Super Bowl Wives: Gisele Bundchen and Abby Manning
The New England Patriots' Tom Brady and the New York Giants' Eli Manning are facing off this weekend in Super Bowl XLVI, but it's not all about the boys. There's also the two strong women who will be cheering them on from the sidelines.
Gisele Bundchen and Abby Manning, the two famous quarterback's wives, may have more in common than you would think.
PHOTOS: Inside Gisele and Abby's Fabulous Lives
Weddings
Both Gisele and Abby opted for low-key wedding ceremonies near the beach when they wed the star players. Eli Manning, 31, married his college sweetheart Abby McGrew, 27, in 2008. The two met at the University of Mississippi. People magazine reported that the Mannings were married at the One & Only Palmilla in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with a small number of guests.
Bundchen, 31, and Brady, 34, were set up by a mutual friend. According to People, the couple was married in 2009 in a small Catholic church in Santa Monica, California, near the beach. Family and friends gathered afterward in their Brentwood, Calif. home . They later had another small ceremony at Bundchen's home in Costa Rica.
Philanthropy
Both women are involved in many different charities. Bundchen donates to Brazil's Zero Hunger Program as well as St.Jude's Children's Research Hospital.
Abby Manning is involved with New York's St. Vincent's Hospital, where her and her husband's donation helped to create a new holistic birthing center. She also donates to her alma mater, University of Mississippi.
Children
Both ladies had children shortly after getting married and opted for natural births. Eli and Abby had a daughter named Ava Frances last year.
Gisele gave birth to son, Benjamin, in 2009. Another supporter of natural childbirth, Bundchen wrote about it on her blog."
I am blessed to have been able to have a home birth surrounded by love, where I was able to feel safe," she wrote. "It was a powerful experience. I never felt so vulnerable but so strong at the same time …To give life to another being, what a gift!"
Careers
Both women have opted for careers in fashion. Gisele Bundchen, a mega model, has appeared on runways around the world. She has posed for designers like Versace, Dior, and Missoni to name a few.
While Gisele had a more public career in fashion, Abby was behind the scenes. She worked as an account executive with wedding dress and evening wear designer Pamela Roland.
Fashion Sense
The women also have similar tastes in fashion. From short purple mini dresses to stunning white and silver frocks, Manning and Bundchen seem to gravitate towards the same color palette.
Homes
When it comes to houses, the two women have much different tastes. During the season, the Mannings live in Hoboken, New Jersey. When Eli's not playing football, the couple resides in Oxford, Mississippi, home of their alma mater.
Bundchen and Brady lead a much more lavish lifestyle. In addition to their Boston home, the pair just moved into a $20 million Los Angeles mansion. The Daily Mail reported the house has eight rooms, a six car garage, and a lagoon-shaped swimming pool, to name just a few of the amenities.
