Ashley Hebert and J.P. Rosenbaum of The Bachelorette got married on December 1 in an outdoor ceremony officiated by show host Chris Harrison in Pasadena, CA.
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Ashley, a 28-year-old dentist, and J.P., a 35-year-old construction manager, got engaged when she selected him over fellow bachelor Ben Flajnik during the seventh-season finale of The Bachelorette, which aired in August 2011. They are only the second couple in The Bachelorette history to wed, following in the footsteps of first-season The Bachelorette couple Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter.
During a conference call with reporters on Tuesday, Ashley and J.P. talked to Reality TV World about their wedding and televised special to come. Below is what the couple had to tell reporters during the initial portion of the call. Check back with Reality TV World soon to read the concluding portion -- and to read what Ashley and J.P. had to say to Reality TV World specifically, click here.
I was wondering, why did you guys choose Pasadena as the location for your wedding since you're an East Coast couple? And was everybody able to fly out to California for it, or were some people back East?
J.P. Rosenbaum: Yes. Some of the options we had discussed with production and with ourselves, you know, internally. And Pasadena was really the most beautiful of every place of everywhere we were considering. The West Coast is not exactly convenient for all of us East Coasters, but you know, at the end of the day, it just was really far and away the nicest place that we had seen.
And so, we decided along with some of the powers that be, that this would be the place. There were some people that didn't get to make it, but I don't think it had anything to do with the distance. It was more so a factor of prior obligations on their part.
J.P., what is your relationship currently like with your now sister-in-law, Ashley's sister, and was she a bridesmaid for Ashley?
J.P. Rosenbaum: Yes, she was her maid of honor and my relationship with Chrystie, she is like a sister to me. We have been very close, pretty much since the day we got back from filming. I remember we had Skyped in, I think it was like two days after we had returned from Fiji and right away we were, you know, joking around with each other -- really brother and sister playful. She's wonderful.
So I know getting to have your wedding through ABC, much of it is paid for. So what would you say besides that perk, what is the best part of having your wedding filmed by ABC?
Ashley Hebert: What's the best part about having our wedding filmed? Well I mean, I know for us, we went back and forth. We weren't sure if we wanted to do it. One of the main reasons why we wanted to is because we had so many -- so much great support from people that have watched the show, people that were fans of the show, that we kind of felt like it would all come full circle.
And it kind of like allowed people that spent so much of their own emotion going through the relationship with me and with J.P. to really kind of celebrate and you know, enjoy a happy ending.
J.P. Rosenbaum: And I think that there are very few people in this world that get to have a fantasy wedding, the wedding of their dreams. And at the end of the day, to pass that up, I think in 20 years from now, if we didn't do it, I think we would look back and say, "You know what? We should have done it."
Ashley Hebert: Mm-hmm.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOWJ.P. Rosenbaum: And I think, you know, we were given a gift and why not do it?
Ashley Hebert: Yes, that's true.
I know the cameras are there every step of the way. Was there a moment when you wish the cameras hadn't gotten in there? A specific experience?
Ashley Hebert: You want to answer that babe or?
J.P. Rosenbaum: Well that's, I mean, not for me. I mean, we kind of knew what we were getting into and were somewhat used to it, I guess, at this point. So no, it wasn't -- as much as they do film, it really wasn't overly intrusive.
Ashley Hebert: No it really wasn't. I mean my own, my thing is, we all knew we had other people involved in our wedding that had never been on camera before.
J.P. Rosenbaum: Mm-hmm.
Ashley Hebert: There was like a little bit of anxiety on their part that I wish I could have relieved for them. So I think that's -- it's not like I wanted the cameras to be gone -- I just wished, I just hope that everybody was still able to enjoy it and not be, you know, anxious about the cameras. So that's my thing.
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Did everything go smoothly as far as the wedding planning was concerned? Did you have any bumps along the roads, and if so, what were they?
J.P. Rosenbaum: Hmm I would love to tell you that she was a Bridezilla and that you know, it was crazy and stressful. But to tell you the truth, and knock on wood, everything went more or less very, very smoothly.
There were no, there was no fighting. I think the biggest stress that we really had was maybe shortening the guest list like any couple has to do. But for the most part, babe do you, I mean, do you feel any different?
Ashley Hebert: No. Well you know what, I think we also kind of took a different approach to it. We had an amazing wedding planner, we had Mindy Weiss. So we really just put everything in her hands.
J.P. Rosenbaum: True.
Ashley Hebert: There were a few things that we were specific about, and then otherwise we were kind of just like, "Do what you do best. And we'll be happy with really anything." And it turned out to be above and beyond anything we could have ever done on our own. I guess there was one little piece of stress the day of, with the rain.
J.P. Rosenbaum: Ah.
Ashley Hebert: You know, as soon as we arrive in California, it was raining. It rained every day we were there, except for the ceremony for like three or four hours. Yes, that was the biggest stress.
Ashley, what was going through your head as you were walking down the aisle?
Ashley Hebert: Oh my goodness! Do you really want to know or do you want me to... I wish I could say that it was something other than, "Wow my train is so heavy, I'm not sure I can make it all the way up those steps." (Laughs) Babe I'm sorry, but that was the truth! It was so heavy.
So I'm wondering, now that you're married, what is different or maybe really fun and exciting about being man and wife? And what are you guys most looking forward to in the near future?
Ashley Hebert: Do you want to answer babe? Or do you want me to answer?
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Ashley Hebert: Just saying husband and wife. Don't you think it's just saying husband and wife?
J.P. Rosenbaum: It really is. Nothing really changes. I mean we...
Ashley Hebert: I mean, I won't say -- okay you go babe.
J.P. Rosenbaum: No, no, go. You go first.
