Ben & Lauren Are Taking It Slow Post-'Bachelor'

It's been clear from the get-go that this season of The Bachelor has been marriage-obsessed. Even for a show that's intrinsically designed to gear the lead protagonist up to meet their spouse, Ben Higgins' season was chock-full of matrimonially intensive rhetoric. On the After The Rose special, Chris Harrison even tried to persuade Ben and Lauren into doing their wedding right then and there! But, despite all of this marriage talk, there are several signs that Ben and Lauren aren't planning their wedding just yet.

Although Lauren made her first impression on the show by creating a preemptive hashtag (lest we forget "#MrsHiggins"), she doesn't seem like she's raring to rush to the altar. There's no doubt that she is looking forward to starting her life with Ben, but he revealed that she needs some time to "process" the fact that she just had to watch him date 24 other women on television.

During the Women Tell All special, Ben told Chris Harrison that he would "marry that woman tomorrow," yet explained in an interview with Extra that he "owes it" to Lauren to take it a bit slower. Ben told Extra that he wants to "date her well, treat her well, to take her on some great dates, to have some fun and maybe take a little vacation and then start talking wedding plans because it’s not something we want to push off, but it’s also not something [we want] to rush into."

The Instagrams belonging to the lovebirds certainly corroborates this statement, as evidenced below:

Their "First Date"

Even though America has witnessed Lauren and Ben go on several dates, it's gotta be nice for the pair to have some privacy on their dates now. The couple chose to kick off this new public phase of their relationship by dining on some world-class fare at Landmarc in New York City. Since Sean Lowe revealed in his book that contestants on The Bachelor are not allowed to eat the food in the scenes they film (the chewing would interfere with the microphones), the meal must have tasted extra delicious. While it was a super romantic date, it's in line with the slowed-down pace of their relationship. One step at a time for these two!

Their Real First Date

Lauren seems to be throwing it back to commemorate the couple's progress. They've come a long way since that hot tub in the middle of nowhere, so I don't blame her for just wanting to take some time to appreciate that he's not dating anyone else at the same time now.

Making Appearances

A couple can only handle so much, and the fact that these two are making their rounds on the talk-show circuit indicates that they are focused on post-show exposure rather than planning the wedding. There's still no telling whether or not Ben's wedding will be televised, but maybe the fact that they are being so laid back about it means that the details are already being taken care of by ABC? It's unclear, but it doesn't hurt to dream about it.

Having Too Much Fun

These two are just living life the way that they couldn't while The Bachelor was airing. The couple looks like they are just enjoying each other and not too worried about speeding into marriage. Though I can't wait until the two tie the knot, they certainly deserve some time to just enjoy each other before heading down the aisle.