February 11, 2025 • 22 mins
Michelle is a bachelorette no more! She's here to spill all the details on her upcoming wedding to Jack Leius including teasing the date, location and where she's at picking out the coveted gown.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast
with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Welcome to another episode of the Almost Famous Podcast. Today
we have Michelle Young here. She's been engaged since we
last talked to her. Hey Michelle, Hello, how are you
doing good. So we were reporting on your engagement in December,
but you guys got engaged a significant amount of time
before that, right.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Yeah, we got engaged in October and we're able to
just kind of enjoy it and keep this secret for
a little bit, which was really nice. Not something that
we expected, just because it was outside and there's some
people that sawce who were like, let's hope that they
just let us announce it, but they did, so, yeah,
it was. It happened in October, and we didn't announce
(00:48):
until like end of December, early January, and it's just
been wedding planning chaos. It's been great though.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
Oh that's so nice.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Okay, So I'm assuming you just did it so that
you can privately enjoy the engagement before anybody else knew knew?
Did you tell your family and your friends right away?
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Yeah, So we had Jack set up a little bit
of an engagement party right afterwards, and so we were
able to have like an intimate gathering with family and
friends and tell some people, and then we got on
the phone with some other like family members that were
out of state, and so people who were really close
to us knew. But we were careful to like not
(01:26):
let it get too big, just because then you know,
something happens, it slips up. We want to be the
one to be able to stay, and we just wanted
to enjoy it for a little bit. And you know,
once you kind of announced something like that, I think
all these like questions and full blown like planning and
all this other stuff comes into play. So we're like,
let's just take a breath and enjoy the holidays and everything.
(01:50):
And then well as afterwards.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
I think that's a good decision because, yeah, you immediately
get asked about planning and you're like, are you guys crazy?
Speaker 4 (01:59):
It just happened.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Now that you've been engaged, well twice because of the show.
How do two engagements compare?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
They don't compare?
Speaker 4 (02:10):
Okay, everything about those feelings.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Yeah, I think that we just I've talked about this before,
but Jack, he just calms my nervous system so much,
and he really puts my anxiety at Bay and so
I just feel like with him, I'm able to. I know,
social media has seen a little bit more of like
my goofy side and all these different sides that have
(02:34):
always been there, but I think just there's always so
much going on, and so it's been really nice to
just fully feel so comfortable in a relationship and so
accepted and so loved. And he just is somebody who's
always going to stick around. And I don't know, I
can't when you're in a healthy relationship after you've been
(02:56):
in not so healthy relationships, it's hard to expec Lane
because I always said, oh, it's just a feeling, it's
just a feeling. There's times where I thought I had
that feeling before, and I'm like, oh, this is what
it's supposed to feel like, Like this is what I
actually like a healthy relationship feels like and how it operates.
And so we just have, I don't know, a really
great system, really great communication, and he's just he's just
(03:20):
such a jump. I don't know how the hell I
found him in Minnesota, I really don't, but if anyone
could get to know him, he's like literally a lovely man.
He's so wonderful Oh.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
That's so nice.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Would you think that your relationship with Nate during the
show do you think it was healthy during filming? Do
you think that it's a place that anybody can find
a relationship that they really know is going to work
out because you only know them for eight weeks and
in a secluded environment.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
I mean, I think anything is possible. So you see,
you do see successful relationships. Yeah, I would be lying
if I didn't say I really thought. I had watched
prior leads go into the show and like maybe they
didn't ask the correct questions to really get to know somebody.
So when I was stepping into the lead, I really thought, oh,
I'm going to ask the questions, whether it's like during
fantasy suites or doing it's like dates and things like that,
(04:12):
I'm going to ask the right questions so that I
can fully know somebody. And then, as you know, you
get out of it and go through what I guess
what I went through. I did have this like shattering
moment where I'm like, holy shit, you do not know
because you have to watch people go through a certain
amount of life, like people pass away, you navigate through
(04:35):
death together, you navigate through sickness, together, you navigate through
social media together. There's so many different things that you
navigate through together that you can kind of attempt to
ask questions and see during that period of time getting
to know each other. But you truly don't know unless
it's like this lengthy period of time. And so do
I fully believe you can hundred percent you can get
(04:55):
to know somebody. No, can you take a risk and
can that risk work out? Yes? Am I really incredibly
happy that my risk didn't work out? Hell? Yeah, I'm
definitely with the person I'm supposed to be with and
could not be happier.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
Oh, we're so happy for you. This is awesome.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
I like love, Like you could just tell from looking
at her she's just absolutely going and I love It's amazing.
You were really close to quote winning Matt James this
season ended up being with Rachel for quite some time.
