Brayden Bowers tells how he orchestrated his surprise proposal to Christina Mandrell.
The Bachelor in Paradise alum exclusively tells PEOPLE how he and Bachelor producers coordinated the live proposal during Thursday Live Golden wedding broadcast.
Bowers and Mandrell’s relationship was revealed during the season 9 finale Bachelor in Paradise 2023 TV personality tells PEOPLE he βplannedβ to pop the question later this year.
He originally had the idea to put a ring on a slice of pineapple pizza after the two talked about wanting to make pineapple pizza in Italy. However, after talking to the show’s producers, they jointly came up with the idea of ββproposing to her during the live special.
“From the experiences that we’ve both had, it turns out that we both came into this show just wanting love,” says Bowers. βWe’ve both had difficult, challenging paths in different ways, and we’re both, I feel, misunderstood. And it’s like two misunderstood people who understand each other.”
Brayden Bowers and Christina Mandrell in Palm Springs, CA on January 4, 2024.
Disney/Eric McCandless
Bowers adds that he knew “from the moment” he met Mandrell that he loved her. “As they say, when you meet someone, you know, you know. And it’s like I never knew before,” Bowers admits. “I’ve dated before, but I never knew before. And then I meet her and it’s like there’s no more doubt.”
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Brayden Bowers and Christina Mandrell in Palm Springs, CA on January 4, 2024.
Disney/Eric McCandless
Brayden Bowers and Christina Mandrell are getting engaged on live TV at The Golden Bachelor Wedding
Bowers also reveals how “amazing” it feels to have the weight of the surprise lifted and reveals the two are moving in together this week.
“The thing is, with her and her daughter, I wouldn’t move out if I wasn’t sure she was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with,” Bowers explains. Mandrell is the mother of a seven-year-old named Blakely.
“I realized we should do this right and make an example of Blakely and show her the love she deserves,” Bowers continues. “And so, that’s the kind of love I want to give her mom every day.”
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The newly engaged couple say they look forward to spending “every day” with each other.
βIt’s been weeks, or a few weeks, since we’ve seen each other. Just because we had to see each other for Blakely’s birthday and then just with the holidays and I had some family stuff going on, we just couldn’t connect,β explains Bowers. “We talked every day, but now we actually spend every day together for the rest of our lives.”
“We are so grateful for every moment,” adds Mandrell. “There was bad, there was also good. I mean, we’ve had those epic, crazy-heavy moments before, even though it’s, you know, some would say fast. But every day, like life. We are excited about life.β
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Brayden Bowers and Christina Mandrell in Palm Springs, CA on January 4, 2024.
Disney/Eric McCandless
During live Golden wedding of the broadcast and his proposal, Bowers told Mandrell that she made him feel like he could be himself “unapologetically.”
“And I have no doubt in my mind that I want to spend the rest of my life with you,” he continued. “And like Gerry [Turner] said, it’s like, you know, we have so little time and … I just know that I want to spend the rest of my days with you.”
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