NEED TO KNOW
Hannah Brown is opening up about her decision to live apart from her fiancé, Adam Woolard, ahead of their summer wedding.
During an appearance on the June 25 episode of The Squeeze podcast, the Bachelorette alum, 30, told host Tay Lautner that her faith guided the choice. She explained that while the couple — who got engaged in August 2023 — previously lived together “for a long time,” they opted to live separately after buying a house a few months ago.
“It really is our faith that kind of changed things for us,” she said, noting that she was “struggling” and had been “jaded by love and relationship” when she met Woolard on a dating app in 2021. “I have been healing my relationship with the Lord, and he has been discovering his relationship with the Lord. And it has been so cool to see that and to be on that journey together. We just decided for us at this time, we wanted to pursue the Lord and what does He have for us.”
When they purchased their house, it presented an opportunity for them to each spend some time on their own. “We were like, ‘You know what? We only have a few more months before our wedding. This could be a really good time for us to have this moment where this is our married house together,’ ” Brown told Lautner.
Brown has been living in the house, and Woolard has remained in their apartment. They will settle into their new house as husband and wife after they’ve tied the knot. She said the separate living situations have meant that their time together is “so much more sweet and special.”
Santiago Felipe/Getty
“We’re like giddy and excited in a way that I don’t know if we would have been if we didn’t have this time apart,” she told Lautner. “We see each other every day. And it’s made us spend the time that we have together with true intention.”
Brown added, “It was just the best decision for us at this time. And it’s felt like such a gift.”
While she admitted that the pair worried about what other people would think of their living arrangements, she said those “who know and love us” have been super supportive.
Brown also noted that she’s sharing this personal insight into her relationship because she recognizes that some people might think, “Oh, it’s just the way that it’s been, so you can’t change.”
“But you can always change your relationship,” she insisted. “You can always grow, and it can look different for everyone. And it’s honestly made us even closer in a way. But there are definitely times where we long for each other and miss each other. But we know that we’re going to be together.”
Hannah Brown/Instagram
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Brown told Lautner that she and Woolard have developed a newfound love and appreciation for each other in this experience.
“And now it’s like, man, we really miss each other. And we’re so excited to be able to come together and really live our life aligned in the values that we have and that we’ve set,” she said.
Brown and Woolard plan to tie the knot later this month. During the podcast conversation with Lautner, the bride-to-be shared what she’s most looking forward to when it comes to the big day.
“I know this is so cliche to say, but seeing all the people that love us and have been a part of our journey, whether that was growing up separately, you know, in our childhood, but also the people who’ve like just seen our love story and have been there to support us and encourage us. That is what I’m so excited about — to have people around us that just feel that love,” she said.
Brown, while acknowledging that “commitment has been really hard” for her in the past, also said she is excited to go all in with Woolard.
“Marriage is one of the biggest commitments you’ll have in your life,” she said. “And I have grown so much this past two years. And to fully be there and have that covenant together … it feels like it’s gonna just be that moment of breath of like, ‘We’ve done this,’ and I’m just ready for that moment.”