They obviously got to know each other very well in
real life. Did you see I mean you probably didn't
(05:32):
see this breakup coming, as we all didn't.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
Really what was your take on it all?
Speaker 3 (05:38):
I think my take was honestly that I didn't have
a take with social media. It's everyone assumes that it's
so black and white, and you know, given certain platforms
or opportunities to speak on things, you hear one side
of the story, not the other side of the story.
But you can agree with certain things, you can disagree
with certain things. But for me personally, I can't sit
(06:02):
and think about, Okay, well, who's corner am I in
because through that situation, like I'm in my corner when
I kind of take a look at that relationship and
just this whole like I wanna say, like bandwig and
jumping when it comes to like these big breakup statements
or like things happening in social media, I think back
to like that whole massive controversy that I sat down
(06:23):
and I went through and I had to speak about race,
and I had to be the teacher and speak up
about you know, women in color and how we should
be treated within reality television and explain things to people.
And I went through this whole like racial trauma experience
when I sat there, and so I had such a
whole different experience that I kind of in my corner
(06:47):
and I don't think about it, like I just choose
to be at peace with it and not spend so
much energy, you know, whose side or who's right or
who's wrong, because I think both parties can make mistakes
and relationships. But also it's like I spend a lot
of time focusing on these two people. At the end
of that season, what's sitting next to me, you know,
Acho and had to have the whole conversation be about race,
(07:09):
and so it's like I really just am in nobody's
corner and am that peace with it and really don't
spend a lot of time thinking about it. So I
really just have tried to say off social media because
like every other scroll has been this whole thing, and
I'm like, yeah, you know, maybe it's not something that
I want to like focus on spen energy on.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
So have you spoken to either of them since that time?
Speaker 3 (07:34):
No, Okay, No, I think we briefly all ran into
each other with things and everything is cordial, like you said,
like everything was put down, but it's just not something
that I necessarily like to sit and spend energy on.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Totally understand that, all right, So back to you and Jack.
I'm going to ask the annoying question, have you guys
started wedding planning?
Speaker 3 (08:04):
We have. We have started wedding planning. We have a
date picked out, we have a venue picked out?
Speaker 4 (08:11):
Is it this year? Can you let us know?
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Yes? It is? It is and it's coming up quick
here I'll say that. Who Yeah, yeah, we got to
it like the man means business. It's really kind of
nice to. I mean, long engagements are fine too, but
it's we got engaged. We're like, yeah, let's do life together,
let's go. And so it's been really fun with the
(08:35):
whole wedding planning thing. But we were like full force
wedding planning like we are. I don't even want to
give away which everything that we've like are ordering or
what's spot we're at, because I feel like you can
like look up how many months ahead you would do that. Yeah,
I'll give it away. But yeah, we have our wedding party.
We have all that stuff asked and figured out. It's
(08:58):
been really fun.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Were you able to book the venue that you wanted
to book so last minute?
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Yeah? Yes, Honestly, we didn't have I was never one
of those girls who like pinterests how I wanted my
entire wedding to look because I felt like I didn't
really have an idea and I didn't want to give
my heart set on something. You know, and then you
go when you never know what you're gonna get married,
and then you go and get to that time and
you can't find anything. It's like that your heartbroken. So
(09:27):
I always told myself I was gonna leave it open.
And so we never had like this ideal, let's do this,
let's do this, And so once we got engaged, we
kind of started to look at times of what time
of year we wanted it, how long we wanted to wait,
and that conversation really pushed us to do like, okay,
like we have to really like lock something down here.
(09:49):
And so we started looking around and we were able
to find a venue that we absolutely absolutely love. And
I would say it was like one of my dream
venues if I were to think about it. I just
didn't know it yet. So we're really happy.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
That sounds like it's in Minnesota, YESO okay, and you
guys are both from there.
Speaker 4 (10:13):
So how did you meet again?
Speaker 3 (10:15):
We met a little over a year and a half ago. Yeah,
it's just kind of crazy to think about because it's
really not that long. It feels like we've been together
a lot longer. But yeah, we met a year and
a half ago, So like August twenty twenty four.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Yeah, wow, yeah twenty three.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Yeah, so it's been it's been good. I mean, we
just kind of spent so much time together and got
to know each other really quick and put all the
bs to the side and the small conversation to the
side for a little bit, got to the real stuff
and learned about each other real quick.
Speaker 4 (10:52):
So do you meet through friends?
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Yeah? Yeah we did. Okay, Yeah, we met through friends,
So it was connection.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Look at that go on the Bachelorette end up meeting
through friends in Minnesota.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
How long were you friends with these friends? And why
didn't they send you up earlier?
