Rodney Mathews became a fan favorite from his time on Season 18 of “The Bachelorette” and Season 8 of “Bachelor in Paradise.”
Rodney hard-launched his relationship with then-girlfriend Ari, and the two announced their engagement last year.
Last month, the couple officially tied the knot in an intimate ceremony and are now preparing for their larger wedding this month.
As they get ready to say “I do” in front of their loved ones, Ari is looking back and recalling when she first learned Rodney was part of Bachelor Nation.
Instagram / @nellelynnphoto
In a new video online, she said, “We met two and half years ago at a bar in Venice Beach on the west side, and we hit it off immediately. We were dancing, we were singing all night together. People were coming up to us like, ‘How long have you guys been together?’ and I was like, ‘Girl, I do not know this man.’”
Ari shared that her friend started recording her and Rodney that night and Ari later sent the videos to their friend group chat. They immediately recognized him from the Bachelor Nation shows and told her that they thought he was a perfect match for her.
Ari and Rodney hadn’t followed each other online yet and it wasn’t until their third date that the idea was brought up.
Ari agreed but first said, “Yeah, but we need to address the elephant in the room.” She then revealed they ended up talking about it and things quickly returned to normal.
Instagram / @sophiasavagephoto
“I think he had anxiety about how I would feel about him being on a show, and I think I definitely put that to rest because at this point I liked him so much I didn’t care what show he was on or if he was on a show or not,” she expressed. “If you would’ve told me that I would’ve dated someone who was on ‘The Bachelorette’ or any dating show at that point, I would’ve been like, ‘No way. There’s just no way.’ But I’m just so thankful for how that went down.”
Ari also shared the videos her friend took the night she and Rodney met, as well as the first text messages between the two of them in another post online.
She wrote, “Shoutout @Bachelor Nation LOL” and Rodney replied, “It’ll forever be my favorite love story 😍❤️”
So sweet! We can’t get enough of these two and their love, and we’re wishing Rodney and Ari a lifetime of happiness!
