Yahoo Movies Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin's Relationship Timeline
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Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin shared one of the first kisses on season 7 of Bachelor in Paradise, and ended up being one of three couples to get engaged by the end of the popular reality show.
The pair met on the first day of filming and instantly hit off. During week 3, they hit a bump in the road and briefly parted ways, however, their time apart only made their connection stronger.
By the end of the season, both Braasch and Pepin had shared that they were in love with one another.
"I usually just say I'm happy being alone, but coming to Paradise and meeting you has changed the whole course of my life at this point," Braasch told Pepin in one of the final episodes. "It took me 40 years to find the love of my life, and it's worth the wait."
Braasch asked Pepin to marry him during the finale and she said "yes." While the couple doesn't have a date set yet, they are in the process of planning their wedding in Pepin's native Puerto Rico.
From their initial courtship to their temporary split and their engagement, here is a complete timeline of Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin's relationship.
August 16, 2021: Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin meet on Bachelor in Paradise
Bachelor in Paradise returned for its seventh season on Aug. 16, 2021, bringing in a slew of Bachelor Nation stars to find love. Braasch and Pepin were immediately drawn to one another on day one. They started the season with a bang, becoming one of the first couples to share a kiss during the first episode.
August 30, 2021: Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin end up in a love triangle
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Braasch and Pepin hit a rocky stage early on in their relationship during the third week. Pepin expressed her interest in dating other people while on the beach, saying, "Kenny has told me that he's very much, like, not interested in anyone else, but I also don't want to block myself from something else because at the end of this, you know, I'm here to find my person."
Braasch was upset by this and sensed that Pepin didn't feel as confident about their bond as he did. "Obviously, now, I'm going to back off," he said. "And why not just completely say it's done at this point."
The boy band manager then started spending time with Demi Burnett and a love triangle ensued.
September 7, 2021: Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin reconcile
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It didn't take long for Braasch and Pepin to reconcile and reignite their connection. The two were able to talk things out, with Braasch telling Pepin, "I'm not sure I ever felt this kind of feeling before."
"I would leave here today like, with you," Pepin said.
September 14, 2021: Mari Pepin reveals her biggest regret from BIP
During an appearance on the Click Bait podcast, Pepin spoke to the hosts about her decision to tell Braasch that she was open to getting to meet other people on the show, even after her initial connection with him. She explained that there "wasn't anyone in particular that I was waiting for" but she wanted to "be upfront and honest" in case that moment came.
"Looking back, I do see that I shot myself in the foot, and everything that happened as a result was because of the conversation that I decided to have with Kenny," she added. "So if I could go back and redo things, I probably wouldn't have had that conversation before anything happened."
September 21, 2021: Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin reveal they're "falling in love" with each other
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On the penultimate episode of the season and six weeks into filming, Braasch and Pepin both confessed that they were "falling in love" with each other. During a tender one-on-one moment by candlelight, the two had a candid conversation about their intentions for coming onto the show and their initial attraction to each other.
"I believe in what we have and I really do think that we're gonna be good after this," Pepin told Braasch, who agreed.
He said, "I mean, at the end of the day — I mean I don't know how you feel — but I do feel like I am falling in love with you."
"That's funny, because I'm falling in love with you too," Pepin added.
October 5, 2021: Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin get engaged
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During the season finale, Braasch popped the question in a romantic beachside proposal with a Neil Lane oval-shaped diamond ring.
"At the end of the day, we did go through a lot of real-life relationship stuff, and we were tested like no other couple in Paradise, I think," he told Pepin as he got down on one knee. "Even with all that being said, I still — I'm shaking, sorry — Mari, I am so f---ing in love with you and literally, like, I can't see my life without you. You're such an amazing woman that you changed my whole outlook on life and everything. Everything about you is just incredible. I can't imagine my life without you."
Pepin, of course, said "yes" and the couple exchanged their final roses.
October 8, 2021: Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin open up about temporary split and wedding plans
Kenny Braasch Instagram
Days after the season finale, Braasch spoke to PEOPLE about the couple's rough patch before their ultimate reconciliation. Braasch said that he didn't have "any regrets" of their temporary split, explaining, "There were a lot of things going on, but at the end of the day, everything that happened put us where we are right now. So it's all good."
At the time, Braasch and Pepin had started to consider what they wanted in terms of their wedding ceremony and plans. Pepin explained, "I have all my ideas of what I want for my wedding, but we haven't started planning anything solid yet. The only thing that we've agreed on so far is that we will get married in Puerto Rico."