Speaker 3 (11:11):
That's what I asked. So we had both been friends
with them. Jack had known them a little bit longer
than I did, a few years, and then I recently
met them like within the last like two years or so,
and we got close. But what happened was I wasn't
really on the apps in Minnesota or just in general,
like at one time I was, I'm like, this is
(11:31):
not for me. Everybody in Minnesota looks the same, literally
every guy in Minnesota. So do you swept through uh
dating app? They're in camouflage with their golden triever dog
holding up a fish or like, went hunting, and I'm
just like, I don't know. This is not gonna work
for me. So I was with one of my girlfriends
and her brother and I jokingly said to her brother like,
do you have any friends that are like away looking
(11:55):
but like honestly like a good person, you know? And
I jokingly through got out there and he came back.
He was like, actually, yeah, have I ever talked to
you about Jack? I'm like, no, Who's Jack? So he
showed me his social media or his Instagram? And you
only had two pictures. So I'm like, oh, yeah, green
flag two pictures only, that's great. But I actually started blushing,
(12:16):
and I was a little interesting that I made a
note of. But I was asking him like is he
a good person? He said, he's so sweet. I should
introduce you. And it was weird because I had brought
it up. And then Jack actually had asked this friend
to be introduced to me, like forty eight hours beforehand,
(12:38):
because he kept seeing me pop up on social media
and was like, I have this gut feeling just can
you please introduce me to her? So he kept checking in.
So after we had started dating, he was like a
month in. We were talking on the couch and I
was bringing up how like I asked to be introduced
to him, and he's like, no, no, no, no, no, it's
(13:00):
the other way around. And we figured out that we
had both asked to be introduced to each other.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
Wow, that's faate, that's so cool.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
He beat me by like forty eight hours, but we
both had this idea that we initiated it when it was.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
Actually, Wow, that's so cute, that's so cool.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
What does Jack think about you having been the bachelorette?
Speaker 3 (13:21):
He just I don't know he accepts it. I don't
think he reached out or wasn't like I want to
meet her because she was the bachelorette. He very much
just had heard about like my qualities through friends and
it was like she's just cute. I want to meet her,
(13:42):
And I don't know, he doesn't. He really overlooks it.
And I think that's why I like it, is because
he understands and accepts like the different you like, like
I said, going on podcasts and ex'es are constantly being
brought up like that's not an easy thing for what
I mean, he's like my fiance and he has to
always hear about this stuff. We're going on social media
(14:04):
and you know, somebody, we just did this podcast and
this couple threw on he was on the podcast and
they overlaid like pictures of like the proposal of me
and Nate and like the one that's kind of disrespectful.
If he's like sitting on the podcast next to me,
that's really weird. But like there's just all these different
(14:27):
things that he has to put up with and he
accepts it because that's the baggage that I come along
with and he wants to be with me, and so
I love him for that. But like he Bachelorette or not,
he would still be there. And that's what I love
about him so much is that he understands just all
the different ways that I'm tugged, the anxiety that it
(14:49):
can bring, all the different nuances. But like he loves
Michelle for Michelle and that has nothing to do with
the Bachelorette.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
That's very sweet.
Speaker 5 (15:00):
Ah, what do you guys see in your future and.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Say five years hopefully kids?
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Do you guys agree on how many you want?
Speaker 3 (15:17):
We definitely want more than one. I think like two. Yeah,
we've talked about it, and it kind of really depends
on how it goes. I always thought I would have
to find now so I'm a little bit older and everything,
but I don't know. It would be great to Like
part of me is like I want to pop out
twins so I can just have them running around and
(15:38):
you know, get it done with.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
I feel that.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
Yeah, at the same time, I'm like, that's also a
lot too. I've heard so some some kids I don't know,
going to sports tournaments bringing them there like that whole life.
We both absolutely love that we both had that life
growing up and so hopefully something looking like that.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
When I was pregnant with the first one, it was
so miserable that I was just like, please let it
be twins when we went in for the ultrasounds, so
I don't have to do this again.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
But oh my goodness, did you hear that whole new
statistic about how it's I don't know what percentage, so
don't quote me on this, you have to look it up.
But it's like majority of the men's health that decides
how he goes do.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
We both see the same Instagram.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Reel immediately have He's like, I was in better shape
when you got pregnant with Dawson than when you got
pregnant with Hayden, and yet you were sicker with Dawson.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
So how does that make sense? I don't know. We
gotta look into this.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
I'm like, I have no idea, but I'm like, don't
tell me that now, because I'm like, no drinking six
months before anything. Right, I could stay fair, eat corn dogs,
do all this other stuff, but like you have to
be perfectly clean, right, take yourself to me.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
Just from my experience, I'm gonna say that I'm not
one hundred percent sold in this theory. But we do
like to blame the men when we're.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
Sick, you know.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Well, Okay, before we wrap up, I just want to know,
like the general vibe of your wedding. Is it going
to be a surprise, Like are you going to tell
people like it's our wedding weekend coming up? Or is
it going to are we going to get the headlines
like for your engagement like, oh, it already happened, surprise?
