It almost goes without saying that “Bachelor In Paradise‘s” Mari Pepin-Solis and Kenny Braasch have long moved on from their early days of cake-fueled fights!
The duo is one of the few couples remaining from last year’s season of “Bachelor In Paradise,” and has also just crossed off another special milestone! The pair recently celebrated their first anniversary together.
Pepin- Solis and Braasch’s ‘will they or won’t they’ relationship which blossomed on ‘BiP’s signature beach locale in Mexico, ended in an engagement! Despite the fact it took a few dates with different ladies for the groom-to-be to realize he only had eyes for 26-year-old Pepin-Solis.
The couple has been candid about their slow-burn road to romance. Braasch was honest when he revealed to Us Weekly it became clear he had wanted to propose to Pepin-Solis after going on a date with fellow ‘BiP’ contestant, Tia Booth.
“It was quite a few days before the engagement thing,” he told the publication. “That had sort of got the ball rolling in that direction.”
Celebrating Forever: The Pair Celebrate Their First Anniversary
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Pepin-Solis penned a sweet love letter to her fiancé on Instagram for their anniversary.
“HOW has it been a year already?!,” she began in her celebratory post, “I guess time flies when you’re w[ith] the right person! Still feeling just as lucky and in love as the day we left ‘Bachelor In Paradise’ together. Happy first anniversary, I love you!,” she wished her beau.
Braasch also commemorated their big day with an Instagram post. He shared the moment he popped the question on one knee.
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“1 year ago today,” he wrote in the photo’s caption, “Happy anniversary, @mari_pepin! Love you!”
Zac Clark, who was formerly engaged to ‘Bachelorette’ Tayshia Adams, sent his well wishes to the happy couple.
“Love it bro,” he commented on Braasch’s photo.
Remember THAT Cake Incident?
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The story of Braasch and Pepin-Solis’ beachside courtship would not be complete without mentioning his 40th birthday, which would soon be remembered as the birthday where Pepin-Solis tossed his birthday cake, which had been a gift from fellow beach babe Demi Burnett, fireside!
Pepin-Solis was reacting to the news Braasch had been intimate with Burnett. According to Us Weekly, Pepin-Solis had previously spilled the then-current state of her beach union to Burnett prior to Braasch’s ‘boom boom room’ session with Burnett.
Pepin-Solis brought some more insight into the situation during a podcast interview with Bachelor Nation’s “Click Bait.”
“I wanted to do a birthday party, I wanted to do a cake,” she shared, of her plans to lighten Braasch’s quarantine birthday. “Now whether or not Demi knew this or not is- obviously, there is production involved in that element,” she said. “But the whole thing was my idea. And so to see her come down with the cake and to do this whole birthday celebration that I wanted to do and was planning to do, that’s what sent me over the edge, and that’s what said, ‘Alright, this cake in the fire.'”
What’s Next For These Lovebirds?
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Nearly a year after the caked-out moment became a memorable part of “Bachelor In Paradise’s” history, the couple has obviously said ‘I don’t’ to holding any grudges from the moment, and are now saying ‘I do’ to planning their big day!
The bride-to-be told People magazine earlier this year that she and Braasch had “agreed we were going to do it in Puerto Rico, definitely. I have a lot of extended family there- grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, everybody- so we’re all going to meet up there in Puerto Rico.”
The couple have yet to set a definitive date for their wedding day, but there’s no doubt the duo will share their blissful news with their fans in Bachelor Nation!
