The timing was perfect for John Cena to marry Shay Shariatzadeh. Moreover, the actor and WWE star, who was reportedly dazzled by his wife were bent on keeping the ceremony out of the limelight.

"It was love at first sight," an entertainment source told PEOPLE of Cena, who met Shariatzadeh in Canada last year when he was filming Andy Fickman-directed comedy, Playing with Fire. The source went on to tell the outlet that Cena is romantic, and the couple knew they would marry, so the private ceremony was expected.

According to the source, Cena wanted to keep the marriage out of the public eye. Cena tied the wedding knot with the engineer in Tampa, Florida on Oct. 12. It was a small ceremony at the downtown office of attorney Dilip Patel, who acted as the officiant, per court documents acquired by PEOPLE.

Although Shariatzadeh was raised in Canada, she was born in Iran. She currently works in Canada for the enterprise software company Sonatype. The source described her as a smart woman, who has her own life and career and can think for herself. The insider said Cena was impressed by her attributes.

The pair has kept details about their relationship under wraps, although they made their red carpet debut together in Oct. last year for the premiere of Playing with Fire. Cena looked dapper, donning a navy blue suit with a white button-down and a red tie, while his girlfriend dazzled in silver and black-tinted sequined dress.

While on the red carpet, the Bumblebee actor told Entertainment Tonight that it was a wonderful day for a movie premiere, and he was accompanied by a beautiful date, referring to Shariatzadeh. Speaking about the comedy movie at the time, Cena said it will always have a special meaning for him, regardless of what projects he gets involved in the future, because not only did he get to film a special project, but  also had a chance to meet "someone special."

Cena even told Extra that it was a wonderful night to be at the movies, adding that he was with somebody special. The pair have been linked since Mar. 2019 and shared some PDA during their second red carpet appearance together at the premiere of Dolittle.

They were photographed sharing a kiss during the event. The pro wrestler even referred to Shariatzadeh as "family" in his interview with reporters on the carpet.