Speaker 4 (17:28):
Is it going to be small? Large? Have you picked
out your dress?
Speaker 3 (17:31):
Like?
Speaker 4 (17:31):
I want these little fun details.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
The dres shopping is coming up here shortly, and so
that will be hopefully decided on. But then as far
as like, will we just give hints, I don't know.
I think we'll probably eventually say once it gets a
little bit closer in a safe manner. I guess you know,
we're not like location time so that people can show up,
(17:57):
but we'll like let you know, or people would just
figured out. I feel like so many people are like detectives,
and I have some wonderful supporters. They read between the
lines and can figure anything out. So I'm sure people
figure it out sooner rather than later.
Speaker 5 (18:14):
So you haven't dress shopped yet.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
No, but that doesn't mean you know. I'm also you're like,
you know, I procrastinate and do things that way too.
I'm very like ADHD when it comes to that. So
you can't really go off of right. Like a lot
of brides to order, they're dressed like a year ahead
of time.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
I was a year.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
That's because they told you it's supposed to be a
year ideally, which is nuts.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
Here's the thing, if I if that was the case,
that if that was the case, like if I was
able to order it a year ahead of time, then
I honestly probably would have That's just timeline already passed,
so I can't do that. So we're here.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Well, I'm just want to like let you know that
dress shopping is probably the most fun part of the
entire wedding planning experience, along with tasting your menu and
picking out all that food.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
We just finished the tasting and then it was so
much fun. Yeah, it was so amazing. Yeah, that was
it was a lot of It was a lot of fun.
It was me and Jack and then his dad was
able to come and we were at the venue and
it was it was really cool to be able to
go through that. I've never experienced anything like that. They
just kept bringing out like massive plates of food and
(19:26):
drinks and after like the champagne and the wine and
the other wine and the cocktails. I'm like, it all
tastes great.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
We had to do three in Newport because like the
venue that we used, they they pick from you know,
you get to pick from three caterers, and it was
like three days of Thanksgiving in a row. And I
was like, I don't know that I want to eat
like this again today. But it was really fun because
it was like a whole family Thanksgiving three days in
(19:55):
a row because we had like our parents races.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
Did you eat on your wedding day? Did you remember
to eat? I didn't even like.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Try it, Okay, so I'm all, I'm like, not the
one that's gonna skip out on any type of food ever.
But there was something about the anxiety, like not anxiety,
like just the adrenaline I think of your wedding day.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
I couldn't swallow it.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Like people were like, you need to eat, you need
to take a bite, and I'd like try to eat it,
and I'm like, I literally cannot stomach this right now,
not because like I feel cleasy or nervous or anything like.
Speaker 4 (20:30):
That, just my body can't take it. So Jared and I.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Actually ended up like six months later, having a really
cute date at the caterers where we ate our entire
meals like start to end.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
That's such a cute idea.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Yeah, it was so good, and I was so bummed
out that I didn't get to experience it then. So
I was like, let's just go and have like the
biggest lunch of our lives. And it was really awesome
that they let us do that.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
That's amazing. That's a good wedding tip.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
Yeah, it is a good wedding tip.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
My other wedding tip if you're solicit advice here is
just make sure that you guys hang out with each
other the entire day, and like, do not worry about
saying hi to people that you have never really met.
From his side, this is not a day to make
new friends. And don't need to say hi to like
people that you're not going to see for another year,
(21:24):
or even people that you're going to see like the
next month, because the day is about you guys, and
you can chat with them some other time. Quick clothes
are just fine.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
I think that is like the biggest wedding tip that
so many people have said is just stay by each
other's side. Yeah, we've already, we've already talked about it.
I'm like, let's just like handcuff each other so you
have to be stuck.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
Yeah, you see too many brides and grooms on that day,
just with a totally different group of people for over
an hour, you know, they just get kind of swept up.
Speaker 4 (21:57):
Like, no, never leave each other for more than five
time minutes.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
Okay, got it?
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Okay, And that's it because the next time we probably
chat on this podcast will be after your wedding, so
please come on then and tell us all the details
hopefully well. Michelle, thank you so much for joining us,
and good luck and enjoy every single freaking second of it.
