Happiness of the newlyweds! Jenna Cooper and her fiance Carl Hudson got married in a modest ceremony almost a year after their engagement.
The 32-year-old Bachelor in Paradise graduate shared the news with fans on Monday, April 4, saying that the duo decided to elope in New Orleans while they were in town for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
“We finally did it!” the former reality star wrote on Instagram along with a carousel of photos from the big day. “I couldn’t wait any longer to marry the man of my dreams;) We decided at the last moment to come to New Orleans for the Final Four and just run away! It was so fun, spontaneous and exciting.”
The Indiana native said she planned the ceremony herself “within a few days,” adding that she and her husband plan to throw a party for family and friends later this year. “I’m very happy with how things turned out,” she wrote about the impromptu wedding. “The ceremony was really special, and with us was our wonderful friend Catherine, who is a big part of our lives (as well as the person who introduced us). In fact, I was very relaxed and could absorb every moment. I feel so blessed and I just can’t stop smiling.”
Cooper and the real estate broker went public with their romance in January 2020. Later that year, they had a daughter, Presley, who is now 20 months old.
In June 2021, Hudson proposed to his sweetheart on her birthday when they were on vacation in the Turks and Caicos Islands. “I said YES! 😍 💍 ,” Cooper wrote on Instagram along with photos from the duo’s engagement on the beach. “The simplest solution, and Presley agrees. I love my little family very much and am very happy to marry my best friend! Carl is everything I’ve ever wanted from a man, and even more.”
Cooper’s first appearance on Bachelor Nation occurred during the season of Arie Luyendyk Jr.’s The Bachelor, which aired in 2018. Returning home in the sixth week, the former social media manager took part in the fifth season of Bachelor in Paradise, which premiered later that year.
The bachelor graduate got engaged to Jordan Kimball, but the 30-year-old Florida native broke off the relationship amid accusations that Cooper had a “sugar daddy.” The influencer, for her part, denied the accusations, and Reality blogger Steve later called his coverage of the incident a “mistake” in his career.
“I thought Jordan would protect me and we would get through this together, but it turned out to be very different,” she told Us exclusively after her name was cleared. “I mean, it was a big downward spiral. Everyone went against me.”
Keep scrolling to learn more about Cooper and Hudson’s big day.
Wedding Bliss
“I love you, 4Everrr @kghudson4, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life together as a family,” Cooper wrote on Instagram.
Classic elegance
Cooper was wearing a dress from Vow’d Weddings.
Ring
The couple turned to Antigua Floral for help in the design of flower arrangements at their wedding.
Mr. and Mrs.
Hudson struck a playful pose in front of the camera.
the bride’s kiss
The couple kissed on the streets of New Orleans.
Wedding in New Orleans
Before the ceremony, the duo took the first pictures.
