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Bachelor in Paradise’s Joe Amabile on His and Serena Pitt’s ‘Perfect’ Wedding and Plans for Kids
Joe Amabile is forever indebted to Bachelor in Paradise. After all, his second appearance on the hit series led him to wife Serena Pitt in 2021. He says the show also taught him how to get in touch with his emotions. “Before I went on, I was very closed-off in that aspect,” admits “Grocery Joe,” who co-hosts the podcast “Bachelor Happy Hour” with Serena. “The biggest lesson I learned was how to communicate and to not be scared to talk about your feelings with your partner.”
Here, the 37-year-old, who recently participated in the TCS New York City Marathon, talks to Life & Style’s Fortune Benatar about his fairy-tale wedding (nearly one year after tying the knot in a NYC courtroom, Joe and Serena said “I do” again in Charleston, South Carolina, on September 2), starting a family and his guilty pleasure.
How did a show like Bachelor in Paradise make you a better communicator?
JA: You could watch yourself back and just be like, “OK, I have issues and I need to fix those!”
Why are you and Serena so compatible?
JA: We both operate the same way. We’re very open about how we feel, and we never shy away from talking about that.
Tell us about the wedding.
JA: Usually, when you hear people talking about their wedding, there’s always something that went wrong, but it truly was perfect for us. We chose Charleston because we just fell in love with the venue and the city. It’s such a fun place, with great restaurants and bars. We had our friends and family there for the week, so it felt like a long vacation with the people we love and cherish most.
It’s fitting that Wells Adams — Paradise’s official bartender — officiated.
JA: When we asked Wells and he said yes, Serena started crying. I’ve been good friends with him since I went on Bachelor in Paradise in 2018. He’s been part of my journey; he was there the day I asked Serena to marry me. He did such a wonderful job and took it so seriously.
Do you and Serena want kids?
JA: Definitely. We haven’t discussed the timeline yet. We aren’t in a rush, but one of the first things Serena said to me when we met in Paradise was, “I want kids, and [if you don’t] that’s a dealbreaker.” I was like, “OK!”
Who’s your dream podcast guest?
JA: Larry David, even though he would never [do it]. In the reality space, it would be cool to get Kim Kardashian on.
Would you make an appearance on the show in the future?
JA: If they ask us to go down there and we’re free, we’d probably do it.
You’re set to appear on a new Amazon Freevee reality show called The GOAT with fellow Bachelor Nation star Tayshia Adams and other reality stars. What can you tell us about it?
JA: I had a ton of fun filming. I can’t tease much, but you really should watch, because it’s great!
What’s your best piece of advice for new Bachelor Joey Graziadei?
JA: I’ve never been the Bachelor, but all I can say to Joey is enjoy it, have fun, and try to go all-in on the girl you’re head over heels for.