Speaker 4 (22:17):
It's so it's just one of the best periods of life.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
Thank you so much. It's nice talking to you.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
See you you too. Bye.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
Follow the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcasts on
iHeartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
This is the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast
with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Welcome to another episode of the Almost Famous Podcast. Today
we have Michelle Young here. She's been engaged since we
last talked to her. Hey Michelle, Hello, how are you
doing good. So we were reporting on your engagement in December,
but you guys got engaged a significant amount of time
before that, right.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Yeah, we got engaged in October and we're able to
just kind of enjoy it and keep this secret for
a little bit, which was really nice. Not something that
we expected, just because it was outside and there's some
people that sawce who were like, let's hope that they
just let us announce it, but they did, so, yeah,
it was. It happened in October, and we didn't announce
(00:48):
until like end of December, early January, and it's just
been wedding planning chaos. It's been great though.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
Oh that's so nice.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Okay, So I'm assuming you just did it so that
you can privately enjoy the engagement before anybody else knew knew?
Did you tell your family and your friends right away?
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Yeah, So we had Jack set up a little bit
of an engagement party right afterwards, and so we were
able to have like an intimate gathering with family and
friends and tell some people, and then we got on
the phone with some other like family members that were
out of state, and so people who were really close
to us knew. But we were careful to like not
(01:26):
let it get too big, just because then you know,
something happens, it slips up. We want to be the
one to be able to stay, and we just wanted
to enjoy it for a little bit. And you know,
once you kind of announced something like that, I think
all these like questions and full blown like planning and
all this other stuff comes into play. So we're like,
let's just take a breath and enjoy the holidays and everything.
(01:50):
And then well as afterwards.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
I think that's a good decision because, yeah, you immediately
get asked about planning and you're like, are you guys crazy?
Speaker 4 (01:59):
It just happened.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Now that you've been engaged, well twice because of the show.
How do two engagements compare?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
They don't compare?
Speaker 4 (02:10):
Okay, everything about those feelings.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Yeah, I think that we just I've talked about this before,
but Jack, he just calms my nervous system so much,
and he really puts my anxiety at Bay and so
I just feel like with him, I'm able to. I know,
social media has seen a little bit more of like
my goofy side and all these different sides that have
(02:34):
always been there, but I think just there's always so
much going on, and so it's been really nice to
just fully feel so comfortable in a relationship and so
accepted and so loved. And he just is somebody who's
always going to stick around. And I don't know, I
can't when you're in a healthy relationship after you've been
(02:56):
in not so healthy relationships, it's hard to expec Lane
because I always said, oh, it's just a feeling, it's
just a feeling. There's times where I thought I had
that feeling before, and I'm like, oh, this is what
it's supposed to feel like, Like this is what I
actually like a healthy relationship feels like and how it operates.
And so we just have, I don't know, a really
great system, really great communication, and he's just he's just
(03:20):
such a jump. I don't know how the hell I
found him in Minnesota, I really don't, but if anyone
could get to know him, he's like literally a lovely man.
He's so wonderful Oh.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
That's so nice.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Would you think that your relationship with Nate during the
show do you think it was healthy during filming? Do
you think that it's a place that anybody can find
a relationship that they really know is going to work
out because you only know them for eight weeks and
in a secluded environment.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
I mean, I think anything is possible. So you see,
you do see successful relationships. Yeah, I would be lying
if I didn't say I really thought. I had watched
prior leads go into the show and like maybe they
didn't ask the correct questions to really get to know somebody.
So when I was stepping into the lead, I really thought, oh,
I'm going to ask the questions, whether it's like during
fantasy suites or doing it's like dates and things like that,
(04:12):
I'm going to ask the right questions so that I
can fully know somebody. And then, as you know, you
get out of it and go through what I guess
what I went through. I did have this like shattering
moment where I'm like, holy shit, you do not know
because you have to watch people go through a certain
amount of life, like people pass away, you navigate through
(04:35):
death together, you navigate through sickness, together, you navigate through
social media together. There's so many different things that you
navigate through together that you can kind of attempt to
ask questions and see during that period of time getting
to know each other. But you truly don't know unless
it's like this lengthy period of time. And so do
I fully believe you can hundred percent you can get
(04:55):
to know somebody. No, can you take a risk and
can that risk work out? Yes? Am I really incredibly
happy that my risk didn't work out? Hell? Yeah, I'm
definitely with the person I'm supposed to be with and
could not be happier.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
Oh, we're so happy for you. This is awesome.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
I like love, Like you could just tell from looking
at her she's just absolutely going and I love It's amazing.
You were really close to quote winning Matt James this
season ended up being with Rachel for quite some time.
They obviously got to know each other very well in
real life. Did you see I mean you probably didn't
(05:32):
see this breakup coming, as we all didn't.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
Really what was your take on it all?
