The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - The Most Dramatic Wedding Ever

Episode Date: November 8, 2023

Ben and Ashley are back from Chris Harrison’s wedding with a FULL recap!  Find out who from Bachelor Nation made the guest list, who partied a bit too hard, and what happened when Kaitlyn Bristowe and Jason Tartick reunited!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Hi, my name is Enya Eumanzor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble.

Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your... free iHeartRadio app search emergency internetcom and listen now I just normally do straight stand-up but this is a bit different what do you get when a true crime producer

walks into a comedy club answer a new podcast called Wisecrack where a comedian finds himself at the center of a chilling true crime story does anyone know what show they've come to see it's a story it's about the scariest night of my life

this is Wisecrack available now listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Let's start with a quick puzzle. The answer is Ken Jennings' appearance on The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs. The question is, what is the most entertaining listening experience in podcast land? Jeopardy-truthers believe in... I guess they would be conspiracy theorists.

That's right. To give you the answers and you still blew it. The puzzler. Listen on the eye. My Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If a baby is giggling in the back seat, they're probably happy. If a baby is crying in the back seat, they're probably hungry. But if a baby is sleeping in the back seat, will you remember they're even there? When you're distracted, stressed, or not usually the one who drives them,

the chances of forgetting them in the back seat are much higher. It can happen to anyone. Parked cars get hot fast. and can be deadly. So get in the habit of checking the back seat when you leave. The message from NHTSA and the Ad Council. This is the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcast with IHartRadio. Hey, everyone.

Welcome to the Almost Famous Podcast. Today, Ben and I are just going to chat with you guys about Chris Harrison and Lauren Zima's wedding. It was a great weekend. I just like, oh, I love our little Bachelor family reunions. It really fills my soul. It was a great weekend. Tons of fun. So many details to talk about.

Let's jump into it now. Ashley, obviously, you and I seem to be, I guess the Bachelor world, we should say, are really into the Western's themed weddings at this point. Yeah, apparently. And it really works for you. And I am the person who both times has been like, wait, it's a themed wedding. And then you're like, yes, Ashley, you're supposed to wear, like, cowboy boots. And I'm like, oh, well, I don't have those right now.

And I just, oh, I'm a mess when it comes to this theme. And then Ben shows up looking so dashing every single time. And you, like, carry yourself with a certain confidence when you have the cowboy hat on. Is that true? Yes. That's why Jessica's going to me at these weddings. Oh, yeah. Well, actually, Jessica said the funniest thing for me.

It is definitely one of those not suitable for work comments. But I so, so wish that I could caption my Instagram. Instagram tonight, which, yes, I am putting out another Ben Higgins dancing at a wedding Instagram rail because he serves the content at these weddings. And I'm like, Ben, we have a few, we have a few more weddings on the agenda for the next year. And I'm like, I'm going to make this a theme. I really like, tradition. I really enjoy weddings because it feels like a party. Like, I'm not a go-outer. I don't like the clubs. I don't like the bars. I never really have. And I think the reasoning is, because Because they, especially at this point in my life, they feel very pointless.

Like, I don't know what I'm doing there. I'm either going to drink way too much, which I don't enjoy doing. But you sometimes do it at weddings. I'm not sure whether you do or not, but like you definitely act like that on the dance floor. Yeah. When you've got your, like, tongue hanging out and your hips thrusting. Yeah, yeah. That's a good explanation of me, actually.

That was so dirty. But my point was, yeah. So I don't like to drink too much. I don't drink too much at weddings. In fact, Jessica still to this day would say in five years knowing me, she's never seen me intoxicated.

I've never seen her. It's so weird. But so my point with to this being, weddings are different for me, though, because there is something to celebrate. Like, there's a point to being there. And so I have a really good time

being around people, like having a drink in hand, dancing, singing, talking, like, because there is a reasoning for being there. And if, if, I were to go out to the bars, the really only reasons to go to the bars are to maybe spend

some time with friends, which is, it makes sense. But really, like, it's to find a love interest or to drink too much or to stay up too late. None of those three things I enjoy, need, or want in, you know, my life. But weddings are different. And they're a big, big party. So, Ashley, I think everybody listening wants to hear some of the details of this wedding. They want to hear who is all there. They can obviously see it now. And so, social media. I'll kick it off with kind of our agenda for the weekend. Yes, it was a Western themed wedding because we were in Austin. Friday night, Chris and Lauren did an incredible thing for us. We arrived in Austin. Everybody kind of got there around the same time. And then they

invited us over to their house, about, I would say 20 of us, the bachelor crew, for cocktails, incredible wine and hors d'oeuvres for a few hours just to be together. And I don't know if you witnessed this, Ashley, or thought about it this way. They didn't need to do that. Like that wasn't something, I think they wanted to, right? But then again, they had a lot of friends in town. They had a lot of groups. It was so, so nice.

