Celebrity

Sarah Hyland & Wells’ Adams Relationship Timeline, From TV Crush To Newlyweds

After two postponed ceremonies, the couple finally got married on Aug. 20.

by Parry Ernsberger and Jake Viswanath
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Originally Published: 
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Wells Adams may not have ended up with JoJo Fletcher on The Bachelorette, but the franchise did help him find love...in a roundabout kind of way. When he showed up on Bachelor in Paradise Season 4 as the bartender, Modern Family star Sarah Hyland took notice, and she and Adams began flirting on Twitter. At some point, they moved things over to DM, and now Adams and Hyland have been in a relationship for nearly five years.

“I saw him on The Bachelorette and then he became the bartender on Bachelor in Paradise and that's when I was like, ‘Yeah, uh huh,’” Hyland explained during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “I thought he was real hot and then he slid into them DMs 'cause I tweeted about him.” Hyland also said on Jimmy Kimmel Live that she'd been attracted to Adams' confidence. "I was single, obviously, and was like, 'This is really awesome. You're being very forward and it's sexy and not aggressive, but very confident and sexy,' and I liked that," she recalled.

The Bachelor-born couple got engaged after Adams proposed in July 2019, but their planned wedding had to be postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, after Hyland held her bridal shower and bachelorette party in the summer of 2022, the big day arrived — and on Aug. 20, the couple got married near Santa Barbara, according to People. Read Hyland and Adams’ full relationship timeline below.

2012: Hyland Reveals Her Love For The Bachelor Franchise

In July 2012, Hyland tweeted that she was watching Emily Maynard's season of The Bachelorette, and later pleaded with ABC to make Sean Lowe the next Bachelor (they did).

2015—2017: Hyland Dates Dominic Sherwood & Adams First Appears On TV

Hyland began dating Dominic Sherwood in March 2015, but her love for the Bachelor franchise remained — especially during JoJo's season, when Adams made his debut. "Ugh! @WellsAdams making a Lord of the Flies reference on men tell all??? #knewhewasthebestfromthestart #menwhoreadarehot" read one of the several tweets she wrote about him.

August 2017: Adams Flirts With Hyland On Twitter During 'Bachelor In Paradise'

Here's where things started to heat up. By August 2017, Hyland was single again. She was also still live-tweeting her love for all things Bachelor, and could barely contain her excitement when Adams became the BiP bartender.

“OH MY GOD @WellsAdams IS THE FRIKKIN BARTENDER?!” she wrote. "Best. Season. Ever. #BachelorInParadise.”

Her tweet caught Adams' attention. "Taking applications for #BIP5 bar backs now. Please send references..Preferably from Phil Dunphy. I'm kidding the job is yours @Sarah_Hyland," he replied.

Over the next month or so, Hyland and Adams continued to exchange tweets.

October 2017: Dating Rumors Surface

A few months later, Hyland and Adams wore matching Halloween costumes. Adams went as Eleven from Stranger Things, while Hyland dressed as Dustin Henderson. The two both posted photos of their costumes on Instagram, causing fans to wonder if they were dating.

November 2017: Adams (Basically) Confirms They're Dating

Just a few days after Halloween, Wells confirmed that he and Hyland were dating — kind of. During an interview with The Morning Breath on Nov. 8, host Claudia Oshry Soffer asked the BiP star about Hyland's presence on his Instagram page.

He initially downplayed it, but eventually fessed up. "To be fair, if you really want to know anything, just look at my social media," Adams suggested.

November 2017—July 2018: They Continue To Post About Each Other On Instagram

After that, Adams and Hyland began posting regularly about each other on Instagram. They celebrated Hyland's birthday with a romantic helicopter ride, spent Valentine's Day in Ojai smooching on horses, and wore more matching outfits.

August 2018: Hyland & Adams Move In Together

After almost a year of dating, the couple moved in together in August 2018. Adams relocated from Nashville to Los Angeles to be closer to Hyland, and documented his drive across the country and subsequent unpacking of things on his Instagram Stories.