Ashley Hebert: Okay, I'll go first. If you insist. For us, we've lived together for over a year, so we know each other, I mean, relatively well. And nothing major has changed. But there's this sense of security, this sense of forever, that I think didn't exist before we got married.
Not to say that we didn't feel it. But there's something about being married that makes you feel different in that regard. Like more of a security, and I don't know why. Not to say that we didn't have security before, but there's just this different sense of security I guess.
J.P. Rosenbaum: I feel like we always had that level of security, even before. I mean honestly, nothing changed. We flew back to New Jersey and you know, woke up the next morning and she went to work and I went to work and aside from joking around about you know, pointing at our rings, or leaving them in a dish by the shower -- which I've already left mine home once already.
But aside from that, I mean from a relationship standpoint, nothing, nothing changes, you know?
Did you guys have any kind of a mini-moon or any celebrations after the wedding? I know that you went back to work pretty quickly.
J.P. Rosenbaum: We had only stayed out there for an extra day just to kind of decompress a little bit. And we really didn't do anything. We stayed inside all day, ordered room service and just relaxed and unwound, so to speak. We really couldn't take any more immediate time off of work, so that's why there's no honeymoon right now.
Ashley Hebert: Well you know, looking back, I kind of wish we would have done a honeymoon right away. Because I am like wedding-love-wife brain, and I can't focus on anything right now. So I kind of wish we would have taken a honeymoon.
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Ashley Hebert: Yes.
What was your something borrowed, something blue?
Ashley Hebert: Oh my goodness, I didn't do that!
J.P. Rosenbaum: Well we didn't have any of that. So Mindy had given Ashley, babe you know those things that you put on the bottom of your shoes?
Ashley Hebert: I know baby, but I only put them on after the wedding.
J.P. Rosenbaum: Oh, but they don't need to know that.
Ashley Hebert: No, you know what, I didn't do that. I don't know why. I'm hoping it's not bad luck.
It's just an old wives tale, don't worry about it.
J.P. Rosenbaum: See babe?
Ashley Hebert: I know, but I should have done it.
What is your favorite thing to do together?
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J.P. Rosenbaum: Yes. It's going to be a boring answer for all of you but...
Ashley Hebert: I'm sorry.
J.P. Rosenbaum: Sitting home alone, ordering in and sleeping, laying on the couch. Fortunately we have a really good excuse to do that any weekend we want. Because once we moved to Princeton, we're now at least an hour, hour and fifteen minutes away from anything we want to do -- whether it's hanging out with friends and family in the city, whether it's go to the shore, go to Philly.
So we always have an excuse, "Oh it's an hour and a half away." We can just stay home and hang out on the couch. I think we really love to do it anyway, so it's not so much an excuse but...
Ashley Hebert: It sounds terrible! It sounds terrible, we're like the grandma and grandpa over here.
Any words of wisdom that you have for any future The Bachelor/Bachelorette couples that may really find love like you guys have? How to make it through since so many couple haven't before you?
Ashley Hebert: I think the biggest thing is just to be true to yourself and to be true to the way you feel. Don't force anything. Just let whatever's going to happen, happen. I don't know if that's going to make more successful couples or less, but I just think it's important from the beginning to just always be true to yourself.
J.P. Rosenbaum: Mm-hmm.
Ashley Hebert: And to not force anything.
J.P. Rosenbaum: Yes. Over time, you are who you are, and over time I think -- whether or not it's the real you or not -- when you're being filmed and on TV, over time, the real you is going to come out and it's at that point...
Ashley Hebert: Right.
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Ashley Hebert: Exactly.
J.P. Rosenbaum: ... there's no magic. There's no magic formula to it, it's just you work or you don't. And we were fortunate enough that we absolutely work.
Ashley Hebert: I also think it's because we were still ourselves while we were filming, so we got to know the real Ashley and the real J.P. while we were filming. It wasn't after the show that we learned things about each other, you know? It was during the time. So we had more time than most people.
J.P. Rosenbaum: I learned a lot about you after the show, I don't know what you're talking about.
Ashley Hebert: Oh alright, go for it. Lay it on me babe!
J.P. Rosenbaum: No it's a different, it's a different learning. Living with someone for, for even three weeks to a month after the show, you learn...
Ashley Hebert: Right.
J.P. Rosenbaum: ... about somebody, and that's when we said, you know, our real relationship started -- was when we got back and started living together.
Ashley Hebert: Right, right, right.
J.P. Rosenbaum: It's just like real life, you know?
J.P., I saw that you were wearing a yarmulke in some of the pictures. And I know that you had Chris Harrison officiating, so did you bring in any Jewish customs to the wedding or how did you guys both bring your religions into the wedding itself and the celebration?
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And when Ashley and I discussed it, she was obviously very open to incorporating anything that I wanted to incorporate. So we had, we got married under a chuppah, we broke the glass, we signed the Ketubah. I was wearing a yarmulke, there was definitely a lot of Judaism influence in the wedding.
Ashley Hebert: How about the Hora babe?
J.P. Rosenbaum: Oh well yes, we did dance the Hora at the reception afterwards as well.
Did you guys go up in the chairs?
J.P. Rosenbaum: Yes, we did.
Ashley Hebert: We sure did. I'm glad I didn't fall.
We better see that on Sunday night!
J.P. Rosenbaum: I don't think you will.
Ashley Hebert: I don't know if you will.
Really?
Ashley Hebert: No.
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Ashley Hebert: Because it was later on the evening obviously.
J.P. Rosenbaum: Yes, so that's about it.
Above is what the couple had to tell reporters during the initial portion of the call. Check back with Reality TV World soon to read the concluding portion -- and to read what Ashley and J.P. had to say to Reality TV World specifically, click here.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
