Paramount’s Yellowstone wows audiences worldwide with layered storytelling, gripping drama, and the kind of romance we all lose sleep dreaming of. With characters seemingly drawn to each other with magnetic power, it’s easy to root for love on the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch.
One of the series’s most impactful storylines and relationships is that of Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler. The pair were brought together as young adults. As Beth says, when she first met Rip, he was “so wild, so angry.” Following up with, “God, you were beautiful.”
They were destined to meet one another, to have paths that would cross no matter where their lives ended up. Star-crossed lovers, brought together by a cold fate but powerful enough to challenge heartache with a pure, life-altering love.
What kind of love is strong enough not to falter under pain and heartache? The kind of love that Rip and Beth could not live without, the one worth chasing no matter what. As they’ve fallen in love, fans have been waiting on bated breath for their next romantic and sultry moment to play out on screen.
The two have experienced some of the highest highs together and the most heartbreaking lows as well, and we’re holding on to every word they share with one another. From music on the ranch to chasing wolves, we can’t get enough of their romance. While we wait (not so) patiently for the exciting fifth season, we’re looking back at the most romantic moments between Beth and Rip so far.
Rip and Beth’s “first” date
Beth and Rip have known each other since they were just kids, figuring out how to live life after being burned one too many times. They were young, wild, and anything but free. Their connection then was special, but it’s even more beautiful as they’ve grown up because they’re still fighting demons and finding solace in the bond they share.
While this first date wasn’t their actual first date, it counts because it’s different now. While she’s not taking a wrecking ball to the walls she’s built around her heart; this first date is where she begins to take them down — one by one.
It’s also a nod to the unfiltered love they share for one another, and she didn’t want a fancy dinner somewhere, nothing over the top. She wanted to drink, watch the wolves tear something apart, and throw herself into the middle of danger. Of course, Rip was happy to oblige and prepared to step in and save the day. Anything to make his woman happy, even if it is a little wild.
Beth calls Rip baby
This scene is one of the moments in Yellowstone where we see Rip let every single guard he’s ever held close to his heart down. He is John Dutton’s right-hand man; he has to be “on” all the time, ready for battle, and able to jump into a fight to save the Dutton family and the ranch they live on.
When Beth sits on his lap to give him a kiss, she calls him baby, and he immediately softens; he then asks her to say it again. When she asks him what exactly it is that he wants to be called, he gives her a look, and she softens too. Calling him baby was important to Rip; it was a moment when he allowed himself to be vulnerable and raw with her.
It was also something fans could not get enough of. Rip deserves a place to feel safe, too, and Beth gives him that.
Dancing at the ranch
This isn’t just one of the most romantic moments in Yellowstone history; it’s one of the most beautiful moments across entertainment as a whole.
The Yellowstone Dutton Ranch is breathtaking as it is, with the mountain ranges creating the perfect backdrop in every scene and sunrises/sets that steal your breath; it’s a stunning place to fall in love.
Rip upped the romance and took it from stunning to perfect when he turned on music loud enough to drown out the wildlife, placed Beth under a spotlight, and picked a song for them to share a romantic dance to. You can pause their big dance and see the moment when Beth finally realizes that it’s okay to rest in Rip, to place her troubles and her happiness safely in his hands — knowing he’ll protect her for the rest of their lives.
Rip doesn’t say those three little words
Rip and Beth have a lot of sacred moments on the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch when everyone else has turned in for the night. One of their “places” is on the roof with a blanket and a bottle, looking up at the stars. It’s something Beth could do every night of her life, as long as Rip was beside her.
During this specific night, Rip looks at her with the words “I love you” almost pouring out of his eyes, but Beth stops him. She tells him to save it, that it doesn’t mean anything under the stars; she wants to hear it when those words are going to save her.
The foreshadowing here is next level and something fans were so unaware of at the time. We didn’t realize that those three words would literally be a saving grace for Beth, but the way he stopped himself from saying it on this night; was further proof that he is willing to do anything for Beth.
Beth’s big proposal
Beth doesn’t do anything by the book. In fact, she’s all but written her own, and it’s as vulgar as it is exciting and a whole lot of fun. It’s also an ode to strength and power, a tale about overcoming even the worst heartache and making something beautiful out of it it.
Speaking of making something beautiful, Beth decided to propose to the man she loves more than anything, and the way she did it was perfect for the two of them. She sat waiting on a porch for Rip to get home, and it was a hell of a day for him. He had to drink a couple of beers before he could take a deep breath and give her the attention she deserved.
The entire time, she just sat looking up at him, reveling at the moment with the knowledge of what was about to happen. He took a seat next to her, and she pulled a small black box out of hiding. The look on his face was a mix of surprise and joy as she began the big moment.
“It means that you have me, that I’m yours. It means, Come live your life with me. The only thing I ask is that you outlive me so that I never have to live another day without you.”
If you got through that scene without crying, well, our hats are off to you.
Rip does say those three little words
(This video shows Beth after a brutal attack, please take care while watching or skip this one if it is an uncomfortable watch for you.)
This video is hard to watch, but it was a critical part of the romance between Rip and Beth. Beth knew that Rip’s love would save her, and it did right here at this moment. Beth had just survived a brutal attack thanks to Rip, and she was lost in a daze of pain, shock, and trauma.
She was screaming, afraid of any hands that touched her and her eyes were so swollen she couldn’t see. As Rip tried to console her, calm her enough to let her know that he was there, he said those words. He told Beth that he loved her at just the right moment. Once she realized that it was Rip who had her in his arms, she was able to take a necessary breath; she was able to be saved.
The rebuilding that happens for both Rip and Beth after the attack is a heart-wrenching but beautiful journey of vulnerability and trust.
The wedding
With a proposal like that, the wedding had to be something special; from the lengths Beth went to secure a priest to the big romantic kiss, it was the perfect wedding.
The backdrop was the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch; they got married next to the family home near a tree with her father, Lloyd, and Carter in attendance. Beth got the traditional walk towards Rip with her father at her side, and after giving her away, he stepped aside.
Their vows are short and sweet, perfect for the two of them; their eyes and expressions say it all anyway. They’re in love, they’re bonded in every way that exists already, and now they’re married in front of some of their favorite people.
They quickly steal away after the big kiss where they’re pronounced man and wife, and we’re sure their private celebration was the cherry on top of the cake. In a sweet moment, before he walked her towards Rip, John told Beth he wanted to “do this again” for her and to do it right. She promised him that he could, so while fans loved this sweet wedding, we’re crossing our fingers for the wedding John has always dreamed of for Beth and Rip, and we’ll need to stockpile some tissue in the meantime.
This spicy scene
Okay, so this might not be romantic in the traditional sense, but follow us here. Rip and Beth are lovers through and through; the romance they share, the love they’ve created — it’s what we all dream of. Rip and Beth are endgame, and they’re the epitome of two people in love.
The thing about love is that it’s not always perfect. In fact, there are times when the person you love most in the world can make you so angry you see red. In this spicy little scene, Rip and Beth have found themselves in the middle of a heated argument, and she’s got some strong language for the man she loves.
She loves him, and she reminds him of that, but she also uses everyone’s favorite f-word to let him know just how angry he’s made her. Our favorite couple is just adorable when they’re feeling romantic, but they’re a lot of fun when they’re saucy, too.
Here’s to Rip and Beth, to fire and passion, and a love that saves.
