Marlborough Magazine Feb 2018 | Page 5

pressure a bit as you can actually have a decent real-time conversation. I can’t imagine what it was like in carrier pigeon days! Travel is also horrendously expensive and it’s not something that is readily available to everyone, so that of course would put huge pressure on a relationship financially as well as emotionally. What is your view on the longevity of marriage in today’s society? I’ve heard the stat that over one third of marriages end in divorce now (or was it two thirds?), but I think that mirrors the changes in acceptance of divorce in society. Back in my grandparents' day, people just didn’t get divorced as it was hugely frowned upon, so I’d imagine there were many people in unhappy marriages that felt like they couldn’t leave. On top of that, our parents, and their parents, generally got married a lot younger, so now that divorce is much more accepted, we’re seeing the weeding out of people that rushed into marriage with the wrong person, which is actually a good thing in my opinion. I would never expect anyone to stay in a marriage if they weren’t happy because they signed a piece of paper… life is far too short! Now for the juicy bits! First, congratulations on the engagement! The whole country is so happy for you both; it’s so wonderful to see the fairytale coming true! How are the wedding plans going - any details you would like to share? Thank you so much! We are so excited. I’ve known for a long time that we would spend the rest of our lives together, but now that it’s official, it really is the best feeling. We haven’t started planning anything yet, we’re just enjoying being engaged! We are trying not to rush into anything, as I’ve heard wedding planning can be a little stressful, so I’ll take my time getting to that! How do you both feel about where you are at after the Bachelor? What were your expectations? We went in to the whole Bachelor experience very naively. I had high hopes but low expectations, if that makes sense. I really wanted to meet someone, but was a little skeptical of that chance that the one person they pick would be someone I connect with… and lo and behold! We definitely underestimated how much our lives would change. I thought there would be a bit of a buzz during and after the show, but I didn’t think it would be as big as it was. I think a lot of it came down to the timing of the show. It aired on telly right at the start of the “social media celebrity” era, and we soon discovered that having social media followers was suddenly a form of currency, and we could turn it in to a job. I now run my social media and blog full-time, and I love that every day is different, and I’m my own boss. It’s still a brand new industry, so everyone is learning at the same time, but it’s an exciting era to be a part of. What were the positive and negative (if any) impacts the TV experience had on your relationship? The positives are, of course, that we found each other! I don’t think we would have met if we weren’t on the show. Dealing with the public as well as the media definitely drew us closer in a relatively short amount of time too. We were chucked in the deep end in that respect, so it was great that we had each other to lean on. In terms of negatives, it was really tough dealing with the public scrutiny. We all know how harsh social media (and comments on news sites) can be, and that was something we weren’t prepared for as much as we thought we were. There were so many rumours and nasty articles floating around - I found it quite hard to ignore them. In that respect, developing a thick skin has taken time, and now we actually couldn’t care less what people think of our relationship. It has taken a long tim e to realise we don’t have to justify ourselves to anyone, and have nothing to prove. We have seen a lot of the media relationships fail. What do you think made your relationship stand the test of public pressure? I actually have no idea. I think we just got lucky, as we are so well-suited. We have the ability to not take things too seriously and I think that has brought us through the hard times unscathed. We know that you are both pretty passionate about wellbeing. What ways have you been able to intertwine this in your relationship. Do you have a few projects you work together on? We are both big believers that diet and exercise have a hugely positive effect on your mental health. We cook together, and we often work out together – whether that is going for a run, yoga, or a workout at the gym. We have also just started a business together called Plate Up which is a healthy pre-made meal company that delivers to your door. Working together is amazing, we make a great team and are both passionate about the same things. What would your advice be to those out there that are in search of the perfect partner, but don’t know where to start? Learn to find happiness in your own company first. Life is not “completed” when you have a partner, but rather “added to” in my opinion. You need to find fulfillment in yourself before you can truly love someone else! People tend to be drawn to people that are content in their own skin, in my opinion. You both have so much to look forward to. What is on your dream list for the near future? My dreams change all the time, but one constant is that I want to have a family with Art one day. I also have a long-term dream of opening an animal sanctuary of some sort. A home for animals that have been abandoned or hurt and need a bit of TLC. w.matilda-rice.com for inspirational and positive motivation to achieve a healthy wellbeing