her — not only by showering her with encouragement and love, but also by taking her headshots.

In April 2014, Grazzini posted a gorgeous close-up of August to Instagram. His caption was simple: "#marcograzziniphotography #headshots #portrait." Just a few months later, he felt comfortable sharing more about his relationship with August, as well as her burgeoning acting career. In July 2014, he posted another headshot of August, this time paired with a more heartfelt message. "A double toot of the horn is in order — congrats to the boo @alvinaaugust on a great 1st TV audition and also a commercial callback," he wrote. "And to me! Cuz I'm a dope photographer :)" Looking back, it's not only amazing to see how far they've both come, but how they've been each other's cheerleaders since day one.

There's definitely a synchronicity between Alvina August and Marco Grazzini's acting careers. Both have starred as romantic leads in Hallmark and holiday films. In addition, both of them have played members of law enforcement: Grazzini as secretive cop Mike Valenzuela on "Virgin River," and August as Detective Karen Hart on "Nancy Drew." Both of them have dipped their toes into the world of superheroes as well: August as Monique on Prime Video's "The Boys," and Grazzini as Joey Monteleone (a.k.a. "Tar Pit") on DC's "The Flash." Yet they've never had the opportunity to play each other's romantic interests — or act alongside each other at all.

Even though they've never been able to show off their chemistry onscreen, August and Grazzini are eager to broadcast their admiration for each other's craft on social media. When Grazzini appeared on SyFy's "Killjoys," August hyped him up with an Instagram post. "Watching bae @themarcograzzini play a hunky douchebag," she captioned an image of Grazzini in character. She added a few hashtags to show how proud she was: "#handsome #thatscomedy #hottie #love #support." Grazzini is just as effusive about August on social media. "Catch m'wifey @alvinaaugust tonight on the series premiere of #NancyDrew," he posted to Instagram just before the show's debut. Their excitement about each other's television appearances is enough to melt any fan's heart.

Alvina August and Marco Grazzini are always on the go, so it's no wonder that they got engaged during a romantic getaway to Bali, Indonesia. According to August's Instagram, Grazzini popped the question in January 2019. On June 17, 2019, he and August jointly announced their exciting news via Instagram. Both actors shared a selfie showing off August's gorgeous new ring with the same simple caption: "YES!" Fellow actors like Alli Chung, Alison Araya, and Katelyn Wells popped up in the comments to offer their congratulations.

A year later, August reminisced on the milestone via another touching Instagram post. "One year ago today, you liked it, you put a ring on it & made me your Bey-ancé, confirming everything I had already believed about you & where we were headed," she wrote, addressing her beau. "There is nowhere else I would rather be. God blessed me with my best friend, my lover, creator of the most exquisite food, chef Marco, my business and life partner all in one package. I love you. Ok, let's find some time to plan a wedding soon." She concluded her love note with a string of cute emojis: a bride, a ring, a groom, and two pink hearts.

Alvina August and Marco Grazzini are no strangers to starring in Christmas movies. August has appeared in the Disney+ film "Noelle" and Hallmark romance "Deliver by Christmas," while Grazzini's credits include TV movies "Designing Christmas," "Christmas Forgiveness," "Christmas Unwrapped," and "Deck the Halls." Fans of their holiday feel-good flicks will be delighted to know that the lovers are just as full of the Christmas spirit in real life as they are onscreen.

In 2015, August shared a sweet photo collage showing off the Christmas tree the couple had decorated, plus some candid pics of Grazzini carrying the freshly cut pine. "Reminds me of Christmases growing up in Zimbabwe. Thanks to my lumberjack Canadian hunk & handyman @themarcograzzini," she wrote."Here's to creating new holiday traditions."

A few years later, in 2020, both August and Grazzini posted photos of themselves snuggling up in "Santa's Helper"-themed pajamas on Instagram. Recognizing that plenty of fans might have trouble staying merry and bright during a historic pandemic, August offered some encouragement via her caption. "It's been a hard year for so many but we tried to remind ourselves today that this too shall pass and when we're on the other side of it, we will be more appreciative of hugs & companionship, more mindful of our physical and mental well-being [...] You are here & you are loved so let's make an elf-pact to choose hope over fear in 2021 [...] Merry Christmas ya filthy animals!!!"

Behind the scenes of "Virgin River" — which is shot in and around Vancouver — Marco Grazzini had plenty of time to appreciate the region's sprawling nature. In a 2022 interview with Survived the Shows, he spoke about his love for the great outdoors while describing his experience on set. "With the bikes and rafting, and those really breathtaking landscapes, I felt like I was on holiday with friends, not at work," he told journalist Chiara Lombatti. A quick peek at his social media — and Alvina August's — reveals that he also partakes in al fresco adventures with his sweetheart.