And they actually had three events that night. And I suspected that perhaps they were going to do that. They had something with her sorority sisters and then something with her mom and her friends. but first was the bachelor party at their house. And it was just so incredibly nice of them to have us over their house. I was really looking forward to this element because, you know, both you and I are kind of like introverted extroverts or extroverted introverts. And it's nice to have like a calm place where we can be really comfortable with the people that we know.

And it was just that. It was so, it's just like the greatest when we all get together because I just feel so at home with everyone I'm with you and I was looking forward to this too I was a little nervous about it I think there's some dynamics you thought there was going to be some drama it was like really kept at bay there's going to be some drama we're going to talk about the drama the potential drama but let's first talk about who's all there Ashley let's start there was Ashley and Jared myself and Jessica Chris and Lauren Wells and Sarah Bob Guinea and Canyon his wife we also had Ari and Lauren Lyondyke, Tasha and her boyfriend Luke, Colton and Jordan were there, Becca and

Haley were there, Jojo Fletcher, Caitlin Bristow, Jason Tardick, which we'll talk about later, that dynamic, obviously one that was full of intrigue and interest for myself, at least. I don't know, for anybody else. No, no, no, we are all really curious to see what had happened. Tanner and Jade, Trista Sutter was also there. whom I forget. And then Sean and Catherine didn't come to the Friday night thing.

But Sean and Catherine were at the wedding, but they did not come to the Friday night thing. Was there anybody else that I'm missing that was there? Yeah, Kelly Travis and her husband. Hunter, yeah. Yeah, great group. From Juan Pablo season. Okay, so yeah, should we just jump into the whole

Caitlin and Jason interaction? Yeah, I think so. I mean, I think this is one. There was a lot of buildup, you know, behind the scenes. I can't say that anybody fully knew the dynamics of their relationship. We all know, though, that any time you see an X, even if the breakup is mutual and amicable and very sweet and nice, the dynamics can be awkward, right?

They are because you've broken up for a reason. Like, you haven't broken up because you still like, like each other so much. You've broken up because at some point you're like, hey, this isn't working. we're not getting along, we need to end it. Yeah, I was wondering whether or not they were seeing each other sharing the dogs in Nashville. But I'll let Caitlin, you know, on her podcast, explain their situation because I don't want to overstep.

But I will say this. It had been a while since she's seen him. And she, Jade, and Tristan and I were planning on getting a drink before going over to their house on Friday. And Caitlin was a little bit late getting down there. So Jade and I were sitting down at like a little table by the bar. and then all of a sudden, who walks up and grabs a drink at the bar, Jason? So then we're like, oh my God, what do we do? What do we do?

She's like, she literally had just texted us and she's like on her way down. So we did our best. We intercepted her and we walked her out to like the outdoor sitting area. And we found like a little empty spot in the corner. But Jason had, when he made eye contact with Jade, was like, you can just tell. He was like, oh gosh, there's somebody got there's definitely, she's definitely coming. And then we were sitting there in the corner and she was like, oh my God, this is so awkward.

What do I do? So actually he ended up texting her basically was like, I saw you. Like, do you want to say, you want to like say hi? Yeah. And which is great. Yeah, which is great. And then once they said hi guys, not to make you like sorry to disappoint for those who want drama.

