Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds's Domestic Bliss in Bedford, N.Y.

The couple, who purchased a home valued at over $2 million in April, have been nesting long before they said "I do"

Photo: AKM-GSI

Newlyweds Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds settled down long before they exchanged vows in a surprise ceremony in Charleston, S.C., on Sunday.

“They knew they were headed for marriage when they bought the house together,” a source tells PEOPLE.

“They’ve been nesting for quite a while now. They moved to the suburbs which has a pretty conservative lifestyle.”

It’s true: After just six months of dating, the couple purchased a home valued at more than $2 million in Bedford, N.Y., in April.

Lively, 25, and Reynolds, 35, managed to escape the stresses of Hollywood by moving to the affluent town, which is also home to Ralph Lauren, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

“They also picked a very traditional kind of house for people who work in Hollywood. They wanted a house with character, not a trendy, modern house. Their place is very homey. [Lively] is very domestic,” the source adds.

In June, the couple was spotted at Anthropologie in Westport, Conn., stocking up on wares for their abode, buying $1,000 worth of decorative knobs.

During that month, Lively also stopped into Parc Monceau in Westport, where an eyewitness said: “She has been shopping for her new home. She is interested in vintage, one of a kind pieces. She is looking for something unique, that no one else has that reflects her design style, which is modern traditional with a twist.”

Then on July 4, Lively and Reynolds hosted friends and family for a Fourth of July party at the couple’s home. The celebration included a dunk tank, slip and slide and cotton candy machine.

“Ryan got in the dunk tank and she dunked him. They were very playful together,” a different source says. “She looked looked like she was having a good time. You could see how relaxed and comfortable they were with each other.”

What else could a comfortable nest need? Perhaps dozens of children! In an interview conducted before she was married, Lively told Allure that she’s “always wanted a big family” and would “love 30 [children]” if she “could.”

Seems everything is falling into place.