Chris Randone and Krystal Nielson met on Bachelor in Paradise in 2018. Now, the couple is explaining why they returned to Mexico — and TV — for their wedding.
The sales rep, 31, and yoga instructor, 31, took to Instagram on August 27 to reveal why they decided to film their wedding for TV. The couple’s nuptials aired on the Tuesday, August 27, episode of Paradise season 6.
“Deciding to have a televised wedding wasn’t an easy decision for us,” Nielson captioned a photo of her and Randone at the altar. “Fears from the past surfaced where we cracked under pressure and weren’t able to show our best selves.”
She continued, “Those times were the darkest and scariest moments we’ve ever had. But we decided that we wouldn’t let fear dictate our future anymore.. because we have each other and have learned to trust in one another. We learned that our struggles and failures were actually the best opportunities for us to evolve and grow into better people.”
The Bachelor alum ended her post by thanking Paradise for bringing her and her love together.
“Your past doesn’t have to define you,” she wrote. “It’s just a step on your journey to finding happiness.💝 Thank you @bachelorinparadise for introducing us, supporting us and teaching us that LOVE DOES EXIST when you open your heart and take a chance.✨”
Randone, for his part, also shouted out ABC and Paradise viewers for their support.
“Before we begin this beautiful wedding, is [sic] just like to thank everyone who took time out of their busy lives to come and celebrate.” he captioned a photo of Nielson smashing a wedding cake into his face. “I’d like to thank ABC for supporting our relationship since we got engaged in paradise with always being there for us every single day.”
The reality star also thanked the franchise’s host, Chris Harrison, for officiating, as well as his wife’s fellow Bachelor alums, Becca Kufrin (who was the Bachelorette of Randone’s season) and Tia Booth for their open-mindedness about the couple’s relationship.
“To Chris for officiating and putting your trust into us to make this beautiful wedding happen,” he wrote. “To Becca & Tia, thank you for supporting and being there knowing we didn’t have some good moments in the past but to move forward and show you’re [sic] support just shows the type of women you are.”
Randone and Nielson were one of two couples who got engaged on the finale of Paradise season 5, along with Jordan Kimball and Jenna Cooper, who split soon after the episode aired. The couple wed in June on the beach in Sayulita, Mexico, where they first met. The ceremony was attended by Bachelor Nation favorites like Ben Higgins, Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon.
The pair told Us Weekly earlier this month that they’re ready to try for a baby in 2020.
“She let it be known that she’s off birth control, and I didn’t know that,” Randone said.
Nielson added, “We’re going to spend the rest of the year just detoxing, putting good stuff in our body. We want to start trying for a family at the beginning of the year. So we’re just using the rest of the year to … get situated get our new home [and] take our honeymoon.”
Bachelor in Paradise airs on ABC Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
