‘Love Is Blind’: What Happens Behind the Scenes of the Hit Netflix Series?

Go Inside the Pods

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While Netflix‘s Love Is Blind glamorizes the fun parts of falling in love with a stranger behind a wall, being whisked off on a tropical vacation, and moving in together in a matter of weeks, many fans often don’t think about the behind-the-scenes work that gets put into a show like it.

In Season 3, premiering Wednesday, October 19 with four episodes, viewers will meet 30 new singles as they go into the pods in the hopes of reemerging engaged. Viewers will watch the romances blossom from the first day of the experiment to saying “I do” or “don’t” at the altar. Ever wonder what goes into the making of Love Is Blind? Find out the answers to your burning questions below!

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What’s It Actually Like in the Pods?

Netflix

Many fans already know that the contestants don’t spend too much time in the pods before meeting their partners face-to-face. In fact, they only have 10 days to figure out who they want to spend the rest of their lives with (yikes!). And while the show’s editing fools us into thinking the “dates” can last several hours, they only last around 10 minutes each. Think of it more like “extreme speed dating!”

As for the stylish pods themselves, they are soundproof; contestants only hear whoever is on the other side of the wall through speakers. According to the show’s creator Chris Coelen, the pods are as comfy as they look, telling Entertainment Tonight that some contestants “didn’t want to leave the pods, ever.” He claimed that Season 1’s longest pod date clocked in at around three to four hours and that many would often doze off in the tiny room. It does seem like an ideal nap spot, so who could blame them?

While the contestants don’t actually sleep in the pods, they are set up in hotel rooms for the 10 days of pod dating. This was a huge perk for the Season 2 cast, as Season 1’s Kenny told Refinery 29 that they spent the night in trailers, sleeping on correctional facility beds (ouch!). Did we mention they don’t have access to their phones or the internet? Hopefully, their ability to request food and drinks makes up for it!

The Rings & Engagement Time Frames

Patrick Wymore/Netflix

Obviously, the first step of any engagement is to pick out a ring! Similar to The Bachelor franchise, the show provides a variety of rings for the guys to choose from. And as we learned from Season 2’s Salvador, they should find out which metal their women prefer before picking it out! They can also choose to bring their own, as Kyle did when he proposed to Shaina with his mother’s old engagement ring. There is no specific time frame by which the couples need to get engaged, as long as they do within the experiment’s 10-day time frame.

Seasons 1 and 2 both saw six couples leave the pods together. However, more engagements went down off-camera that fans didn’t get to see. Two more couples got engaged in Season 2, but unfortunately, their journeys were left on the cutting room floor.

How Much Is Staged?

Netflix

No matter how “real” reality dating shows claim to be, there will always be outside influences helping to direct where people’s stories are going. The guys and the girls each have a group of producers behind them, but they don’t directly interfere with the couple’s connections. Salvador told E! News that producers do help the contestants out by providing “talking points” and “questions” to use on their dates, if they choose.

Production’s Influence on the Weddings

Adrian S. Burrows Sr./Netflix

Upon their return to reality, the couples only have three weeks to plan their weddings. But, are they actually the ones paying and planning for their big days? Yes and no. A production rep on the show told Women’s Health that the couples do pay for the majority of their nuptials, saying, “Of course production supplies some of the basics, but because these are their real weddings, it’s up to them as to how to spend their money.”

Going back to production influences, the contestants solely get to choose whether or not they will say “I do” at the altar. In fact, some couples already knew their decisions ahead of time. Kenny revealed to People that he and his ex-fiancé Kelly never intended on getting married at the end of Season 1. “Really, the engagement was just to extend the experiment. And we were both committed to that,” he said.

On the other hand, the producers did intervene in Season 1, as Jessica told Entertainment Weekly that she was forced to stay on the show until her wedding day. “I definitely had a conversation about leaving and I wasn’t able to do that. My dog got sick, too, and almost died during the show. I had so much other stuff going on,” she said.

Are Contestants Paid?

Finally, do the contestants get paid to be on the show? According to a source close to the series, “The participants are paid little if anything,” telling Women’s Health, “They are truly in it to find love!” Seems like putting your entire life and career on hold to find true love is worth it for the show’s stars, even if things don’t end happily ever after.

Love Is Blind, Season 3 Premiere, Wednesday, October 19, Netflix