What Actually Happens When Love Is Blind Couples Say 'I Don't' At The Altar?
You've seen the love and drama leading up to the wedding day. From the first conversation in the pods to all the little moments of affection leading up to popping the questions, then finally to the reveal when the couple first sees each other. The couples have met each other's families, made the wedding plans, engaged in thorough conversations, and when it finally comes time to say, "I do" — what happens when those words are never uttered?
"Love is Blind" provides the couples with everything that they need to fulfill their wedding dreams. Every detail from the venue and the food, the entertainment and the decorations, it's all accounted for. The couples' families and friends fly and drive in from around the country to attend. The couples don't have to pay a penny. All they have to do is show up, say the vows, and seal it all with an "I do" or end it all with an "I don't."
What happens when there's no 'I do'
When no "I do's" come, the wedding essentially ends. The guests, after getting over the potential initial shock, eventually taper out from the venue. The typical party and reception that follows the ceremony never happens. Understandably, the mood is dampened by the absence of "I do's," and the couple who brought everyone together typically departs separately.
"When a breakup happens, generally people are not in the mood for 'Let's have a big party together,' so people just leave. That's what happens," show creator Chris Coelen told People. "They don't [stay to eat]. I mean, sometimes you find people go and they graze a little bit and then they get in their cars and leave, but generally it's not a big happy celebration at that point. They're like, 'Oh my God, we've got to [leave] ... let's go home.'" The exception to this was in season 2, with Abhishek "Shake" Chatterjee and his wedding party staying for a reception.
The producers' role in decisions
The producers refrain from trying to influence the couples' decisions. This pertains not only to the wedding day and whether or not each individual decides to take the vows, but to the entirety of the show. From the dating pods to the wedding decoration choices, the producers stay out of it and leave the decisions solely to the participants. The question of whether or not "Love is Blind" is real or scripted is one that gives the producers an opportunity to emphasize the show's authenticity. "As producers, we don't have any control over what happens. We don't try to exert or sway over any of the participants," Coelen told Us Magazine. "We won't ever tell them what to say, what to do, how to think, how to feel. This is entirely documenting their real journey."
As far as the couples that do say, "I do," in the aftermath of their union, a party ensues. After the show, the couples begin their life together. Few of the "Love is Blind" couples are still together, but the showrunners are still fascinated by the experiment they've created. "Assuming they found someone, could that love overcome any judgment in the real world? That's an incredibly fascinating question. And that's what we set out to try to examine," Coelen told Variety.