An unconventional match. Colleen Reed and Matt Bolton found their forever on season 3 of Love Is Blind — but the journey wasn’t always easy.
The PR strategist and the sales executive connected late in the game after Colleen struggled to bond with a handful of other men, including Cole Barnett, who didn’t think she was “deep” enough. While talking to Matt in the pods, however, Colleen slowly got more vulnerable.
The former LFC Industries vice president also shed his layers, opening up about his divorce from his high school sweetheart. The exes got married young, but Matt revealed that his former spouse cheated on him, leading him to be more guarded in his relationships.
Throughout season 3, Colleen and Matt appeared to be hot and cold. They were faced with multiple conflicts before their wedding day — and Matt threatened to ditch the reality show more than once. Their biggest challenge was moving on from Colleen’s conversation with Cole at a pool party with the entire cast, during which the Bdellium Real Estate founder confessed that Colleen was the type of person he was usually attracted to in the real world. She agreed, which didn’t sit well with Matt — or with Cole’s then-fiancée, Zanab Jaffrey.
When the season 3 reunion aired in November 2022, Colleen apologized to her costars for the drama. “It was really hard for me to watch. I get emotional [about it],” she said. “I never would ever want to disrespect [Cole and Zanab’s] relationship.”
Before fans watched the couple exchange vows, the professional dancer opened up about reliving her journey with Matt. “These most recent episodes have shown some of our toughest moments but also amazing memories that I’ll forever cherish,” she wrote via Instagram in October 2022. “The yacht date was unbelievable and meeting each other’s family and friends was very special. We talked for hours about bringing each other into our ‘real world’ and when we eventually were able to do so, we realized quickly how much love and respect we have for each other. I’ll always love our story ❤️.”
The twosome was one of only two couples to say yes during the season 3 finale, along with Alexa Alfia and Brennon Lemieux. After keeping their relationship under wraps — the Netflix hit was filmed in May 2021 — Colleen gushed over married life.
“Matt, I met you in the most unexpected way and now I can’t imagine a life without you,” she captioned a November 2022 Instagram tribute. “We have gone through many challenges and I’m proud of much we learned from each hurdle that we have come across. A year and a half later and I continue to love you more and more each day. You are my love, my person, my best friend, my chef, my dance partner, my world traveler, my movie buddy, my golfer, my lobster, my silly goose … my everything. Quoting myself, ‘Cheers to getting Litty as a Titty for the rest of our lives!’”
Scroll down for a glimpse at the duo’s ups and downs before marriage:
In the Pods
After missing the mark with other contestants — including Cole — Colleen found a spark with Matt. “I’ve waited for this connection and for someone to bring me out of my shell,” he said in a confessional interview.
The Proposal
Matt popped the question, and the couple finally got to meet face-to-face. Colleen ran into her then-fiancé’s arms.
Pool Party Drama
All of the season 3 couples came together for a pool party after the engagements — and Colleen ruffled some feathers after chatting to Cole in the water. When she asked the realtor what type of girl he was physically attracted to, Cole whispered, “You.” Colleen agreed, telling him, “You would be the person who I would go to in a bar.”
Matt blew up later that night after hearing about Colleen’s conversation, saying, “I might be done.” However, the pair moved on from their spat the next day.
Meeting the Families
The couple’s connection continued to blossom after a romantic outing on a yacht and as they were introduced to each other’s families. While describing their ups and downs to Matt’s mom, Colleen recalled her reaction to their first big fight. “I was like, ‘I’m gonna fight for you cause I’ve never felt this kind of love,'” she said.
During a talk with her own mother, however, Colleen appeared slightly more hesitant. “We have gone through our ups and downs. … My concerns are that I don’t know if he would still be there if s–t hit the fan,” she confessed.
Fighting for Love
Colleen and Matt faced another roadblock before walking down the aisle. The season 3 cast met up for a night out at a bar, and some of the girls went to a second location. Matt subsequently wondered why his future wife thought “going to the club was more important than coming home to her f–king boy” and threatened to pack his bags. “There’s no f–king way I can marry this woman,” he told costar Bartise Bowden.
Colleen later wavered during a dinner before their nuptials, telling Matt she didn’t think love was “enough for marriage.”
Wedding Day
Before tying the knot, Colleen described the pair’s relationship as a “roller-coaster” that she didn’t “want to get off.” Despite concerns from Matt’s friends about whether the duo were ready for marriage, they said “I do” at the altar.
November 2022
During the season 3 reunion, which aired in November 2022, the twosome revealed they weren’t living together yet, citing issues with their respective leases. “I can’t wait to move in with him and I’m going to spend the rest of my life with him,” Colleen gushed.
November 2022
Following the reunion special, the Ballet North Texas performer raved over her husband in a glowing tribute. “You are my love, my person, my best friend, my chef, my dance partner, my world traveler, my movie buddy, my golfer, my lobster, my silly goose … my everything,” she wrote via Instagram in November 2022. “Quoting myself, ‘Cheers to getting Litty as a Titty for the rest of lives!'”
November 2022
While the twosome revealed during the season 3 reunion that they had not moved in together since tying the knot, they are planning ahead. “We set up our leases [to] end at the same time so that we wouldn’t have to worry about breaking a lease or having to pay for two leases,” Colleen told Us on November 16. “So, [we’re looking at] around May of next year or something like that.”
Matt, for his part, revealed that the logistics of their respective leases were only a small portion of the decision to wait on finding their forever home.
“It was more of us ‘cause [the show] is such an expedited process, we knew that we loved each other and that we wanted to be with each other, but we still kind of wanna do it on our terms,” he told Us. “And by saying that, I just mean continuing to get to know each other. Moving in with each other is a huge step.”
In addition to planning to look for a joint home, Colleen and Matt are thinking about hosting a “big” second wedding ceremony, so all their loved ones can attend.
May 2023
Two years after their whirlwind reality TV wedding, Colleen revealed she and her husband were finally taking the next step in their marriage.
“I and Matt are going to move in together, I would say, like, in the next two weeks,” she said during an appearance on fellow LIB alums Deepti Vempati and Natalie Lee’s “Out of the Pods” podcast. “We don’t have the finances to buy [a home], by any means, but we’re going to rent in Dallas and then that gives us time to really find the perfect home for what works for us.”