While dating apps like Tinder and Bumble have become a popular way to find a mate in America, not all countries have adopted this modernized way of dating. In fact, "60 percent of all marriages in the world are arranged," according to ABC News. The TLC network decided to explore the latter concept on Americans with Married by Mom and Dad. This reality show featured parents serving as matchmakers tasked with the process of vetting potential mates for their unwed kids. It only made it to two seasons, airing from 2015 to 2017, but there was plenty of drama along the way.
Of course, the idea of having your parents pick your spouse and not meeting them until your wedding day may sound crazy. However, this arranged marriage notion has some pretty solid stats to back it up. According to Psychology Today, the divorce rate in India — where 90 percent of the country's marriages are arranged — is an impressively low one percent. Was an American reality TV show able to achieve that stat too? We’re guessing you know the answer.
Let’s take a look at whatever happened to the stars of Married by Mom and Dad.
Exploring the Authenticity of Married By Mom And Dad
How real was Married by Mom and Dad? Well, one of the couples at least secured the right paperwork, so let's start there. The Tampa Bay Times confirmed that Season 2 star Devin Duggan and his parent-picked bride, Ursula Manganaro, had a legal marriage license filed. Wow! The wedding you saw was the REAL deal folks! Devin told the newspaper that TLC also heavily screened the contestants, which included physicals, drug and STD tests, and psych evaluations. He also mentioned that his parents, Lisa and Frank Duggan, genuinely picked his bride, claiming they "were sent dozens of DVDs — six to 12 per week — of potential partners."
Speaking with Cosmopolitan, Devin's co-star Bethany Layton also emphasized that her parents did the picking! She just provided a little wish list to help them get it right. "I just told them I wanted a college-educated guy with a nice smile. I didn’t want someone who works in the food industry — because, with my schedule, I’d never see him — and I wasn’t interested in dating another teacher, because then we’d just talk about work all the time. Other than that, I left it up to them," Bethany stated. She added, "I know people have a lot of preconceived notions about reality TV being fake, but the whole premise of this show is that it ends in marriage — so this is dead real to me."
The Journey of a Former NFL Player
Like his brief NFL career that saw him bounce around to few teams without any breakout success, Devin Duggan signed up to find love on two different reality shows — but didn’t appear to get his happy ending on either of them. First, he nearly joined the crew competing for the hand of Jojo Fletcher on The Bachelorette, but he got sick and had to bail out. When a producer from Married by Mom and Dad approached him, Devin decided to give the love-on-television concept another try.
The girl Devin's parents chose, Ursula Manganaro, was a front runner from the start, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Each week, Devin's mom, Lisa Duggan, would "call the producers and let them know who was in and who was out." Eventually, the decision narrowed down enough for the parents to go on 'dates' with the women, as chronicled in the first few episodes of the season. Devin and Manganaro wound up marrying on the show. "It's only crazy if it doesn't work out. If it works out, you're a genius," Devin told the outlet.
Well, apparently it was "crazy" since the two appear to have parted ways. Both Devin and Ursula have both posted lovey-dovey photos with other people on social media. While they may have moved on, it’s doubtful they’ll ever forget that crazy ride. How could they?
Success Story: Arranged Marriage for the Win
West Virginia native and fifth-grade school teacher Bethany Layton Hall was so over the traditional way of meeting guys that she agreed to let her divorced parents try to find her a husband on Married by Mom and Dad. "I know it sounds a little crazy. What do my divorced parents know about finding lasting love?" Bethany said in a 2016 Cosmopolitan interview. "But the two of them know me better than anyone else and, at this point, I’m ready to take a chance because, clearly, what I’ve been doing isn’t working for me." The last straw for Bethany was a dating experience she had just before she joined the show. After going on multiple dates with a guy she met on Tinder, she found out the guy had a girlfriend of more than two years. "That was it. I was so incredibly fed up with meeting guys online or out at the bar," Bethany shared.
It appears that Married by Mom and Dad worked for Bethany! She wound up marrying a guy named Billy Hall on the show. The two are still married and had a son named Huntley Vance in 2018. "After all this time I’m still in awe of my love for you," Bethany posted on Instagram on the couple’s anniversary in 2019. She continued, "Taking a leap of faith three years ago was the best decision of my life."
Friendships Beyond the Show
Star Tahnee Smith's mom said her giving nature was the reason her daughter struggled in relationships. Her stepmother, on the other hand, felt Smith just wanted someone because all her friends were settling down. Regardless of why she wanted help finding love, the show appeared to be successful for Smith as she married Matt Trammel on-air. Unfortunately, the arranged marriage doesn’t seem to have lasted.
When one of Smith's Instagram followers commented that she was happy to see the TLC couple still together in 2018, Smith replied, "no, no. JUST friends, great friends!" They must be, because in November 2019, Smith posted a lengthy message about her ex-hubby: "Three years ago today I was walking down the aisle to marry a man I had never met on national TV. So happy I said YES to a wild opportunity and to Matthew. This YES led me to a friendship that I am so thankful for. Trammel, we are the lucky ones. Love that I get to do life with you! Thank YOU for saying YES to me and the opportunity of a lifetime. Today will ALWAYS hold a special place in my heart."
Trammel isn't the only friend Smith gained on the show. She regularly shares photos on social media documenting her friendship with her Married by Mom and Dad co-star Ursula Manganaro. At least she got two besties out of all that!
