Trista Sutter Reveals Why She Chose Ryan Sutter Over Her Runner-up as They Celebrate 23 Years Together

Trista Sutter helped convince viewers that lasting love could come from reality TV. She made history as the very first lead of “The Bachelorette” in 2003, after finishing as the runner-up on the inaugural season of “The Bachelor.”

In her finale, Trista chose former football player-turned-firefighter Ryan Sutter over financial analyst Charlie Maher. It was a decision that would be life-changing, with the couple now celebrating 23 years of marriage.

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Trista Sutter Reflects on Choosing Ryan Sutter in Her ‘The Bachelorette’ Finale

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In a joint interview for People, Trista Sutter and her husband, Ryan Sutter, opened up about how they’ve made their relationship last, celebrating 23 years of marriage and the family they’ve built since her season concluded.

One intriguing question Trista was asked by the outlet was to reflect on her season finale and why she ultimately chose Ryan over her runner-up, Charlie Maher.

“He wrote me poetry. He was a professional athlete, and I love athleticism. His eyes. He made me laugh. He made me feel safe,” she said.

She continued, “It just felt right. We had so much chemistry, and I could see him fitting into my life and him fitting into mine and us creating a life of our own together.”

Ryan added that he had “no doubts” that he would marry Trista when she chose him. He then joked, “But I always hesitate to say that, because Brad Pitt could write her a letter tomorrow saying, ‘I’ve always liked you,’ and she could be like, ‘Peace out.’”

According to Us Weekly, following their engagement, Trista and Ryan starred in a televised three-part wedding special for ABC, reportedly earning $1 million. The couple tied the knot on December 6, 2003.

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Trista & Ryan’s Very Normal Life Today

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Trista and Ryan continue to stand out as one of the rare success stories from “The Bachelor” franchise. Despite their reality TV beginnings, they chose to embrace a more low-key life, raising their two children in Colorado, Ryan’s home state.

“We actually live a relatively boring existence now,” Ryan told People, adding, “We got married, had kids, had dogs, and now we’re prepping for our kids to be good adults, and maybe we’ll even become grandparents someday. But all of the stuff we have is because of that one crazy experience.”

Trista then revealed that she was asked to do more on-camera work, but decided to step away from it all to focus on growing a family with Ryan.

“I figured I’d move to L.A. But then we decided to move our life to Vail [Ryan’s hometown], and I focused on that. I’m now a hockey mom, a dance mom, a fire wife and a brand ambassador. I’ve had jobs, but my main focus is the kids. That’s been my world — and I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” she said.

The couple has, however, made occasional returns to reality TV over the years. Trista appeared as a contestant on season one of “Dancing With the Stars,” while she and Ryan later appeared on “Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars” in 2014. More recently, Trista competed on season 3 of “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.”