A Bachelor Nation success story! Raven Gates and Adam Gottschalk are one of the few couples to survive life after Bachelor in Paradise — and they finally tied the knot after several pandemic-related delays.
“I’ve replanned the wedding three times now,” Gates told Us Weekly exclusively in August 2020, adding that at one point she’d “totally stopped” the planning process because of the coronavirus crisis. “I told Adam by December of this year, if there is no end in sight, we’re just going to elope and get married by ourselves. In our house. And if there is a light at the end of the tunnel by December, then we’ll schedule this wedding for the fourth time.”
Apparently, the fourth time was the charm. The wedding took place in April 2021 after being originally scheduled for May 2020. “Nine more days until I’m Mrs Gottschalk,” the Grey Suede owner wrote on Instagram shortly before walking down the aisle. “Just me. You. And our family. I can’t wait! Life is more fun with you — and we’re just beginning.”
The couple met in 2017 while filming season 4 of BiP, and though their love lasted through the finale, Gottschalk pointedly did not propose on the show. At the time they were living in different cities and felt they needed more time together for their relationship to grow. “He promised me a really big ring!” Gates joked shortly after the finale aired, adding that they didn’t feel “any pressure” from producers to get engaged during the episode.
Just under two years later, they announced their engagement via Instagram with a series of photos that showed the couple looking deliriously in love. “I’m keeping you forever and for always,” the Arkansas native captioned the pictures, which also showed off her sparkly ring. “We will be together all of our days.”
In the long run-up to the wedding, the pair had plenty of time to think about the next step: children. “I have baby fever, but Adam has extreme baby fever,” Gates told Us in August 2020, noting that it would be “totally fine” if they got pregnant by accident. “He is ready.”
Before expanding their family, they focused on what they expected to be a “super emotional” ceremony held at the Olana in Dallas. As Gottschalk put it while captioning a video tour of the venue in March 2021, “Navigating our wedding during Covid has been one helluva test, but let me tell you we are ready!”
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Scroll down to relive Gates and Gottschalk’s Bachelor Nation success story: