Kaitlyn Bristowe Admits She Already 'Feels Married' To Jason Tartick, Dishes On Their 'Unique' Bond
Oct. 20 2022, Published 8:20 p.m. ET
Though Kaitlyn Bristowe and Jason Tartick have only been engaged since May 2021, the Bachelorette star doesn't think their relationship will be any different once they say "I do."
"I already feel like I am married, to be honest with you. I am definitely looking forward to the day that everybody is in the room with us. We are both so close to our own families and each other's families, and we both have such a strong, supportive group of friends that imagining them all in one room together is probably the most exciting thing for us and something we often think about," the 37-year-old, who is teaming up with Mars Petcare to launch its Service Humans Needed program – the company’s largest animal shelter volunteer campaign ever – to address the current crisis facing animal shelters across the U.S. and Canada, exclusively tells OK!.
"We already feel married — we have our two rescue dogs, we have a home, we're together all the time. Well, we travel a lot, but it feels like nothing will really change once that happens, so we are definitely looking forward to the actual day," she adds.
The finance guru, 33, and the Canada native met after they both starred on the ABC series, and it only brought them closer together. "There's a reason Bachelor in Paradise works or people meet through the show is because you both experience something that nobody else has," the podcast host explains. "I always say the show forces you to open up like you would never imagine, and you have to lay everything out on the table so that when Jason and I met, we were both so accepting of being vulnerable and not playing games. We talked about what we want in life and marriage, and we both didn't feel insecure doing that because we were like, 'Oh, we just put it all out there on TV anyways.' It's a unique bond and it was a pretty cool foundation to start on."
As for if Bristowe has any advice for other reality stars who walk away from the show with the love of their life, she says, "Don't listen to the noise. There's going to be a lot of that but it doesn't last forever — but your relationship can. There's a lot of people who have opinions on the internet. But if you have that strong foundation to come out a television show, you have to tune out the noise."
- Joey King Is Excited for Her Upcoming Wedding to Steven Piet: 'I Feel Lucky to Know Great Love in My Life'
- Jason Tartick Admits Fiancée Kaitlyn Bristowe 'Has Shaped My Life in So Many Ways': 'We Help Each Other Grow as Individuals'
- JoJo Fletcher Admits She Feels A 'Deeper Connection' To Jordan Rodgers After Getting Married: 'We're Talking About Building A Family Together'
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
The brunette beauty admits she and Tartick are "so different," but she wouldn't have it any other way.
"It's hilarious," she says. "We have some similarities where we're like, 'OK, well, we can compromise here,' but we're so different. He was like, 'I want to go to Vegas for his birthday,' and I am like, 'No!' But we're going to do it. We both love playing cards, we love having a glass of wine — that's one of our favorite things to do together. There's something about playing cards where you're not picking up your phone, you're present, you're in the moment."
"One of our favorite things to do together is genuinely just be home with our two dogs, Ramen and Pinot," she notes. "Just taking them on a walk. They are the best cuddlers in the world and we love to relax on a Sunday, take the dogs to the park, cuddle on the couch with them. They're truly the light of our lives. There's something about rescuing dogs. I always joke I don't know who rescued who because they have helped me in so many ways. That's why I am passionate about encouraging people to rescue as well. I know that love and I know what that feels like, and it's one of the best feelings in the world."
Since the Spade & Sparrows creator is so passionate about helping out animals, partnering with Mars Petcare for its Service Humans Needed program was a no-brainer! "In my last relationship, I had a golden retriever, but there is nothing quite like the love of a rescue animal," she gushes. "Dogs are intuitive and they're smart and they know they've been saved, and it's magical. I was honored and really proud to partner with Mars to launch the company’s largest animal shelter volunteer campaign ever. It's bringing awareness to the importance of supporting adoptable dogs and cats that are across the U.S. and Canada. Sadly, there is a crisis happening with shelters — they're on pace to have their worst rate of overpopulation in three years, which is absolutely devastating. There's hundreds and thousands of dogs and cats across the U.S. and Canada that need forever homes and our help right now. This is a cause near and dear to my heart."