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Season 7 “Bachelor in Paradise” lovebirds Mari Pepin and Kenny Braasch are officially married. The couple decided to have two wedding celebrations, and the first just happened with Pepin’s extended family.
Here’s what you need to know:
Kenny Braasch & Marie Pepin Wed in Puerto Rico
People revealed the first official photos from Braasch and Pepin’s wedding in Puerto Rico. The “Bachelor in Paradise” stars tied the knot on November 11 in front of 65 loved ones. They chose the Hacienda Don Carmelo in Vega Baja for the event.
The couple wanted their initial wedding to be “more intimate” than what they would experience with a big event. Pepin felt a destination wedding would be “smaller, easier to manage.” In addition, the fact it was where many of her extended family members live was a big bonus.
Two special attendees at Pepin and Braasch’s wedding were their two dogs, Monster and Dice. “We definitely wanted to have our dogs included, so they flew out here with us,” the bride shared. She admitted, “That was a bit of an adventure.”
The ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ Stars Chose a Special Date
November 11 as a wedding date held a lot of special meaning to Pepin. She told People, “I believe in signs and numbers, and so 11/11 is obviously seen as a special number and it means good things.”
Not only that, but the “Bachelor in Paradise” couple’s wedding day fell on Veteran’s Day, which is also meaningful to Pepin. She noted her father is a veteran who served for 25 years, and this was an opportunity to honor that.
Unfortunately, Pepin shared, “He hasn’t had the best association or memories with Veteran’s Day, so hopefully this year we’ll change that and for Veterans Days moving forward.”
The couple’s wedding was officiated by Braasch’s sister, and both Pepin and Braasch wrote their own vows.
Pepin Knows Braasch Is the One for Her
Pepin wore two different Justin Alexander gowns for her wedding. One, she wore for the ceremony, then she changed into another for the reception. “I went and tried on dresses and I ended up going complete opposite of what I thought I was going to have,” she noted. She wore custom earrings from Gage Diamonds as well.
A DJ played throughout the reception, and in a fun nod to “Bachelor in Paradise,” their first dance was to “I Want to Know What Love Is” by Foreigner. Fans may remember Braasch and Pepin enjoying a “Bachelor in Paradise” event during their season that was an 80s-themed prom.
A local bakery created Pepin and Braasch’s wedding cake, which was chocolate with a dulce de leche filling. The bride worked on a lot of projects for the nuptials herself, including working with her bridesmaids to put all the flowers together.
As she planned her wedding, Pepin realized the wedding day wasn’t the most important part of getting married. “The important part is actually finding a person that you want to spend the rest of your life with and that you get along so well with,” she shared.
Pepin added that it wasn’t until Braasch came along that she knew she had found what she was looking for in a forever partner. She joked, “There’s no more trying to figure out if some guy is playing games, this is it. It’s locked down.”
The “Bachelor in Paradise” stars will not go on a big honeymoon right away. Instead, they hope to do something in 2024, and they are considering a cruise in Europe.
In addition, the couple previously told ET Online they would throw a big second wedding celebration in Chicago, Illinois, where they live. That event will have lots of Bachelor Nation friends, whereas the Puerto Rico wedding was a smaller guest list of their closest friends and family members.
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