But they were like so totally normal all weekend long once the initial high was done. In fact, they were kind of, I think, you know, it'd be, it's interesting going to a wedding alone. And I think when you go to a wedding alone, there's a lot of couples there. And sometimes you wonder how you're going to kind of fit in. And I would say the two of them were around each other a lot, got along really good. I was just really proud of them, like, proud in the sense of, hey, I can learn from them in this moment. I don't know if I would have had that ability or in my past with an ex to do that and I think I was just like admiring how well they navigated that everybody they knew they were once together everybody knew they've now broken up and they didn't let it be a thing

yeah you could tell there was a really good just foundation of friendship there because they did choose to hang out together at certain points like even on Friday night when we went to dinner they like hung out the other side of the table they took ubers with us it wasn't as it was not like at all anything it looked like people who really enjoyed each other's company for so many years were you at all at any point actually hoping to witness a rekindling of the flame yeah i think we all did because they were like so friendly they were like well if they're so friendly then like maybe they should just maybe you know try it again maybe just tonight kind of fun you know fun for all of us at least to watch i couldn't tell if i was in

like wanting it or not. I didn't know what was healthy and what was not. I don't know enough details to have. Probably healthy not to. And they didn't. Hi, my name is Enya Emanzor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom.

If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADA, Oh my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now.

What would you do if one bad decision forced you to choose between a maximum security prison or the most brutal boot camp designed to be hell on earth? Unfortunately for Mark Lombardo, this was the choice he faced. He said, you are a number. a New York State number, and we own you. Shock incarceration, also known as boot camps, are short-term, highly regimented correctional programs that mimic military basic training.

These programs aim to provide a shock of prison life, emphasizing strict discipline, physical training, hard labor, and rehabilitation programs. Mark had one chance to complete this program and had no idea of the hell awaiting him the next six months. The first night was so overwhelming, and you don't know who's next to you yet. And we didn't know what to expect in the morning. Nobody tells you anything.

Listen to shock incarceration on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Ed. Everyone say, hello, Ed. I'm from a very rural background myself. My dad is a farmer, and my mom is a cousin. So, like, it's not like... What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? I know it sounds like the story.

of a bad joke, but that really was my reality nine years ago. I just normally do straight stand-up, but this is a bit different. On stage stood a comedian with a story that no one expected to hear. The 22nd of July 2015, a 23-year-old man had killed his family. And then he came to my house. So what do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? A new podcast called Wisecrack, where stand-up comedy and murder takes center stage. Available now.

Listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A foot washed up a shoe with some bones in it. They had no idea who it was. Most everything was burned up pretty good from the fire that not a whole lot was salvageable. These are the coldest of cold cases. But everything is about to change. Every case that is a cold case that has DNA right now in a backlog will be identified in our lifetime.

A small lab in Texas is cracking the code on DNA. Using new scientific tools, they're finding clues in evidence so tiny you might just miss it. He never thought he was going to get caught. And I just looked at my computer screen. I was just like, ah, gotcha. On America's Crime Lab, we'll learn about victims and survivors And you'll meet the team behind the scenes at Othrum, the Houston Lab that takes on the most hopeless cases to finally solve the unsolvable.

Listen to America's Crime Lab on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It was really great, really proud of them. Again, I learned a lot from them. In terms of everybody else, it was just good to see everybody else. It was great to see Jojo. I love Jojo so much. Like, I haven't seen her for three years, but how is it that when I see her, I feel like yesterday?

And I just, like, want to hang out with her so much more. She's such an addictive personality. Like, I've got a personality that you want to be around. She really is. And I had told Jess, because before the weekend, kind of gave her a rundown to everybody. And, you know, she was like, should it be weird between Jojo and I? Because somebody had asked her, one of her clients had asked her, are you nervous to go to this wedding?

Like, is it going to be awkward? And I was like, no. I was like, it's going to be opposite of awkward. There's nothing awkward to it. We're all in a really good place. And Jojo's the best. Like, she is incredible. And Jess and Jojo got along so well.

They really did. Like, I looked over and I saw the two of them hanging out, just chatting the two of them multiple times. It was really nice. It was never even a thought on my mind if that could be. Obviously, then she knew a lot of the others from kind of past, weddings or past events. So the group was incredible. We did a Friday night at Chris and Lawrence.

It was just a good catch-up, if anything else. It was mostly just meant to say hey to everybody to show who was all there and got to meet, you know, obviously Tasha's boyfriend, Luke, for the first time. And that was great. And then Saturday night, or Friday night, I guess we went to dinner, mostly all together, kind of in two separate groups, the girls and the guys. I got sit by Jared and Tanner and talk football the whole night while the other side of the table just had a blast. I mean, the stories coming from that side of the table are wild, what they were talking about.

