Exciting year ahead!
Bachelor Nation fans saw Mari Pepin and Kenny Braasch find love and get engaged on Season 7 of “Bachelor in Paradise” last summer.
Now, the two are planning not one but two weddings for both of their hometowns, in Illinois and Puerto Rico.
The fan-favorite couple stopped by the “Click Bait with Bachelor Nation” podcast, where they opened up about their wedding planning and shared some advice for the new “Paradise” couples.
Mari discussed where they’re at in the planning process, saying, “We’ve seen some venues in Puerto Rico and have narrowed it down. We’re going to have a smaller family wedding there first and then we’ll do a big celebration with friends in Chicago afterwards. We’re looking at November of next year, and I think I know which venue I want to secure, but we need to have a final discussion about it.”
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Kenny chimed in and shared which venue he likes for their Puerto Rican wedding, saying, “The one venue that I like has donkeys and mini cows that walk around with drinks on them so you can grab a beer from one of them. That’s the venue that I want based only on that. That’s not the one that Mari wants necessarily, though.”
Mari shared what their dream wedding would look like in Puerto Rico, regardless of which venue they land on.
She said, “My dream wedding for us would be in Puerto Rico where I’m from with tropical flowers everywhere and lots of good Puerto Rican food. A giant cake is a must and our dogs have to be involved. I would also like to have a good variety of activities in Puerto Rico for the family to do together before and after the wedding.”
As for their Chicago wedding celebration, the couple is aiming for spring 2024 once it gets a bit warmer in Chicago.
Mari and Kenny also shared some advice for the couples coming off this season of “Bachelor in Paradise.”
Kenny shared words of wisdom, saying, “If you guys are going to make it work after you get off the show for real, you guys gotta get together your living situation. I just think if the distance goes on for too long, it’s gonna fall apart.”
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Mari said, “It was actually pretty easy for us after the show because our leases ended around the same time the following year. Both of us have jobs where we can work from home on our computers, so it was very easy for me to pick up and shift. I decided to come here because his businesses are rooted in Chicago and his whole family is here. I wasn’t tied to anything in Maryland, so it was easy for me to prioritize being together.”
Kenny chimed in, adding, “We got back in July and I moved in late February, so it was only seven months. And throughout that whole time, even when we were supposed to be in hiding, we were always visiting each other. I don’t think we went longer than two weeks without seeing each other.”
To hear more from Mari and Kenny, check out the full episode of “Click Bait with Bachelor Nation” below.
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