Heavy Engagement photo
Chandler Massey is engaged! The “Days of Our Lives” alum and Hallmark Channel star has proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Stephanie Bennett. But in an unexpected move, she returned the favor, asking for his hand in marriage during their engagement photo shoot and giving him a ring, according to Soaps In Depth.
Though it’s not known when the couple plans to marry, Massey may have picked up some planning advice on the set of his latest movie, “The Professional Bridesmaid,” premiering on April 8, 2023. The film is about a young woman — played by fellow soap opera alum Hunter King– who is hired by brides to join their wedding party because she has all the necessary tricks up her sleeve to make sure the wedding day runs smoothly. But she has to hide her identity from a reporter, played by Massey, covering one of the weddings.
After their real-life wedding, Massey and Bennett are likely to settle down far from the spotlight, given that both have full-time jobs in Georgia and have just purchased a home together. Here’s what you need to know:
Inside Chandler Massey & Stephanie Bennett’s Engagement Shoot
On March 22, 2023, Atlanta photographer Kim Hayes uploaded a series of engagement photos she took of Massey and Bennett in a wooded setting, sitting in the grass and leaning against a tree.
In her Instagram Stories, Hayes wrote, “Love is in the air! Bring on all the spring vibes! These two love birds were down with all my ideas! Congratulations💍”
The engagement shoot also included a surprise proposal, according to Soaps In Depth. When some fans questioned why Massey already looks to be wearing a ring on the fourth finger of his left hand, Hynes assured them it didn’t mean the couple is married. Rather, it was because Bennett proposed to Massey during the photo shoot.
In a since-deleted Instagram Story, Hynes wrote, “Oh, and she proposed tonight! If you see a ring on his finger, that’s why! He proposed to her previously and she wanted to surprise him!”
Massey told Digital Journal in March that he was relieved Bennett accepted his proposal.
“I was very excited about it,” he said. “Obviously, I was nervous, but happy that she said yes.”
Bennett has previously shared that she met Massey in a grocery store parking lot in the spring of 2021. On April 15, 2022, she shared an Instagram video of special momenets together during the previous year.
She wrote, “Our first annual reminder that sometimes meeting someone in a Publix parking lot can end up being the best thing that has ever happened to you”
When someone wrote, “*starts going to Publix instead of trader joes*” Bennett jokingly replied, “it’ll either be your future husband or a serial killer but I’d say it’s worth rolling the dice”
Though Massey no longer has a public Instagram account, Soap Opera News reported that in August 2021, he posted a photo of himself with Bennett and wrote, “To the girl who befriends stray cats, bats 1.000, administers facials, and bakes: I love you.”
Chandler Massey & Stephanie Bennett Like to Live Away From the Spotlight
Massey moved from Atlanta to Los Angeles for college in 2009 and landed his long-running role as Will Horton on NBC’s “Days Of Our Lives” just one semester into his freshman year at UCLA, according to Soap Central. He won three Daytime Emmys for the role but his character has appeared less frequently in recent years. The show announced his exit in 2020, but he was back on set in 2022, filming new episodes. In February 2023, NBC announced he and several others had been cut from the show again.
That’s precisely why Massey has a backup plan. When he isn’t acting, he works full-time as a Data Visualization Specialist for a healthcare company in Georgia, according to LinkedIn. In May 2022, while promoting his Hallmark movie with Aimeé Teegarden, “Heart of the Matter,” he told Soap Opera Network that he likes having a “stable” job since he’s not sure when or how often acting gigs will appear.
“I think it’s nice that I have a stable day job because opportunities like this one kind of came out of nowhere,” he said. “It’s hard to predict what I’ll be doing six months from now.”
He also told Soap Opera Digest in 2022 that he builds up paid-time-off for acting jobs and sometimes does “double duty,” getting up early on location to attend virtual meetings or do some of his data work. But that’s the way he likes it.
“I’m someone who needs to be challenged to be happy,” he told the outlet. “Data science is obviously incredibly challenging to me. I feel like I’m learning new things every day. So I’m very happy.”
Meanwhile, Bennett works as a real estate broker in the Atlanta area and the couple just got their first home together. Massey told Digital Journal he’d call his current chapter “The Domestic Life,” adding, “I just bought a condo and I moved in with my fiancée.”
“The Professional Bridesmaid” premieres on Hallmark Channel on April 8 at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.