Bridget Marquardt Marries Nicholas Carpenter After 18 Years of Dating

She and Carpenter first crossed paths at the Playboy Mansion in 2008, where Marquardt lived as one of Hugh Hefner’s girlfriends from 2002 to 2009. She previously married ChadMarquardt in 1997, although the two split before she moved to the Mansion and finalized their divorce in 2008.

Marquardt announced her engagement to Carpenter on Oct. 1, 2015, posting a photo of her distinct spider-shaped ring to Instagram with the caption, “Happy Oct. 1st!!! Oh…and… Did I mention @nicholascarpenter and I are engaged?”

And theformer Playboy model knew her unconventional engagement ring would be a topic of conversation. 

“I wanted something different,” she told People at the time. “The traditional rings were just really, really traditional and I just wanted something different, unique and special. We saw this and I was like, I love that!”

But Marquardt wasn’t necessarily drawn to the ring because she loves spiders, but rather because it represented “my personality more and something different for our relationship.”

And Carpenter’s proposal was just as unique, with Marquardt recalling that he took her to a spot they like to hike in Los Angeles and “totally faked me out with a fake spider ring in the dirt.”

“Long story short, I went to put the ring back because it wasn’t mine—I just thought it was cool that it was there,” she shared, “and I turned around and he was on one knee with the real ring. It was really sweet.”

For a look at all the stars who’ve walked down the aisle this year, keep reading.