Love Is Blind: Does The Show Actually Pay For The Weddings?
Netflix's "Love is Blind" takes a common phrase and turns it into a hit reality series. A group of men and women get a chance to talk with one another without seeing what they all look like. They only get to lay eyes on one another if a marriage proposal comes up, and at that point, there's a race to get a full wedding together where one or both participants can back away at the last second. The wedding planning may be rushed, but the production surely handles all the expenses, right?
The answer isn't so simple, as there have been conflicting reports over the years of who exactly shells out for the nuptials. Fans were likely confused due to the lead-up to Amber Pike and Matt Barnett's wedding from Season 1. In an episode, Amber's worried because she has to pay $850 for her wedding dress alterations. But if the production handled everything, why would she be worried? A production rep from "Love is Blind" reached out to Women's Health Magazine with the following statement, "Of course production supplies some of the basics, but because these are their real weddings, it's up to them as to how to spend their money."
Chris Coelen, founder of Kinetic Content, said something similar to Newsweek but clarified, "If there's anything over and above what we would normally do then [the couples] are most certainly welcome to do that." It sounds like the production does foot the bill for some of the wedding expenses, but many contestants still have to pay quite a bit to be on the show.
A former Love is Blind contestant said she spent thousands on expenses
People associated with the show mention how the production covers most of the costs, but if participants want to do anything outside of that, they have to pay out of their own pockets. One area where production steps in quite a bit is when it comes time to propose. Chris Coelen also did an interview with Entertainment Tonight where he spoke about how it's a closed set, so the guys can't exactly go to a jewelry shop to find an engagement ring. He explains, "Once they decided to get engaged, they were given a couple of choices should they want to take us up on that. That was, again, their choice."
Vice was more critical of the production than people who work directly with the show. The outlet published a video on TikTok delving into the financial reality of being on "Love is Blind." While the production does pay a reasonable amount for the wedding, engagement rings, dates, and the shared apartment (where contestants can choose whether or not to live in), participants are expected to pay for their own hair, clothing, and makeup. In fact, Colleen Reed, who married Matt Bolton in Season 3, told Vice that she spent an estimated $4,000 on all that during her time on the show.
Contestants maintain their regular jobs while appearing, but they receive a small stipend from the series for $1,000 per week, which comes out to roughly $8,000 throughout filming before taxes. This was revealed in a lawsuit filed against the reality show. Therefore, women spending thousands of dollars to look their best on their wedding day and any reunion specials could eat into their "Love is Blind" earnings. It's a fair warning for anyone considering applying to be on the show in the future.