November 2021: Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin celebrate Thanksgiving in Puerto Rico
Kenny Braasch Instagram
In November 2021, the couple celebrated their first Thanksgiving together, traveling to Puerto Rico — where Pepin lived until she was a teenager — to spend the holiday with her family. They documented the trip on their respective Instagram pages, sharing snaps from their getaway.
"So much to be thankful for this year," Pepin wrote in one of her posts, sharing a series of photos posing with Braasch as well as a snap with her family.
Though Braasch joked that Pepin had "dragged" him to Puerto Rico to spend the holiday with her family, he shared a series of sweet photos from their holiday together. "Had a great day yesterday w Mari's family @mari_pepin Although not thankful today for slamming shots w Papá," he wrote in the caption.
December 2021: Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin spend Christmas together
Kenny Braasch Instagram
After spending Thanksgiving with Pepin's family in Puerto Rico, the couple enjoyed Christmas in Chicago with Braasch's family. In the week leading up to the holiday, both Pepin and Braasch documented their Christmastime fun, which included several festive activities. They also had a couple's photoshoot donning matching green shirts in front of a fireplace.
On Christmas Day, they shared more photos from their Chicago celebration, both wearing their own version of a festive outfit. In his caption, Braasch simply wrote, "Feliz Navidad," while Pepin wrote in hers, "& to all a good night."
January 15, 2022: Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin enjoy a double date with fellow BIP couple
After the holidays, the couple were joined by fellow BIP season 7 alums Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt, who also got engaged on the show, for a date night in Chicago. The foursome were all smiles at a casual dinner and both Braasch and Pepin posted pictures from the double date on Instagram.
January 28, 2022: Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin move in together
Kenny Braasch Instagram
Braasch and Pepin started the new year off with a big change: moving in together. Pepin moved from Maryland to Chicago, where she and Braasch signed their first lease together. They announced the news on Instagram Stories alongside a photo of the couple smiling with a sticker that read "Life Update."
"@mari_pepin and I have signed the lease on a new apartment here in Chicago," Braasch wrote, before Pepin reposted it on her own story adding, "I can't wait to keep annoying you, and scaring you, and love you every day boo!"
February 12, 2022: Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin attend a local gala together
Kenny Braasch Instagram
Braasch and Pepin stepped out at the First Look for Charity black-tie gala at the Chicago Auto Show, which benefited the Special Olympics as well as several other local Chicago charities. While Braasch donned a classic suit with a bowtie, Pepin opted for a strapless white dress.
February 14, 2022: Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin celebrate their first Valentine's Day together
In another round of firsts for the couple, Feb. 14, 2022, marked Braasch and Pepin's first Valentine's Day together. On Instagram, the couple shared snaps from a photoshoot they had done together, both donning red shirts and black bottoms. In his caption, Braasch wrote, "Happy Valentines Day to my new roommate."
"Our first Valentine's Day♥️ (sort of) … ," Pepin captioned her post, explaining that their first Valentine's Day was not technically spent together. "Had a quick little photo sesh and some treats to commemorate the day, but we're actually not able to be together tonight."
April 21, 2022: Mari Pepin talks about future wedding to Kenny Braasch
During an appearance on the Talking it Out podcast hosted by Bachelor Nation's Mike Johnson and Bryan Abasolo, Pepin revealed that while she and Braasch haven't set a date yet for their nuptials, they were in complete agreement that the wedding would be held in Puerto Rico.
"I have a lot of extended family there — grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, everybody — so, we're all gonna meet up there in Puerto Rico," she explained, adding that they were certain about having a tropical theme for the occasion, keeping on par with the origins of their romance.
As for the venue, no official location has been picked out yet but the bride-to-be has it narrowed down to a few options. Pepin explained, "We haven't gone to see them all in person just yet. But I've seen the pictures online and I really want to do something outdoors for the ceremony and something indoors for the party."
June 2, 2022: Kenny Braasch reveals when he knew Mari Pepin was "the one"
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During his own solo appearance on the Talking It Out podcast, Braasch got candid about his prior dating history, explaining that he had gone a long stretch without being in a serious relationship and that he was perfectly content with living the single life. It wasn't until he got on The Bachelorette the first time that he considered opening himself up to a relationship and marriage.
He also spoke to Johnson and Abasolo about what initially drew him to Pepin and how he knew she was "the one," explaining, "I don't know, there's something about her that's just … it's weird because she's young — she's only 26 — but the way we are together, it feels like she's my age. It's hard to explain."