I don't even think I could mention on the podcast, but, you know, it was the Bob Guineas, and it was Wells, and it was Jason, and they are just all really funny people who can make each other laugh and make anybody laugh at any given time. Bachelor Bob is just amazing. and I still refer to him as Bachelor Bob because that's what I thought of him as in high school. He is just another person who's like you just want to like listen to him talk and be around him. He's so

he's always just in the most upbeat mood and just like seeing his face kind of makes me laugh. He's obviously an attractive man but like there's something about him just makes me like laugh. He is one of those people that their personalities make you want to see them as often as possible.

And I think he likes being called Bachelor Bob. I think he finds it very fun to still be considered Bachelor Bob. I think his wife likes for him to be called Bachelor Bob because she gives him such a hard time in the most cute and loving way that I think refer toering is that I think at this point his life makes him very like smile really big. He is, I don't, I didn't watch his season. I need to go back and see if I can ever find it. I would say from the people I'd met, he and Andrew Firestone would have to be to the best

there's many great people who have been the bachelor and bachelor but like two of the best bachelors of all time like I think we have to say that because they just are great people well Chris is really close to Andrew Firestone and I think he was at their Napa wedding he wasn't able to come to this for some reason

he had a big family event that he couldn't get out of and so he had I had message with him because he's one of those characters also so the girls went and had dinner Jessica went with the girls which I was really excited about It was me, Jojo, Becca, Haley, Caitlin, Trista, Lauren, and Jade. And it was, yeah, so great.

Such a girl's thing. And, you know, we're not telling wild stories, but we're talking about the boys. And we're talking about kids, too. Goodness gracious. Talking about kids, talking about the boys. And then we met up, went to bed that night. Jessica and I stayed up and had drinks with Wells and Sarah until about 1.30 in the morning, which has to be the latest.

You guys were like serious chance. because the two of them, well, Jess was falling asleep at the dinner table. She is not a late night person, as I've fully explained. But we stayed up to 1.30 because Sarah and Wells were telling great stories. The next day, we had the wedding. The wedding was an event in Austin, Texas at a place called The Ranch. It has like longhorns and donkeys. And then it's just this beautiful out.

setting kind of this amazing patio. It was, and I said it during the speech, at one point it hit me, Ashley, like it was a very sacred moment because both of these people have come together through thick and thin already. They've stayed by each other's side. They found each other in a fairly unexpected way. There's obviously an age difference that everybody is aware of. And so nobody would have necessarily like put those two together. They've married before. They have just a history, you know, of a relationship in life. And being around them, not just this weekend, but many weekends before, they are deeply in love with each other, like, with each other. They just are an incredible couple who I believe do bring out the best

in each other. Yeah. For us, it's cool because we knew both of them individually before they got together and it was just like one of those moments where it's like oh my god you person that i really like are you're dating the person that i really like that it's just it's all of those moments and they yeah they're just so they're like they are so compatible but they also have like a total they have different personalities like it's one of those like opposite track but also the same at the same time you know Yeah. I mean, I think, too, actually, something to mention is during Lauren's vows, she made it a point to talk about how they both kind of run their own race. And yet they come

together to support each other. And I think the two of them really needed that. They needed to be individuals and to pursue their own passions and their own dreams. But, you know, it benefits them to have that partner that stands beside them through those passions and dreams. I think it would, you know, it's not always easy in life. to find somebody who is not really codependent on their partner, completely codependent. And the two of them could not have that. They did not want that.

Thanks for articulating that way better than I. And she also said that she never believed in soulmates until him. She gave a great explanation for that on the definition of soulmates and what that means. She looked at the definition. She was like, does it fit that? Yes. Does it fit that? Yes.

It was really cute. Yeah. You know, I think when it comes out with Chris's vows, then the part that meant so much to him and has always meant so much to him is friends and family. And I think he groups those into one big group. But most of his vows focused around the idea

that Lauren has entered into life with Chris and has loved his friends and his family and his kids as much as he does. And I think that means so much to... He said that as much as I do. And I think that's really a powerful statement. Chris, I don't think ever imagine getting married again. I don't think he necessarily saw the reason to get married again.

