Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon on Wedding Plans, Colton’s Season & What They’d Change About ‘Bachelor’
Q&A
Reality TV sweethearts and newly engaged couple Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon are so happy to be done with the dating scene.
TV Insider recently caught up with the Bachelor Nation couple to get the scoop on how their wedding planning is coming, and their thoughts on The Bachelor‘s controversial decision to crown Colton Underwood the Season 23 star.
The twosome also talked about their new partnership with NET10 Wireless timed to winter’s “cuffing season,” in which single millennials are more aware than ever of their relationship statuses. With the company, the fiancés are offering double data for more phone use, which could equal more dating app use
Check out the interview below:
Why work with NET10 Wireless?
Ashley Iaconetti: Fortunately, we don’t have to do online dating anymore but we have so many friends out there who are still looking for their special someone and in this digital age, we are so dependent on our phones. And NET10 Wireless has a special promotion going on until the end of the year — it’s called the Double Data Promotion.
Jared Haibon: There’s going to be so much swiping going on until the end of the year, people sliding into DMs because people don’t want to be alone on the holidays. They want to at least have someone they can tell their families they’re talking to, someone that they like.
Did you ever online date?
Iaconetti: Yeah, definitely. I dabbled a little bit. I went on quite a few app dates out here in L.A..
Haibon: Yeah, I was on dating apps too. My sister met her husband on an online dating website so they most certainly can work.
What was your most cringeworthy date?
Iaconetti: There was this one guy who asked, within the first hour of our first date, ‘When was the last time you were laid?’
Haibon: Well, I’m gonna find out that guys name and kick his ass! For me, I was on Raya and living in Rhode Island at the time. So, I drove to NY for a date and it didn’t go that well. She got a little tipsy during dinner and I just drove 2.5 hours and I was like, ‘What am I doing with my life?‘
Any advice for using dating apps?
Haibon: Meet in a public place; don’t have them pick you up. Be safe, be smart, put also don’t be afraid to put yourself outside and even slide into a DM. That’s kinda the new way to ask someone out now.
Iaconetti: When I was on the apps, the worst thing is when you’re messaging back and forth with someone but they never ask you out on a date. After a few exchanges, meet up with that person because you don’t need a digital boyfriend.
How is wedding planning?
Iaconetti: We booked our venue [in Rhode Island], we have our date [August 2019]. I have my dresses!
Haibon: We hired a wedding coordinator. His name is Troy Williams and we became friends with him earlier this year. He’s been fantastic.
If it were to be televised, what would your requirements be?
Haibon: To allow us in the editing room, which is probably why we’re not doing it with ABC [Laughs].
Iaconetti: A big one would be the guest list. We just want everybody who we want there to be there. That’s what hard when you do a Bachelor wedding. You may have people there who you’ve never even met before.
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What are you most excited to see on Colton’s season?
Iaconetti: I’m excited for him to find a girlfriend.
Haibon: I’m very curious about what kind of season this will be. I think Colton seems like a very nice gentleman — I’ve met him a couple of times. But he certainly was an interesting choice because I think everyone assumed it was going to be either [Bachelorette Season 14 finalists] Jason [Tartick] or Blake [Horstmann].
Iaconetti: Coming off of Arie [Luyendyk]’s season, I think they were looking for a lot of emotion in their Bachelor choice because Arie defined lack of emotion. Colton is definitely going to give that. He’s very good at being vulnerable on camera.
Haibon: We’re predicting tears!
Any changes you want to see to the show format, personally?
Iaconetti: Honestly, there are so many great, funny, authentic moments that viewers don’t get to see, I just want people to see more friendships, more realness, less “Bachelor-speak.” I’d like to eliminate some of the cheesiness.
Haibon: I think I wouldn’t mind cutting down the total number on night one. The first couple weeks can be a little bit of a grind to watch because you don’t feel a lot chemistry happening. Maybe instead of 25, you start with 20, and after night one it goes down to 14 or so to really see these relationship evolve.
Iaconetti: Lately, I feel like the first half of the season is concentrated on the villain and the drama among the cast members. It’s less about the love.
The Bachelor, January 2019, ABC
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