Eric Stonestreet reveals why his Modern Family co-stars weren't invited to his secret wedding

Eric Stonestreet married his longtime love Lindsay Schweitzer in an ultra-secret ceremony last September.

Now, the Modern Family alum, 54, is sharing that no one from the hit sitcom that ran for 11 seasons from 2009 to 2020 was there because they just wanted a small, private, family-only wedding.

During a candid conversation on the Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson podcast, Stonestreet told the host, who played his husband on the show, that he simply 'didn’t want to offend anyone,' per People.

Stonestreet and Schweitzer quietly exchanged vows on September 8 of last year at their recently completed dream home in Kansas City, Missouri.

The day after the nuptials, Stonestreet - who lost 85lbs with the help of weight loss drug Mountjaro for his type 2 diabetes - finally spread the word via Instagram alongside photos from their special day.

None of Stonestreet’s former co-stars – including Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Sarah Hyland, Ariel Winter, Sofia Vergara and Ferguson - were invited to the wedding.

When Ferguson saw Stonestreet’s big reveal on social media, he gushed in the comments: 'Of all second marriages, this one is my favorite! I love you both! I'm so happy for you!!!!'

'I mean, I only found out a few days before everyone else,' Ferguson, 50, noted on his podcast.

Stonestreet had alerted a few friends over the phone that the wedding was happening, including Ferguson, but most people got the news after the deed was done.

'I hate saying it, but, like, we didn't invite anyone to our wedding other than our family,' Stonestreet revealed.

'So, the equivalent to an invitation to our wedding was a phone call before the wedding, which was, "This is your non-invitation, but this is because we love you and we want you to know about it first."'

Stonestreet went on: 'So, there was a group of people that we called and told. Then, we got married, and I had a text all set up, ready to go, and then the moment we got married, we just sent it out to everyone, other people, because, you know, I'm a popular person.

'I didn't want to offend anyone, but I also didn't want to tell anyone.

'We wanted it to be a secret because we were keeping it from our family, so it's not like now all of a sudden I'm gonna let everyone know, I'm not my mom, but I just couldn't imagine us getting married and you not knowing about it and other people not knowing about it,' he added.

Stonestreet and his intended bride waited until their kids – twin boys from her previous relationship - were home from school before spilling the beans about their immediate plans, explaining that they 'didn't want them to have to lie or be weird at school.'

'When they got home from school, we sat them down and just had a talk with them and told them... And they were just like, "What?”"'Stonestreet recalled.

The few family members that were there didn’t even know they were attending a wedding, he explained, adding that they assumed they were coming over for a 'first meal' in the couple’s new home.

Ferguson admitted he wasn’t hurt by not receiving an invitation to his Modern Family co-star’s wedding, but he would have been surprised not receiving a heads up.

'I'm definitely glad you called me. I would've been, I don't think hurt is the right word, but I would've been surprised,' said Ferguson, who has been married to Justin Mikita since 2013.

Stonestreet had dated the pediatric nurse for five years before he proposed in 2021.

'We've been together for a long time, and I just knew I wasn’t going to find a better partner in life than Lindsay,' he previously told People. 'So, it just made the most sense. And I'd taken my sweet old time.

'Everybody else - let me put it this way - that knows Lindsay was like, "What are you waiting for?" So, it was time,' he said.

Schweitzer initially thought the proposal was a joke, since Stonestreet is a well-known and avid prankster.

Noting his own reputation, Stonestreet said during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in February 2022. 'I wanted to get her somehow,' he quipped.

Stonestreet said that he told Schweitzer they were to do a social media post together, to make sure her hair and makeup were done.

Her twin sons even got in the surprise, telling their mom that Stonestreet had something to ask her. To her shock, he asked her to marry him. Of course, she said yes.