Zooey Deschanel Says Planning Wedding to Jonathan Scott Comes With “A Lot of Pressure”

Zooey Deschanel is opening up about why planning her wedding to fiancé Jonathan Scott has felt unexpectedly overwhelming.

The New Girl alum, 45, revealed on the Dec. 17 episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast that wedding planning has begun but that certain details — especially the venue — have proved challenging.

Venue pressure comes from Scott’s design expertise

Deschanel admitted that choosing a location feels daunting because of Scott’s professional eye for architecture and design.

“It’s really like a lot of pressure, because [Jonathan] designs incredible spaces,” she explained. “And I’m like, there’s no space worthy of such a wedding.”

The actress added that finding a venue that fits both their vision and budget is difficult.

“It’s really hard to find [a venue] that’s not like a gazillion dollars,” she said with a laugh.

Podcast host Alex Cooper related to the stress, saying she also struggled to find the right space for her 2024 wedding.

Deschanel wants this wedding to stand out

Both Deschanel and Scott, 47, have been married before. That, she says, has contributed to her desire for the upcoming celebration to feel joyful and memorable.

“We’ve both been married before,” Deschanel said, referencing Scott’s previous marriage to Kelsy Ully. “So I’m like, this [wedding] has to be the most fun.”

Deschanel was previously married to musician Ben Gibbard and later film producer Jacob Pechenik, with whom she shares two children — daughter Elsie Otter and son Charlie Wolf.

Not rushing to the altar

Earlier this month, Deschanel told PEOPLE that she and Scott are not feeling pressured to set a date.

“We’re not in a rush because we’ve been together so long,” she said. “I’d rather find the right place and situation so that it’s special and fun.”

She described wedding planning as “exploratory,” noting they want the celebration to reflect their personalities, not outside expectations.

How Jonathan Scott proposed

During the same podcast episode, Deschanel shared behind-the-scenes details about Scott’s surprise proposal at Scotland’s historic Edinburgh Castle in August 2023.

She recalled dismissing several signs leading up to the proposal, including Scott encouraging her to dress up and offering to iron her silk outfit.

“There were all these things that I flagged,” she said. “[But] I just said, ‘That’s weird.’”

Deschanel said her mother was secretly helping Scott plan the surprise, even reminding him to make sure Zooey styled her hair for the “tour.”

The engagement was confirmed in August 2023 with a joint social media post featuring the couple smiling and showing off Deschanel’s ring.

What comes next

While they may not have finalized their dream venue just yet, Deschanel emphasized that the pair want a fun atmosphere surrounded by loved ones rather than pressure to achieve perfection.