'Bachelor' Ben Higgins gets married to Jessica Clarke, shares Scripture at ceremony
Ben Higgins, an outspoken Christian and one of the most popular “bachelors” in the ABC franchise's history, is now a married man — and he celebrated his big day by sharing Scripture.
The former star of "The Bachelor" married his bride, Jessica Clarke, on Saturday in a “romantic” ceremony held at The Estate in Cherokee Dock near Nashville, Tennessee, People magazine reports.
In an Instagram post shared just days before the wedding, Higgins said that marrying Clarke was something he “dreamed of” and his “family has prayed for."
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The event was described as "simple and beautiful," with Clarke and Higgins exchanging personalized vows written to each other. Along with “quotes from Winnie-the-Pooh,” the ceremony also featured Scripture reading.
Some of Higgins' fellow "Bachelor" alums attended the wedding, including Wells Adams — who was one of the groomsmen — Nick Viall, Becca Kufrin and Thomas Jacobs, Jared Haibon and Ashley Iaconnetti.
"I am so excited," the 32-year-old shared with People about his wedding day. "We have so much to look forward to. And I know we will have a beautiful marriage."
Higgins found love again following his high-profile breakup with Lauren Bushnell. He met Clarke on social media in 2018, and the happy couple got engaged in March 2020.
"Ben doesn't just make me want to be a better person, but he actually makes me a better person," Clarke told People. "He assures me in all of my dreams and all of my goals. I never thought I'd have a partner that accepted every part of me."
Higgins declared that he was “thankful that I found her.”
"Jessica is so incredibly empathetic and caring. She encourages me and she supports me and I know she cares about who I am and where I'm going. I'm so excited that I get to love her — and be loved by her — every single day,” he added.
While a guest on Viall‘s podcast “The Viall Files” in 2020, Higgins revealed that he and Clarke were quarantining together with her family in Tennessee but were sleeping in different bedrooms. He revealed the duo vowed to refrain from having sex until after marriage.
In a previous interview with The Christian Post, interview with The Christian Post, Higgins opened up about how his Christian faith informs his life and decisions. The reality star named his pastor and Christian authors Bob Goff and Annie F. Downs as some of his greatest inspirations.
His recent book, Alone in Plain Sight: Searching for Connection When You're Seen but Not Known, includes Scripture and aspects of his faith journey. He said his time on "The Bachelor" was God’s way of “humbling me, a lot.”
“It's funny that 'The Bachelor' took that, but ... you live in this temporary fame for a bit, and you realize that fame isn't fulfilling, it's fleeting, and relevancy is an ambition not worth pursuing because it's exhausting. There’s never a point in time where you feel like you're relevant enough,” Higgins told CP.
Higgins said on social media that he would share further details of his big day when he and Clarke return from their honeymoon.
Jeannie Ortega Law is a reporter for The Christian Post. Reach her at: jeannie.law@christianpost.com She's also the author of the book, What Is Happening to Me? How to Defeat Your Unseen Enemy Follow her on Twitter: @jlawcp Facebook: JeannieOMusic
