How long have Brayden Bowers and Christina Mandrell been together? Relationship timeline explored

The relationship between Bachelor In Paradise alum Brayden Bowers and Christina Mandrell first came to light during the season 9 finale of the show, which aired on December 7, 2023. After being together for over a year, Brayden Bowers planned and executed his live proposal, popping the question to Christina Mandrell during the live broadcast of Golden Bachelor on Thursday, January 4, 2024.

According to People, the surprise came as a result of the coordinated efforts of Brayden Bowers himself in conjunction with the show's producers. Brayden revealed to People magazine that he had initially thought of putting the ring on a slice of pineapple pizza, taking a cue from the couple's previous wish to make pizza together in Italy. However, after discussing it with the show's producers, he eventually settled for proposing to Christina in a live television broadcast.

Speaking about his connection with Christina, a season 7 contestant from The Bachelor, Brayden Bowers told People:

"From the experiences we both had like we both came into this show just wanting love. We both had hard, challenging roads in different ways, and we were both, I feel like, misunderstood. And it's like two misunderstood people that understand each other."

The two have since become engaged and are looking forward to getting married soon.

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A look into Brayden Bowers and Christina Mandrell's relationship timeline

Given that they were both filming together throughout last year, Brayden Bowers and Christina Mandrell most likely first crossed paths and started dating soon after the Bachelor in Paradise season 9 wrapped up in June 2023, according to Pinkvilla.

The pair had to keep their connection under wraps until after the season finale. Following the disclosure of the couple's relationship, Christina posted videos of them laughing and cuddling with her daughter Blakely on her social media profile.

Later, Christina shared videos of their romantic world and hinted that Brayden would be relocating from San Diego to Nashville, where she resides with her daughter. However, Brayden and Christina have not officially confirmed their relocation.

Online rumors had previously suggested Christina might be joining the set of Bachelor in Paradise before season 9 premiered. Ironically, she discovered love on the beach even though that didn't work out well in her favor.

The bond between Brayden and Christina is understandable, although somewhat unexpected. During Charity's season, Brayden Bowers was presented as the antagonist, just as Christina was painted with similar colors in Zach's season.

They disagreed with other competitors, and both had sufficient confidence in their relationship. Christina and Brayden have more in common than meets the eye.

Christina Mandrell rose to fame following her participation in The Bachelor. During her time on the show, she created a lot of controversy, and in the third week, she was ultimately kicked out of the show. She is also the niece of country music singer Barbara Mandrell and a content developer based in Nashville, Tennessee.

After participating in Charity Lawson's season of The Bachelorette, Brayden, a travel nurse, became widely known and famous. Subsequently, Brayden participated in Bachelor in Paradise season 9. During the fourth week of the 20th season of The Bachelorette, he decided to leave the show. He eventually returned for the ninth season of Bachelor in Paradise but was ousted after just four weeks.

Speaking of her delight at having taken their relationship to the next level, Christina told People:

"We feel so grateful for every moment. There's been bad, there's been good. I mean, we've had these epic, crazy hard moments already, even though it's, you know, some would say fast. But just the everyday, like life. We're excited for life."

Brayden and Christina are now looking forward to taking their relationship to the threshold of marriage as a token of their love for each other.