But I do think it took somebody specifically like Lauren, who has been there with his kids and stood beside him with his family and friends for him to say, yes, this is something I want to do with you. His vows were obviously beautiful. I got the Chris host voice back. I haven't heard that voice in a long. We all miss the Chris host voice. did appear throughout the night, but also didn't appear, of course, throughout some parts of the vows where he did to get choked up. And so, like, I knew I wasn't going to be able to get through

this. And he, like, had to take a pause, get that lump out of his throat. Yeah. It's really cute. It's not often you see Chris get rattled. Hi, my name is Enya Humanzor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we, and we, We run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble.

Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. A foot washed up a shoe with some bones in it. They had no idea who it was. Most everything was burned up pretty good from the fire that not a whole lot was salvageable. These are the coldest of cold cases, but everything is about to change.

Every case that is a cold case that has DNA. Right now in a backlog will be identified in our lifetime. A small lab in Texas is cracking the code on DNA. Using new scientific tools, they're finding clues in evidence so tiny you might just miss it. He never thought he was going to get caught. And I just looked at my computer screen. I was just like, ah, gotcha. On America's Crime Lab, we'll learn about victims and survivors.

And you'll meet the team behind the scenes at Othrum, the Houston Lab that takes on the most hopeless cases to finally solve the unsolvable. Listen to America's Crime Lab on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Ed. Everyone say hello, Ed. from a very rural background myself

my dad is a farmer and my mom is a cousin so like it's not what do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club I know it sounds like the start of a bad joke but that really was my reality nine years ago I just normally do straight stand-up

but this is a bit different on stage stood a comedian with a story that no one expected to hear 22nd of July 2015 a 23 year old man had killed his family. And then he came to my house. So what do you get when a true crime producer

walks into a comedy club? A new podcast called Wisecrack, where stand-up comedy and murder takes center stage. Available now. Listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What would you do if you do? if one bad decision forced you to choose between a maximum security prison or the most brutal

boot camp designed to be hell on earth. Unfortunately for Mark Lombardo, this was the choice he faced. He said, you are a number, a New York State number, and we own you. Shock incarceration, also known as boot camps, are short-term, highly regimented correctional programs that mimic military basic training. These programs aim to provide a shock of prison in life, emphasizing strict discipline, physical training, hard labor, and rehabilitation programs. Mark had one chance to complete this program and had no idea of the hell awaiting him the next six months. The first night was so overwhelming, and you don't know who's next to you.

And we didn't know what to expect in the morning. Nobody tells you anything. Listen to shock incarceration on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. so for for us there i think it it was the the purest form of chris that a lot of us know and love but it was a chris that was just being there beside somebody he was admitting that he loves them and committing the rest of his life to them and and so then the party starts the party that was the wedding the wedding was a surprise now i want to let everybody

that the wedding was not expected by anybody going the actual ceremony yeah we thought we were going to a party yeah we thought we were just going to a party a celebration a reception just to celebrate their love and yet they gave us all the gift uh and hopefully themselves the gift of being able to then do their vows and finalize their marriage on in front of all of us which yes i was so excited about. I was so excited. I was like, I don't know how I'm going to feel about going to a wedding whether it's just a party, you know, because like I love the ceremony. The ceremony is always like my favorite part. And I got a glimmer that maybe we're going to get something when I asked them the day before if it was official, whether they had signed the paperwork. And then

I think Lauren said, no, we're going to sign the paperwork tomorrow. And I was like, hmm, but why? And okay, and then you show up And they have the big arch And I'm like, okay And then we were told to promptly be there at 530 As if there was something we'd miss If we showed up a little late So there were signs

And I was really excited to hear That they were actually gonna go through the whole thing I don't know if you know the answer to this Did they exchange like traditional vows Or also personal written vows During their Napa ceremony Which is about two or three weeks ago I know nothing about the Napa ceremony

So I don't know but I do know they had a ceremony in Napa with close friends and family, like mostly just their families were there with them in Napa to kind of celebrate. I imagine they did exchange more traditional vows there. It would be really hard to do. To read it twice. Yeah, to write it twice. But they wanted to do that with their friends and family in Napa.

And then I think they gave their written vows, I would imagine, at this ceremony in Austin, with about, I'd say 200 of us there. It was 220. Yeah, I asked. So it was a good solid group. People from all different, you know, walks of life. We saw producers like Alon there, who used to be working on The Bachelor. We saw directors that used to be on The Bachelor.

