Two decades later and the OG Bachelorette couple is healthier than ever.
Trista Sutter and Ryan Sutter exchanged vows in a televised wedding on Dec. 10, 2003, bringing their fairy tale romance to a fittingly swoon-inducing conclusion. Twenty years, two children—Maxwell, 15, and Blakesley, 13—and countless Bachelor Nation breakups later, Trista and Ryan have remained the franchise's ultimate success story. But even though they've seemingly proved the exception to the Bachelor curse, the couple doesn't feel any pressure to live up to fans' expectations.
"We feel pressure from ourselves because we want our relationship to be successful," Trista told E! News while promoting her and Ryan's new partnership with Purely Inspired. "I want to be married for 72 years, like my grandparents were. I love him. I love doing life with him. I love that he's my best friend and I want that to continue. So the pressure just comes from internally."
While the Avon, Colo.-based duo manage to make defying the reality-TV romance odds look easy, Trista, 50, explained that they're "still learning how to communicate." In fact, that's something they've been working on since their season aired and Ryan, 48, struggled watching their story play out and simultaneously keeping their relationship a secret. And Trista recently rediscovered a letter her then-fiance wrote to her at the time.
"He's like, 'I know that you have done nothing wrong, but this is really difficult for me. And I love you, but I just need time to figure things out and just figure out my own emotions. Not figure out us out, but figure out how to process and how to deal with this,'" Trista shared. "Naturally in a relationship, you figure out when to engage. And we still do it. We still have to ask each other those questions and we constantly have to remind each other what we need in a relationship. Even after being married for 20 years, you can still learn."
In addition to learning, you can also still celebrate, which the couple will be doing in December when they reach their 20th anniversary, though Trista is a little behind when it comes to plans for the occasion.
"Blakesley was like, 'We should go somewhere and do something!'" Trista said. "When we celebrated our 10-year wedding anniversary, we did a vow renewal that they actually aired on the show. So I was thinking we should do of renewal every 10 years. I don't know what that looks like in December, but I need to get on that. So thank you for the reminder!"
Before that, however, Feb. 19 marks another milestone for the couple: It's the date that their proposal aired on ABC, capping off The Bachelorette's inaugural season with a fairy tale ending. And Trista said she knew Ryan was the one for her when it came down to her final four men.
"It was on my other dates at that point in time when I couldn't stop thinking about him," Trista explained. "I was on other dates with other guys and I was like, 'When do I get to see Ryan?'"
Given her master's degree in physical therapy and her experience as an NBA dancer for the Miami Heat, Trista revealed that Ryan's background as a professional football player definitely helped the soft-spoken firefighter stand out.
"I always looked to create a forever relationship with someone who was active," Trista said. "I was always attracted to athletes and Ryan played in the NFL. He ended up being a triathlete after we got married. But I definitely was attracted to that and we bonded over that and will continue to place in importance on activity as we get older."
Their mutual interest in health and wellness made their partnership with the nutritional supplement company Purely Inspired an organic—pun intended—decision.
"I am really excited because I'm all about authenticity, as is Ryan," Trista said, "and we only take on projects that really fit in with who we are and what we believe and how we live our lives. And Purely Inspired is perfect for that because we literally use their products every day."
Some of the couple's favorite offerings include the Superfoods Red with Beetroot, Organic Greens and the Decadent Chocolate Organic Protein powder, which Trista uses in the smoothies she makes for the entire family most mornings.
"I just turned 50 in October and I want to take better care of myself," Trista shared. "And that's an easy way for me to get it done in the morning and feel like I am contributing to my nutrition and taking care of my body."
Instilling healthy habits for their teenage children has been a priority for Trista and Ryan, specifically being active—the family recently took up pickleball and the kids go skiing and hiking with their dad.
"We go camping as a family a lot," Trista continued. "We just try to integrate it into our everyday life so that they grow up knowing that that's an important part of life and a really great way to take care of yourself."
If there's anyone to take advice from, it's Trista and Ryan.