"To me, you need somebody that you can get along with and live with and be around all the time," he continued. "The weird thing is, we don't really fight. Previously, I always felt like a relationship just added more stress to my life and that's why I didn't want to be in one. But with Mari, there is no stress … We go out all the time, we see shows, we go to dinner — I never did any of that. I was always a homebody a lot prior. It just expanded and enhanced my life."
June 27, 2022: Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin celebrate their first anniversary
The couple celebrated their one-year anniversary with a set of posts on their respective Instagram feeds to mark the occasion.
Pepin shared a series of snaps from a couple's photoshoot, writing in the caption, "HOW has it been a year already?! I guess time flies when you're w the right person Still feeling just as lucky and in love as the day we left @bachelorinparadise together. Happy First Anniversary, I love you!"
Braasch shared multiple shots from their beachfront engagement, adding in the caption, "1 year ago today! Happy Anniversary @mari_pepin Love You!"
July 25, 2022: Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin adopt a dog
Mari Pepin Instagram
Braasch and Pepin pranked fans on Instagram when they shared a strip of black-and-white photos that looked eerily similar to sonogram pictures. "IT'S A BOY!!!" the couple wrote in the caption, revealing that the photos were actually of the dog they adopted together.
"After a bunch of adoption applications and pre-naming every pup we applied for just on the chance that we'd get to be their new pawrents, our lil family is now bigger by 4 legs and a wiggly little tail," the caption read. "Everyone, meet our new baby, Eleven! (IYKYK) - we're not set on his name yet tho, so give us your suggestions too!"
August 1, 2022: Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin attend Lollapalooza together
Mari Pepin Instagram
Pepin was introduced to the iconic Chicago music festival when she and Braasch attended Lollapalooza. On Instagram, she shared a series of photos from the event, writing in the caption, "Wow!!! What a freakin' weekend! My FIRST LOLLA was unforgettable!!! Met up with some old friends, made some new ones, and had the best time w the LOML."
August 7, 2022: Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin appear on Celebrity Family Feud
Kenny Braasch Instagram
Bachelor Nation and Celebrity Family Feud collided in 2022, with several former cast members of the franchise's various series coming together for a round of the classic game show. Pepin shared some behind-the-scenes snaps on Instagram in March 2022 when the episode was filmed, writing, "Can't believe I actually got to go on @familyfeudabc!!! It's my absolute favorite game show and I've always said I wanted to be on it one day."
August 27, 2022: Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin travel to Toronto to attend Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt's engagement party
Braasch and Pepin took their relationship international when they headed to Toronto to attend Amabile and Pitt's engagement party. They both shared posts on Instagram alongside fellow Bachelor Nation members dressed to the nines for the occasion.
"Quick road trip to Toronto for Serena & Joe's engagement party," Braasch wrote in the caption of his post. "Then we made Moynes buy us breakfast on the way out of Canada."
September 16, 2022: Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin are guests on the Dear Shandy podcast
Braasch and Pepin played "The Newlywed Game" on the Dear Shandy podcast. The hosts asked the couple to reveal their pet peeves about one another.
"Her chewing an apple," Braasch said. "It's bad. One time it was a pear." Pepin, however, thought his pet peeve would be the fact that she doesn't "put clothes away right away."
When it was Pepin's turn to answer, she said: "Metal on the pans." Braasch wasn't surprised but thought leaving the toilet seat up was more of a dealbreaker.
November 7, 2022: Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin attend Bachelor in Paradise party
The couple attended Bachelor in Paradise's season 8 press party in Los Angeles. They were joined by fellow BIP alums and newlyweds Pitt and Amabile.
Pepin stunned in an orange halter dress, while Braasch coordinated in an orange t-shirt that he paired with a black bomber jacket.
"@kennybraasch10 and I had a great time in LA for the @bachelorinparadise Press Party!" Pepin captioned a carousel of images on Instagram.
January 4, 2023: Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin share details about their upcoming wedding
Shortly after the New Year, Braasch and Pepin launched an Instagram series titled "Wedding Wednesday," as a way to share the wedding planning process with their followers. In November 2023, the couple will have two ceremonies — one in Chicago and one in Puerto Rico.
During the first episode, Braasch and Pepin shared that their first dance will be to Foreigner's "I Wanna Know What Love Is." The pair first danced to the song while filming Bachelor in Paradise. In another episode, the couple decided to travel to the Maldives for their honeymoon.