We saw Hollywood hosts that were there to professional athletes to just good old friends from Austin, like their neighbors. We saw her sorority sisters there. and in which I thought was a really cool moment when Lauren announced each group that was there because it shows each scope of their life, like family friends, family, you know, childhood friends, and then obviously the rest that I just had mentioned. So there was a solid group of people, a lot of which I have known. I didn't know necessarily that they were going to be at the wedding. But it was spectacular. And it was also spectacular to see Chris's kids who are now in college. which is wild to me because when I was evil on the show,

you know, Taylor was in middle school? Middle school, like just coming out of middle school. Maybe not, maybe, maybe elementary school, Jared. Jared, pf, maybe elementary school then. Because think about it. She's a sophomore now and you were the batch. Okay, so is middle school.

It was middle school because it was like right on the border. Because I remember when her and her friends was so fun for me because it was kind of the season where you expect her friends for the first time to be interested in the show and so they would all get so excited and come and it was always really fun for me

to be like around them because they were just like giddy but yet also Taylor's dad is the host and like the leader of this franchise but it was really the first time that she could tune in fully and watch a full season without you know having her eyes

have to be closed at times and so it was it was great to see her it's great to see Josh and his girlfriend. So we've gone through every who is there. We've gone through the ceremony. They had some great barbecues,

some mac and cheese. The food was really good. And you guys, speaking of like just moments in the past, Taylor, his daughter being in middle school, that reminds me of me seeing him with his kids in paradise

during that first season. And I was still so starstruck by Chris just being like, oh my God, like I can't believe this is Chris Harrison. Like how weird is it? That was like the moment. moment that you realized you were on like the bachelor because like Chris Harrison would disappear

every now and then and that's what Wells brought up in your joint speech how the first night he was like nuts he goes sorry Jojo wasn't starstruck to see you but Chris Harrison yeah holy crap yeah so so talk about your speech and how you guys planned it because it complemented each other you guys went back and forth and let us know when they asked you to do that you were the only people to give a speech besides his kids. So it's really, really special. Yeah, it's a bit, I mean, it was a big honor, which I would say, knowing that Wells and I were the two people asked to give a speech outside of his kids made Wells and I extremely

nervous. Like, well, didn't eat beforehand. And he was like, you know, I just don't want to eat before. I was like, are you nervous? You're actually, you are nervous? And he's like, no, no, no, I'm not nervous. I just like, don't want to. I'm like, oh, okay, you just don't want to eat, but you're not nervous.

Yeah. We were nervous. Um, trust me. So Lauren and Chris had had reached out to us probably a month ago and had asked if we'd be okay giving a toast at their wedding. And at that point, we didn't know, you know, who all was giving toast. We later found out that it was just Wells and I and then his kids. So Wells and I started to kind of talk about, it has been really a fun experience because we, we did put what I would say, a lot of work into it. I'm not going to say like we, sweat over this. It wasn't like a stressful thing for us. But we talked to each other quite a bit about

this speech. And the fun part, actually, which I think would be really fun for you, is going back through all of our memories of Chris and Lorne and pulling back, like, these are the interactions that have meant something to me. These are the funny interactions that we've had. These are the memories that we have together. Here's the memories that other people have of them. Here's what other people say about them. And I think for us, it was just a very, it was a very exciting experience. because I think it just continued to remind me how much both of these two people have meant through my personal journey over the last six years

and how much they've meant to so many others personal journeys over the last sometimes 20 years for Chris and then another seven or eight for Lauren as she's been a part of the franchise. And so we did go back and forth, we did plan it out. We had a couple key points we wanted to really emphasize, which is obviously how great they are.

