Q&A with Trista and Ryan Sutter

Trista and Ryan Sutter are the most famous couple from the Bachelor and Bachelorette franchise on ABC-TV and hold the distinction of being the first and only duo from the show to marry. They wed in an elaborate nationally-televised ceremony in December 2003, and then settled in Vail, Colorado, where Ryan is a firefighter and Trista is a stay-at-home mom and runs her own diaper bag line, Trista Baby. They had their first child, Max, in 2007, and just welcomed a new daughter, Blakesley in April. As the newest members of the Department of Romance, Trista and Ryan share some of their secrets to romantic success and how they successfully transitioned from a reality TV couple to a real-life couple.

Q: When America watched you meet, fall in love and get married as part of “The Bachelorette,” your relationship truly had the fairytale ending everyone dreams about. Can you tell us about the magic?
A: As a girl, I always loved fairy tales and dreamt of my prince charming. After meeting Ryan, I knew that dreams could come true. Yes, we met in a completely untraditional way, but it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and, obviously, we wouldn’t change it for the world.

Q: Now, you’ve been married for five years. Most of the Bachelors and Bachelorettes don’t even stay together five months. What’s your secret?
A: We’re asked this question more than any other by far and always say the same thing…We don’t think we have a “secret” necessarily. We’re just like any other couple with ups and downs and lots of winding roads on our marital path. Bottom line, we’re committed to our relationship, we love each other, we’re best friends, and we trust, respect, and believe in each other. In the beginning, we took advantage of a lot of the fun opportunities that came our way, but we made a conscious decision to move away from the chaos of the show and focus on us…that could’ve helped as well.

Q: What do you both do to make romance a priority, especially with a toddler and a brand-new baby?
A: That’s surely a difficult task and we have to admit to not being experts, by any means. We’d actually encourage recommendations on this subject!! One thing we do take advantage of, when possible, is having family in town who allow us to get away and spend a night out, just us. Although that’s not a weekly or even necessarily a monthly thing, we try to get out and enjoy each others company as much as possible.

Q: How has parenthood changed your relationship?
A: Parenthood changes everything in your life. Your children become the center of your world and your top priority, especially for a stay-at-home-mom like me. Their needs are always taken care of first and that means that our personal needs as well as our marital needs, often take a back seat. Even with the move down the totem pole, our relationship has taken on an incredibly special meaning. We aren’t just “Trista and Ryan”…we are Max and Blakesely’s parents and we are so proud of that!

Q: Trista, America also fell in love with Ryan as they watched him win your heart with touching poems and romantic gestures. From that experience, what is your fondest memory of him?
A: Good question. I think one of my favorite memories was one that the viewers didn’t see. I had just met up with him in Vail on our way to meet his parents for dinner. Before we had microphones on, he passed me a note and told me to read it later, off camera. That note burned a hole in my coat for sure! I was SO anxious to get home and read it, but it was completely worth the wait. Ryan actually confessed that he was in love with me and although I would’ve loved to hear it in person for the first time, it was actually incredibly romantic and a moment I won’t soon forget.

Q: Since the show is centered around one woman finding true love, we mostly saw what all the men did to win Trista’s affection. Ryan, what did Trista do to win your heart?
A: Trista didn’t have to do anything other than demonstrate to me that she was more than a girl on a reality show. The first time we spent a moment off camera I knew she could be the one for me. Her personality when the cameras were off was much more subdued and down to earth. She seemed more at ease and relaxed, which left me knowing that she wasn’t all about being on TV and that she really was looking for love.

Q: What advice do you have for real-life couples who have been together two weeks, two years or 20 years?
A: I don’t know that we could give advice to couples who have been together 4 times as long as us, as we’re still learning every day! In general though, our advice would be to respect each other and your differences. Embrace what you don’t have in common, even if it means that you aren’t together 24/7. The time we spend away from each other, with our friends or doing something we are passionate about, allows us to regroup and when we come back together, we’re more appreciative of our time together.

Q: You recently christened Princess’ newest ship, Ruby Princess. What about cruising is romantic to you?
A: Just spending time together and reconnecting – whether on a private balcony, ordering room service, or enjoying the relaxing Sanctuary having a couples massage. There are so many intimate little spots on the ship, you’d never know there were thousands of other people there with you!

Tell us a little bit more about your life together with the following questions:

Q: If we were to drop in on a typical Friday or Saturday night, what would you be doing?
A: First and foremost, it all depends on Max and Blakesley. If they’re both sleeping, Ryan and I try to meet up on the couch for a little downtime, just us. We try to do that every night but when Ryan works at the fire station, he works for 48 hours, so he could be gone both Friday and Saturday night!

Q: Who is a better cook and what is that person’s signature dish?
A: Ryan for sure. He can whip something together with just a few ingredients. Some of my favorites from his creative mind are stuffed French toast and granola pancakes. I, on the other hand, have always said I was born without a cooking gene. I can bake a mean dessert though…my favorite being Mississippi Mud Pie…yum!

Q: What was the last movie you watched together?
A: At the theater, “Seven Pounds” with Will Smith. What a moving film! We do love watching movies at home though, and the last one we had in the DVD player was “The Dark Knight” with Heath Ledger.

Q: When you get to enjoy a night out together, what is your typical “date night?”
A: Typically, we’re all about dinner and a movie. Not very unique I guess, but when you are a parent, it’s all about getting out together!

Q: What was your most memorable romantic getaway?
A: Our honeymoon was pretty darn romantic. We went to Turtle Island in Fiji and it was all about relaxation, lots of cuddle time, and private beaches galore! A trip to Costa Rica taken before Max was also quite nice.

Q: Who changes more dirty diapers?
A: That’s EASY…Trista!!