It might not be the most convenient way to find love, but it is certainly one of the most entertaining ways to do it! Bachelor in Paradise is the Bachelor/Bachelorette spinoff where individuals previously unsuccessful on the show, get a second chance at love—in paradise. The individuals head off to beautiful Mexico to see if this time they can find their happily ever after.
The show has been matchmaking since 2014, and as it rounds its seventh season, it’s interesting to note that many of the couples formed on the show are actually still together! While reality TV elimination-style dating might not seem the most traditional of choices in finding a partner, it might be fairly effective! Check out who has transformed this unusual meet-cute scenario into a lifelong partnership.
Jade Roper and Tanner Tolbert, season two
Jade Roper and Tanner Tolbert are the original Bachelor in Paradise dream team. They found love in season two and have been together ever since! They currently are the proud parents to three little ones Emmy (born 2017), Brooks (born 2019), and little Reed (born 2020.)
The two seem happier than ever, and when asked if Jade is expecting to add to their little family, she reported to Bachelor Nation that she can definitely see them being a family of six. However, she added that it’s hard to imagine their youngest, Reed, not being the baby, so she goes back and forth quite a bit. Unfortunately, Roper revealed she did suffer a miscarriage in August of 2023. Whether the couple will continue to try to expand or not is uncertain, but by all reports, the family of five is a happy, healthy, and thriving little group.
Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon, season two
They say better late than never, and for this couple, that saying certainly holds true. Although these two met on Bachelor in Paradise season two, it would be a few years before they finally made it down the aisle. In the season, Jared rejects Ashley after she pursues him, telling her the feelings weren’t mutual. The two parted ways and both left the season single! They then both made appearances in season three and tried to move on with other people, but ultimately those relationships didn’t last.
Ashley went on Bachelor: Winter Games and began dating Kevin Windt, but they ultimately parted ways. Jared went on Bachelor in Paradise: Australia but his search was unsuccessful. Then finally, finally in 2018, Jared admitted feelings for Ashley, and after breaking up with Kevin, she returned the sentiment. The two started dating in 2018 and married in 2019. They announced their pregnancy with a baby boy in 2021 and welcomed their son Dawson in 2022. It might have not been the straightest of paths, but love found a way.
Raven Gates and Adam Gottschalk, season three
Raven and Adam are another great example of how slow and steady wins the race. These two met on Bachelor in Paradise season four but did not get engaged on the show. They felt they needed more time to get to know each other, so they continued their relationship without rings or cameras after the finale. Which seemed to work—as the couple got engaged less than two years later.
Unfortunately, the pandemic put a hold on their wedding day plans and they ended up having to plan and reschedule their wedding four separate times! Just before giving up on the whole thing and eloping, the wedding plan for number four solidified, and the couple tied the knot. Then, they announced a honeymoon baby was on the way, and they welcomed a son, Gates, in January of 2022. Baby number 2—another son named Max—quickly followed in July 2023.
Kevin Wendt and Astrid Loch, season five
Kevin Wendt and Astrid Loch met on Bachelor in Paradise season five, but they also parted ways that season. Kevin ended their relationship and left Astrid heartbroken and alone. But Kevin immediately realized the error of his ways and reached out to her after the show, admitting his mistake. Astrid accepted his apology and the two got back together. A year later Kevin popped the question, and Astrid said yes.
The two now live in Canada and welcomed a son, August, in 2021. The couple hasn’t officially tied the knot yet, with the arrival of their son and all, but are set to do so soon. In February 2023, they announced their second child. Oh, and if Kevin’s name sounds familiar, it is because he was also paired during Bachelor: Winter Games with previously mentioned Ashley Iaconetti. The couple ultimately went their separate ways but found love in other places. So, all’s well that ends well, we guess.
Hannah Godwin and Dylan Barbour, season six
Hannah Goodwin and Dylan Barbour are a match made in quirkiness. The two found each other on Bachelor in Paradise season six, got engaged in the finale, and have been in their own lovers’ paradise ever since. Covid initially put a damper on their wedding plans, but they announced in May of 2022 that wedding planning had officially commenced and the nuptials were back on.
They currently live together in a San Diego home and tied the knot in a romantic Paris ceremony in August 2023.