Speaker 3 (05:38):
I think my take was honestly that I didn't have
a take with social media. It's everyone assumes that it's
so black and white, and you know, given certain platforms
or opportunities to speak on things, you hear one side
of the story, not the other side of the story.
But you can agree with certain things, you can disagree
with certain things. But for me personally, I can't sit
(06:02):
and think about, Okay, well, who's corner am I in
because through that situation, like I'm in my corner when
I kind of take a look at that relationship and
just this whole like I wanna say, like bandwig and
jumping when it comes to like these big breakup statements
or like things happening in social media, I think back
to like that whole massive controversy that I sat down
(06:23):
and I went through and I had to speak about race,
and I had to be the teacher and speak up
about you know, women in color and how we should
be treated within reality television and explain things to people.
And I went through this whole like racial trauma experience
when I sat there, and so I had such a
whole different experience that I kind of in my corner
(06:47):
and I don't think about it, like I just choose
to be at peace with it and not spend so
much energy, you know, whose side or who's right or
who's wrong, because I think both parties can make mistakes
and relationships. But also it's like I spend a lot
of time focusing on these two people. At the end
of that season, what's sitting next to me, you know,
Acho and had to have the whole conversation be about race,
(07:09):
and so it's like I really just am in nobody's
corner and am that peace with it and really don't
spend a lot of time thinking about it. So I
really just have tried to say off social media because
like every other scroll has been this whole thing, and
I'm like, yeah, you know, maybe it's not something that
I want to like focus on spen energy on.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
So have you spoken to either of them since that time?
Speaker 3 (07:34):
No, Okay, No, I think we briefly all ran into
each other with things and everything is cordial, like you said,
like everything was put down, but it's just not something
that I necessarily like to sit and spend energy on.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Totally understand that, all right, So back to you and Jack.
I'm going to ask the annoying question, have you guys
started wedding planning?
Speaker 3 (08:04):
We have. We have started wedding planning. We have a
date picked out, we have a venue picked out?
Speaker 4 (08:11):
Is it this year? Can you let us know?
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Yes? It is? It is and it's coming up quick
here I'll say that. Who Yeah, yeah, we got to
it like the man means business. It's really kind of
nice to. I mean, long engagements are fine too, but
it's we got engaged. We're like, yeah, let's do life together,
let's go. And so it's been really fun with the
(08:35):
whole wedding planning thing. But we were like full force
wedding planning like we are. I don't even want to
give away which everything that we've like are ordering or
what's spot we're at, because I feel like you can
like look up how many months ahead you would do that. Yeah,
I'll give it away. But yeah, we have our wedding party.
We have all that stuff asked and figured out. It's
(08:58):
been really fun.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Were you able to book the venue that you wanted
to book so last minute?
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Yeah? Yes, Honestly, we didn't have I was never one
of those girls who like pinterests how I wanted my
entire wedding to look because I felt like I didn't
really have an idea and I didn't want to give
my heart set on something. You know, and then you
go when you never know what you're gonna get married,
and then you go and get to that time and
you can't find anything. It's like that your heartbroken. So
(09:27):
I always told myself I was gonna leave it open.
And so we never had like this ideal, let's do this,
let's do this, And so once we got engaged, we
kind of started to look at times of what time
of year we wanted it, how long we wanted to wait,
and that conversation really pushed us to do like, okay,
like we have to really like lock something down here.
(09:49):
And so we started looking around and we were able
to find a venue that we absolutely absolutely love. And
I would say it was like one of my dream
venues if I were to think about it. I just
didn't know it yet. So we're really happy.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
That sounds like it's in Minnesota, YESO okay, and you
guys are both from there.
Speaker 4 (10:13):
So how did you meet again?
Speaker 3 (10:15):
We met a little over a year and a half ago. Yeah,
it's just kind of crazy to think about because it's
really not that long. It feels like we've been together
a lot longer. But yeah, we met a year and
a half ago, So like August twenty twenty four.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Yeah, wow, yeah twenty three.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Yeah, so it's been it's been good. I mean, we
just kind of spent so much time together and got
to know each other really quick and put all the
bs to the side and the small conversation to the
side for a little bit, got to the real stuff
and learned about each other real quick.
Speaker 4 (10:52):
So do you meet through friends?
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Yeah? Yeah we did. Okay, Yeah, we met through friends,
So it was connection.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Look at that go on the Bachelorette end up meeting
through friends in Minnesota.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
How long were you friends with these friends? And why
didn't they send you up earlier?