but then some really funny stories about, you know, when I first met Lauren Zima, it was in a bathroom because I. It was such a good story. Yeah, my pants were too tight. So I had to drop my pants down to my ankle to go to the bathroom. And I was going to the bathroom on my very first day of being the bachelor during a studio shoot and I forgot to lock the door and she comes into the bathroom. And there I am, standing, staring at her, you know, full frontal. And that was the first day I've ever met Lauren Zima. And it, you know, to think, now that I'm standing on stage at her wedding as a very funny idea. And then with Chris,

there's a thousand, you know, Chris stories that we could go through. So yes, it meant a lot to us. We were very nervous, both of us. Yeah,

but you guys are just pros at public speaking. Like, they're not, besides Jared, there are not two other people in the world that I can think, like, oh, they can get up there and rock it with even out,

without planning. Well, thank you. In storytelling, too, like, not just public speaking and, like, in the way that you have to do it with generous. I think, Ashley, to summarize the speech topic, we were very nervous for one reason, because when you are asked to do anything at somebody's wedding, you know, this is going to be, you know, one of the biggest days of their life. And you don't want to be remembered as the person that really screwed up. Like, after he gave the speech, people were coming up to me and being like, hey, you know, good. job or hey waited to go whatever and then they'd be like i remember at my wedding my best man flopped

he said this and this and this it was so awkward it was so weird uh so i do think there's the ability to really screw it up and be remembered as the friend that really screwed up your that wedding not the whole wedding i've only been to one wedding where i remember somebody just being like oh my but you remember i can't believe he's saying this yes of course yeah i remember it it wasn't even somebody i was really close to it was more of like a friend of a friend's wedding but she was having such a gigantic wedding she's like yeah you and jerry come and like yes i do really enjoy being around her but like i couldn't believe the stories this man was saying and just the roasting that was happening a little roast here or there is fun yeah you remember it and it stands out to you so you don't

want to be those guys you don't want to be that but we did it uh i hope that everybody got out of it that um you know i hope what everybody got out of it was that they really um know and understand just how incredible chris and Lauren are to so many of us and how they should be known and seen as two people who have given up big pieces of their lives to cater and care for and also guide and direct but also just make ridiculous tv um for many years and uh and this should be a celebration of two of them it was just great like everything was great your speech was wonderful It was heartfelt and hilarious, and then so were the vows. And that's exactly what you want.

You want, like, to break up the tears with a couple laughs. Did you cry at all? I did cry. I did. I cried during. I got welled up, and I got welly. Yeah. I cried when I, like I said, the moment hit me.

I was like, this is a very sacred night. We're outside at a wedding. Everybody's looking so good. There's so, I mean, I always get emotional when my wife is with me at these back. bachelor events because I'm just like I don't and then she's like getting along with people and talking to people because I'm just like how how have I been so lucky like how did I get to a place where these two worlds can collide and they can collide in a way that I'm not threatened by or nervous about but I can see is but that are fun for me and beautiful to me. I get very emotional

at the people that were a part of the bachelor you included who kind of like have helped her enter in and like be when she goes to these she's excited because she believes and knows that she has friends there. So I get emotional over that. And so then you look around the room, you're like, you know, there's Colton, who obviously has been through it from the show, and yet he's still here.

And there's, there's Ari who has been through it from the show, yet he's still here. There's Jojo, who has been through it, you know, as she mentioned with Jordan, but then they get married. Like, there's Caitlin and Jason standing next to each other. Like, it's just cool. I think to see this in person and be reminded

that there are really cool, really heartfelt people that come from this franchise. They're just doing their best after getting thrown into this crazy world. Yeah. And I'm just so grateful for this crew. Yeah. And I'm so grateful for the show. And I just have these moments during moments of watching them exchange their vows, being like,

how am I here? What? How am I here? And it's the coolest. And I never go a day without appreciating what the show has brought into my life. That's right. Well, that's kind of the summary of the wedding. After the wedding, everybody went home because we were exhausted. I was exhausted at an early flight the next day. And it was a massive success from all accounts, right? No drama, no awkwardness, a ton of love being shared, a ton of love being

given, great times catching up with friends that maybe you don't see as often as you would like, or friends that you haven't seen in years, or maybe friends that you see all the time, but just you get to enjoy this together. It was a beautiful wedding, wishing Chris and Lauren, an absolute dream. You can listen to probably more details of the planning and of the whole evening and why they did the things they did on the most dramatic pod ever. It is Chris Harrison and Lauren Zima special. They have obviously talked about it. And you should go over and listen to that as well. But until next time, Ashley, until the next wedding, until the next show airs, I've been Ben.

I've been Ashley. See you guys. Follow the Ben and Ashley I, almost famous podcast on IHartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Hi, my name is Enya Humanzor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you.

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