Dean Unglert and Caelynn-Miller Keyes, season six
An odd pairing to be sure, but somehow, a still successful one—Dean and Caelynn have been together since their season six introduction. Even Caelynn herself admitted to US Magazine that she was surprised that they were doing as well as they were, saying they “definitely defied the odds.” During the season, Dean had actually ended things with Caelynn but came in with a grand gesture to reclaim her love right before the finale.
The couple lives together in a home right outside of Las Vegas and announced their engagement in October of 2022. Their wedding is forthcoming.
Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin, season seven
These two might have taken a while to get to the starting gate of their relationship, but they hit the finish line pretty quickly. During her season seven appearance, Mari said that she wanted to “keep her options open” as she dated around. Yet before long, she just couldn’t deny her feelings for quirky Kenny Braasch any longer and the two began their relationship. The season ended with a Neil Lane diamond given to Mari during the finale by a nervous Kenny on one knee.
The two just welcomed their first fur baby, Eleven, with a cute Instagram announcement. The two live together in Chicago and are set to tie the knot in November 2023.
Thomas Jacobs and Becca Kufrin, season seven
It was a sad day in Bachelor Nation when Becca called things off with Thomas during season seven. Although two failed engagements made her hesitancy understandable, fans weren’t counting these two out yet, and with good reason. Soon, it was revealed that the duo had rekindled their romance post-finale! They were initially tight-lipped on exactly when things started up again, but it wasn’t long before what Becca called ‘the ultimate plot twist’ revealed the two were engaged!
Their Instagram announcement revealed Becca had been the one to pop the question. Could it get any cuter? These two certainly turned the tables on the haters and on social norms! After buying a home to share with their fur babies, they recently announced a human baby is on the way. Becca recently announced she was pregnant with a baby boy.
Chris Conran and Alana Milne, season seven
Chris and Alana were quite the controversial couple during season seven. Many of their costars (and fans) thought the two had preplanned their relationship as many of their moments seemed too good to be true, a little too picture-perfect, one might say. The two vehemently denied the allegations but still left the beach separately under pressure from their costars.
But in 2021, the couple announced they were giving their relationship a real shot, away from cameras, castmates, and producers. The two have moved in together, and while there are no wedding announcements just yet, they seem like they couldn’t be happier. If they were faking it for the cameras then they were certainly playing the long game. The cameras are gone, it’s been two years, and their relationship is still standing. In fact, they recently added a new fur baby to their family, a Corgi puppy named “Whiskey.”
Pieper James and Brendan Morais, season seven
Speaking of pre-planned romance, these two actually were dating before the season began! But Brendan, who came to the island first, struck up a romance with someone else, Natasha Parker. It was, however, short-lived, because as soon as Pieper set one toe on the island, these two became inseparable. But their courtship was not without consequences, as fan and costar backlash came hard and fast.
The couple’s comments about gaining Instagram fame from the show and Brendan’s careless treatment of Natasha’s feelings didn’t exactly win them any points. The duo felt the pressure both on and off camera and things got fairly rocky for a minute. Pieper reported to The Bachelor Happy Hour podcast, “We were working on ourselves and each other and we’re focusing on being a couple before taking that public because this isn’t an easy thing to go through.” Yet it seems they were able to work through their behind-the-scenes discord and their relationship continues to this day.
Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt, season seven
These two lovebirds got engaged at the end of season seven, but at one point during the show, there was one additional bird in the nest. Joe’s ex, Kendall Long, made a surprise appearance. But the couple didn’t let it faze them, and the way Serena handled it apparently endeared her even more to Joe, as he revealed on the show’s finale. The pair officially tied the knot in a courthouse ceremony in October of 2022 and again in September of 2023 in Charleston, South Carolina in an event their friends and family could attend. No baby bumps just yet, but with their new nuptials we doubt one will be far behind.
Noah Erb and Abigail Heringer, season seven
While these two didn’t make it off the beach together, they did make it in the real world. Following the season finale, the couple realized what they were missing out on and reached out to each other. Before they knew it, they were back together and living their best lives. Although they initially made it clear that they were taking things slowly, the couple finally announced their engagement in August 2023.
Eight seasons down, and—for some of these couples—eternity to go. Yet for the ones who didn’t make it to “I do” or find their partner in paradise, maybe they will get their second (or third) chance at love as Bachelor in Paradise returns for season nine, on September 28th, 2023.
Published: Sep 23, 2023 01:58 pm