Take a look at their Instagram grids, and you'll see countless images of Grazzini and August taking to the water, hiking to mountain summits, and exploring more remote locations. In 2022, Grazzini posted a pic of himself and August enjoying a boat ride together. In 2020, August shared a photo of the couple at St. Marks Summit in British Columbia with fellow TV star Shannon Kook and another friend. Both of these moments looked like a blast — but scroll further back, and you'll see that Grazzini and August experienced far bigger thrills in 2015, when they splashed around in a Mexican cenote. "A late #tbt to last year in Mexico swimming in an ancient sink hole/cave #cenote," August wrote in a 2016 post. "Water was so fresh & cool, bats flying all around it was so mystical, one of my favorite experiences so far especially since I can't swim!"

Alvina August and Marco Grazzini can often be found jetting around the world for their various TV and film engagements, but they love to travel on their own time as well. Their social media shows them hopping from continent to continent, always side by side.

In 2019, August posted a goofy Instagram vlog depicting Grazzini in front of a temple in Cambodia. "Hey! I'm Marco, and welcome to 'Trekking the World,'" he booms after taking off his sunglasses, adopting the persona of a TV show host. He declares that he's standing in front of the temple where "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" was shot before August wryly corrects him, saying that he's got the wrong location. Both parties are evidently having a ball.

Another post by Alvina portrays her and Grazzini posing cheerfully with three Asian elephants in Chiang Mai, Thailand. In her caption, she demonstrated her appreciation for the gentle creatures while standing up for animal rights: "Did you know the elephant cortex has as many neurons as the human brain which suggests convergent evolution? There ARE ways to interact with these amazing beasts that don't involve exploiting them. Thank you @elephantnaturepark for the work you do rehabilitating abused elephants." Clearly, Alvina and Grazzini don't just see travel as an activity for pleasure — they also find ways to incorporate their passion for activism into their many trips.

On April 7, 2023, Alvina August and Marco Grazzini made a major announcement via a joint Instagram post: they were expecting. A black-and-white photo set depicted Grazzini gently resting a hand on August's pregnant belly before images from an ultrasound showing the outline of their baby's head, plus a close-up of an ultrasound depicting one of the baby's tiny hands. Friends like fellow Hallmark star Janel Parrish and August's "Nancy Drew" costar Kennedy McMann stopped by the comments section to share their excitement.

A few days later, August posted a video of herself dancing joyfully to "ENERGY" by Beyoncé, baby bump on full display. In the caption, she got real about the roller coaster ride that is pregnancy. "Thank you all for the overwhelming show of love for our little llama, she wrote. "Yes, baby is doing well. As for me, my skin's dry, bladder won't let me be great & I'm down to my last pair of stretchy waist pants but my hair is long & that nausea is gone!!!!!!" Grazzini responded with a silly comment: "Baby will get dancing genes from you at least!"

Alvina August and Marco Grazzini both appreciate a good chuckle. In a 2018 interview with My Devotional Thoughts, August talked about how she loves to play "funny" characters such as Versitude on Nickelodeon's "The Other Kingdom" and Meghan in Hallmark's "Hailey Dean Mystery" films. Similarly, in his aforementioned interview with Survived the Shows, Grazzini shared that Virgin River's comedic undercurrent is part of what drew him toward the program. "I'm a big fan of comedy," he said. "I look for it in every script and appreciate it when I'm watching it. As an audience member, I love to laugh. I'd like to make other people laugh, in real life or on the job. And [...] Mike does have a great sense of humor, as does Virgin River."

Judging by their social media presence, it seems that August and Grazzini spend plenty of time goofing around with each other offscreen. On June 18, 2023, August shared a photo portraying the couple in a sweet pose: Alvina is grinning ear-to-ear as Grazzini makes a silly face while grabbing her baby bump. In her caption, she lauded his sense of humor as well as his attentiveness as a parent. Addressing her then-unborn baby, she wrote, "He's the most hands on dad you can hope for, the one responsible for all the delicious gub gubs & also the one to blame for all the times you were rattled out of sleep coz mummy was laughing so hard."

Alvina August and Marco Grazzini have finally welcomed their newborn into the world — and it's a girl. On September 7, 2023 — Grazzini's birthday — Grazzini posted a photo showing him smiling wide while cradling the adorable infant, marking her first public appearance. "Best birthday ever," he wrote, punctuating his caption with two emojis — a red heart and a chick hatching from an egg. "#girldad."

"No we don't share birthdays," he added for clarification moments later. "Just zombie new parent late posting."

Stars were quick to leave their well wishes in the comments. Alexandra Breckinridge — Grazzini's costar on "Virgin River" — chimed in with her congratulations. Tamera Mowry, who has starred in several Hallmark and holiday films since her "Sister, Sister" days, also left a note for the couple: "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh Congrats @themarcograzzini. So happy for you guys. She's beautiful." Simu Liu's message was short but sweet: "Look at that head of hair!!" Demonstrating his signature sense of humor, Grazzini replied by cracking a joke: "We share styling gel now." One thing's for sure: August, Grazzini, and their little bundle of joy are all in for a very happy holiday season this year.