Speaker 3 (11:11):
That's what I asked. So we had both been friends
with them. Jack had known them a little bit longer
than I did, a few years, and then I recently
met them like within the last like two years or so,
and we got close. But what happened was I wasn't
really on the apps in Minnesota or just in general,
like at one time I was, I'm like, this is
(11:31):
not for me. Everybody in Minnesota looks the same, literally
every guy in Minnesota. So do you swept through uh
dating app? They're in camouflage with their golden triever dog
holding up a fish or like, went hunting, and I'm
just like, I don't know. This is not gonna work
for me. So I was with one of my girlfriends
and her brother and I jokingly said to her brother like,
do you have any friends that are like away looking
(11:55):
but like honestly like a good person, you know? And
I jokingly through got out there and he came back.
He was like, actually, yeah, have I ever talked to
you about Jack? I'm like, no, Who's Jack? So he
showed me his social media or his Instagram? And you
only had two pictures. So I'm like, oh, yeah, green
flag two pictures only, that's great. But I actually started blushing,
(12:16):
and I was a little interesting that I made a
note of. But I was asking him like is he
a good person? He said, he's so sweet. I should
introduce you. And it was weird because I had brought
it up. And then Jack actually had asked this friend
to be introduced to me, like forty eight hours beforehand,
(12:38):
because he kept seeing me pop up on social media
and was like, I have this gut feeling just can
you please introduce me to her? So he kept checking in.
So after we had started dating, he was like a
month in. We were talking on the couch and I
was bringing up how like I asked to be introduced
to him, and he's like, no, no, no, no, no, it's
(13:00):
the other way around. And we figured out that we
had both asked to be introduced to each other.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
Wow, that's faate, that's so cool.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
He beat me by like forty eight hours, but we
both had this idea that we initiated it when it was.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
Actually, Wow, that's so cute, that's so cool.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
What does Jack think about you having been the bachelorette?
Speaker 3 (13:21):
He just I don't know he accepts it. I don't
think he reached out or wasn't like I want to
meet her because she was the bachelorette. He very much
just had heard about like my qualities through friends and
it was like she's just cute. I want to meet her,
(13:42):
And I don't know, he doesn't. He really overlooks it.
And I think that's why I like it, is because
he understands and accepts like the different you like, like
I said, going on podcasts and ex'es are constantly being
brought up like that's not an easy thing for what
I mean, he's like my fiance and he has to
always hear about this stuff. We're going on social media
(14:04):
and you know, somebody, we just did this podcast and
this couple threw on he was on the podcast and
they overlaid like pictures of like the proposal of me
and Nate and like the one that's kind of disrespectful.
If he's like sitting on the podcast next to me,
that's really weird. But like there's just all these different
(14:27):
things that he has to put up with and he
accepts it because that's the baggage that I come along
with and he wants to be with me, and so
I love him for that. But like he Bachelorette or not,
he would still be there. And that's what I love
about him so much is that he understands just all
the different ways that I'm tugged, the anxiety that it
(14:49):
can bring, all the different nuances. But like he loves
Michelle for Michelle and that has nothing to do with
the Bachelorette.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
That's very sweet.
Speaker 5 (15:00):
Ah, what do you guys see in your future and.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Say five years hopefully kids?
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Do you guys agree on how many you want?
Speaker 3 (15:17):
We definitely want more than one. I think like two. Yeah,
we've talked about it, and it kind of really depends
on how it goes. I always thought I would have
to find now so I'm a little bit older and everything,
but I don't know. It would be great to Like
part of me is like I want to pop out
twins so I can just have them running around and
(15:38):
you know, get it done with.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
I feel that.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
Yeah, at the same time, I'm like, that's also a
lot too. I've heard so some some kids I don't know,
going to sports tournaments bringing them there like that whole life.
We both absolutely love that we both had that life
growing up and so hopefully something looking like that.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
When I was pregnant with the first one, it was
so miserable that I was just like, please let it
be twins when we went in for the ultrasounds, so
I don't have to do this again.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
But oh my goodness, did you hear that whole new
statistic about how it's I don't know what percentage, so
don't quote me on this, you have to look it up.
But it's like majority of the men's health that decides
how he goes do.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
We both see the same Instagram.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Reel immediately have He's like, I was in better shape
when you got pregnant with Dawson than when you got
pregnant with Hayden, and yet you were sicker with Dawson.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
So how does that make sense? I don't know. We
gotta look into this.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
I'm like, I have no idea, but I'm like, don't
tell me that now, because I'm like, no drinking six
months before anything. Right, I could stay fair, eat corn dogs,
do all this other stuff, but like you have to
be perfectly clean, right, take yourself to me.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
Just from my experience, I'm gonna say that I'm not
one hundred percent sold in this theory. But we do
like to blame the men when we're.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
Sick, you know.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Well, Okay, before we wrap up, I just want to know,
like the general vibe of your wedding. Is it going
to be a surprise, Like are you going to tell
people like it's our wedding weekend coming up? Or is
it going to are we going to get the headlines
like for your engagement like, oh, it already happened, surprise?
