Before they found love on Bachelor in Paradise, Carly Waddell, 31, and Evan Bass, 34, were contestants on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette (it’s kind of a requirement, after all)! Carly was a contestant on season 19 of The Bachelor franchise, and tried to find love with Chris Soules. She was eliminated in Week 7 (fifth place), and although she was heartbroken, she continued her journey on the second season of Bachelor in Paradise. From the very first episode, Carly connected with Kirk DeWindt, and they were one of the surefire couples week after week. However, while Carly felt she was on the fast track to an engagement, Kirk got cold feet just before it was time to think about proposing, leaving her heartbroken in paradise. Meanwhile, Evan tried to find love with JoJo Fletcher on season 13 of The Bachelorette, but was eliminated during Week 5.
This brought both single reality stars to Mexico for the third season of Bachelor in Paradise in summer 2016. Evan had a crush on Carly from the very beginning, and they even kissed during the second episode….but she was so NOT into it. In fact, she wasn’t shy at ALL about being super grossed out by the lip lock. The next week, she revealed to him that she was only interested in being friends. However, with a shortage of guys around that she was interested in, she gave her rose to Evan during episode 4 so they could both stay in Paradise, which is when things finally took a turn for the better.
Evan started to not feel well during the next episode, and it was Carly who was tasked with keeping an eye on him and eventually accompanying him to the hospital. At this point, she finally started to warm up to him and see him in a different light. They continued to get to know each other over the next few episodes, and in the finale, she accepted his proposal. Since Evan has three kids, it only made sense for Carly to pack her bags and move to Nashville with him, and they’ve been blissfully happy ever since!
Now, Carly and Evan are finally tying the knot, and despite the recent Bachelor in Paradise drama, ABC reportedly still plans to air their wedding in August. Click through the gallery above for a complete timeline of the romance!
HollywoodLifers, are you excited that Carly and Evan are tying the knot? Leave your congratulatory messages in the comments section below!