Reality TV
The Bachelor In Paradise Cast Had Very Little Time To Make Proposal Decisions
Season 9 filmed in Mexico this summer.
When “The Men Tell All” episode of Charity Lawson’s Bachelorette season aired on Aug. 14, fans learned that ABC had already filmed Season 9 of Bachelor in Paradise — and it would include some of Charity’s exes. Host Jesse Palmer played a clip from the upcoming season, featuring Brayden Bowers lounging seaside with a member of Zach Shallcross’ Bachelor run, Kat Izzo.
Exactly when did the new BiP season film, though? According to Reality Steve’s podcast, cameras were rolling in Mexico from June 6 to roughly June 23. (The production timeline was shorter than usual.)
Bachelor Nation did some quick calculations: The couples had two and a half weeks to get to know each other before deciding whether to get engaged. And since not all the singles enter Paradise at once, some had less time to make up their minds about a lifelong commitment.
Even so, one couple seemingly gets married before BiP ends. In a clip from the Season 9 trailer, Palmer appears to serve as a wedding officiant, saying, “I now pronounce you man and wife.”
But early BiP spoilers suggest that the nuptials were actually between previous BiP cast members, not a Season 9 couple. Reality Steve reports that Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin, who got engaged in Season 7, exchange vows on camera.
Indeed, Kenny and Mari shared they’re getting married in Puerto Rico this November, with another Chicago ceremony to follow in early 2024. “Our Puerto Rican wedding is going to be a little bit smaller with family,” Kenny said to Bachelor Nation in November 2022. “Then we’ll do something in Chicago party-wise after. It will be a celebration.”
Reality Steve suspects that the couple likely participated in an on-camera ceremony as a favor to the production team, since they already have two “real” weddings planned.
Fortunately, that doesn’t entirely rule out a Season 9 engagement. A fan-recorded video, which Reality Steve says was posted to social media days after BiP wrapped filming, teased a happier outcome for Aaron Bryant than he had with Charity.
Either way, Palmer hinted that fans should expect the unexpected. “I bet there are some couples that nobody saw coming, that no one will be able to connect in the beginning,” he told E!