Speaker 4 (17:28):
Is it going to be small? Large? Have you picked
out your dress?
Speaker 3 (17:31):
Like?
Speaker 4 (17:31):
I want these little fun details.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
The dres shopping is coming up here shortly, and so
that will be hopefully decided on. But then as far
as like, will we just give hints, I don't know.
I think we'll probably eventually say once it gets a
little bit closer in a safe manner. I guess you know,
we're not like location time so that people can show up,
(17:57):
but we'll like let you know, or people would just
figured out. I feel like so many people are like detectives,
and I have some wonderful supporters. They read between the
lines and can figure anything out. So I'm sure people
figure it out sooner rather than later.
Speaker 5 (18:14):
So you haven't dress shopped yet.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
No, but that doesn't mean you know. I'm also you're like,
you know, I procrastinate and do things that way too.
I'm very like ADHD when it comes to that. So
you can't really go off of right. Like a lot
of brides to order, they're dressed like a year ahead
of time.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
I was a year.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
That's because they told you it's supposed to be a
year ideally, which is nuts.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
Here's the thing, if I if that was the case,
that if that was the case, like if I was
able to order it a year ahead of time, then
I honestly probably would have That's just timeline already passed,
so I can't do that. So we're here.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Well, I'm just want to like let you know that
dress shopping is probably the most fun part of the
entire wedding planning experience, along with tasting your menu and
picking out all that food.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
We just finished the tasting and then it was so
much fun. Yeah, it was so amazing. Yeah, that was
it was a lot of It was a lot of fun.
It was me and Jack and then his dad was
able to come and we were at the venue and
it was it was really cool to be able to
go through that. I've never experienced anything like that. They
just kept bringing out like massive plates of food and
(19:26):
drinks and after like the champagne and the wine and
the other wine and the cocktails. I'm like, it all
tastes great.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
We had to do three in Newport because like the
venue that we used, they they pick from you know,
you get to pick from three caterers, and it was
like three days of Thanksgiving in a row. And I
was like, I don't know that I want to eat
like this again today. But it was really fun because
it was like a whole family Thanksgiving three days in
(19:55):
a row because we had like our parents races.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
Did you eat on your wedding day? Did you remember
to eat? I didn't even like.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Try it, Okay, so I'm all, I'm like, not the
one that's gonna skip out on any type of food ever.
But there was something about the anxiety, like not anxiety,
like just the adrenaline I think of your wedding day.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
I couldn't swallow it.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Like people were like, you need to eat, you need
to take a bite, and I'd like try to eat it,
and I'm like, I literally cannot stomach this right now,
not because like I feel cleasy or nervous or anything like.
Speaker 4 (20:30):
That, just my body can't take it. So Jared and I.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Actually ended up like six months later, having a really
cute date at the caterers where we ate our entire
meals like start to end.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
That's such a cute idea.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Yeah, it was so good, and I was so bummed
out that I didn't get to experience it then. So
I was like, let's just go and have like the
biggest lunch of our lives. And it was really awesome
that they let us do that.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
That's amazing. That's a good wedding tip.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
Yeah, it is a good wedding tip.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
My other wedding tip if you're solicit advice here is
just make sure that you guys hang out with each
other the entire day, and like, do not worry about
saying hi to people that you have never really met.
From his side, this is not a day to make
new friends. And don't need to say hi to like
people that you're not going to see for another year,
(21:24):
or even people that you're going to see like the
next month, because the day is about you guys, and
you can chat with them some other time. Quick clothes
are just fine.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
I think that is like the biggest wedding tip that
so many people have said is just stay by each
other's side. Yeah, we've already, we've already talked about it.
I'm like, let's just like handcuff each other so you
have to be stuck.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
Yeah, you see too many brides and grooms on that day,
just with a totally different group of people for over
an hour, you know, they just get kind of swept up.
Speaker 4 (21:57):
Like, no, never leave each other for more than five
time minutes.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
Okay, got it?
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Okay, And that's it because the next time we probably
chat on this podcast will be after your wedding, so
please come on then and tell us all the details
hopefully well. Michelle, thank you so much for joining us,
and good luck and enjoy every single freaking second of it.
Speaker 4 (22:17):
It's so it's just one of the best periods of life.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
Thank you so much. It's nice talking to you.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
See you you too. Bye.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
Follow the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcasts on
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Hosts And Creators
Ben Higgins
Ashley Iaconetti
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