September 2018: They Celebrate Their *Unofficial* One Year Anniversary

On Sept. 16, 2018, Hyland celebrated the anniversary of she and Adams' first kiss, writing on Instagram:

"1 year ago today, You asked to hold my purse when I was dancing. In that moment you took my heart. You then gave me my last first kiss. And in that moment you took my breath away. I love you to Pluto and back @wellsadams *YES PLUTO IS A PLANET. IT WILL ALWAYS BE*"

October 2018: They Celebrate Their *Official* One Year Anniversary

One month later, the couple celebrated another milestone moment together. While on vacation in Mexico in October, Hyland shared an Instagram photo of her and Adams.

“A year ago I impatiently asked @wellsadams 'when are you gonna ask me to be your girlfriend?!'“ she captioned the picture. “I still can't tell if I just bullied you in to being with me and you're scared to leave? But please don't. Thank you for being the @stevehowey To my @katehudson In #bridewars ... Now, let's get tan again and drink all the rosé.”

Adams celebrated their anniversary with his own Instagram post. “A couple hours after we took these pics, @sarahhyland said ‘when are you going to ask me to be your girlfriend.’ I said, ‘right now,’” he wrote. “I then doubled down and said ‘I'm falling in love with you.’ She responded with, ‘I can’t say that yet.’ And then like 15 minutes later she did. Happy anniversary, baby. I love you most.”

July 2019: They Get Engaged

On July 16, Hyland posted photos of Adams' beach proposal, revealing that they were engaged. “That can't eat, can't sleep, reach for the stars, over the fence, world series kind of stuff,” she captioned their happy news.

October 2019: They Celebrate Their Two Year Anniversary

The newly engaged couple each posted mushy Instagrams about each other on their second anniversary. “I knew I was gonna marry [Sarah] the 1st night I met her,” Adams wrote. “But I guess how anniversaries work, it's when you decide to become boyfriend/girlfriend.”

November 2019: Hyland Reveals Her Bridesmaids

According to Cosmopolitan, Hyland’s wedding party includes Vanessa Hudgens, Ciara Robinson, and Ashley Newbrough, in addition to some non-celebrity friends.

February 2020: They Celebrate the End of ‘Modern Family’

Adams and Hyland attended the wrap party for Modern Family, which aired its series finale in early April. “Constantly amazed by you @sarahyland. For over a decade you brought so much joy, laughter, tears, and heart to people everywhere. The world is a better place because of the work you and your wonderful cast and crew put in over the last 11 years,” Adams wrote on Instagram.

March 2020: Their Wedding Plans Are Put on Hold

Though Hyland and Adams hadn't yet set a date when the coronavirus pandemic hit, it still put a wrench in their timeline. “There are no wedding plans,” Adams told Access Hollywood, as reported by Page Six. “I think the thought was that we'd originally start thinking about that around this time, but now this is happening… What's the point of even trying to get something solidified with everything being just so up in the air?”

One thing they have decided? Chris Harrison won't be officiating. Wells told E! News in October 2019 that he just wants the Bachelor host there as a friend. “Let's be fair, if it weren't for Chris and a couple of the other executive producers, I would've never even met Sarah,” he said. “So, Harrison is an integral part of my happiness in general and I love him and now I get to hang out with him every summer, so I want him to be there.”

Until they are able to start planning, Hyland and Wells have managed to entertain themselves by dressing up like Carole Baskin and Joe Exotic and making lip-sync videos of scenes from Anchorman, Friends, and Step Brothers.

May 2020: Hyland Buys a House

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According to Variety, the Modern Family actor spent nearly $4 million on a five-bedroom house in Studio City, California. This is in addition to the two houses Hyland already owns, one of which she lived in with Adams. It's unclear whether or not they've moved into their new property.

July 2020: They Celebrate Their One-Year Engagement Anniversary

The couple marked July 7, the day they got engaged one year earlier, with celebratory social media posts. Calling Wells her "best friend," Hyland shared a pair of Instagram photos, noting in the caption that she's grateful to be quarantined with the love of her life. "One day we’ll get married, but for now, I’ll take eating junk food and Netflix all day every day," she wrote. "I love you to Pluto and back baby."

For his part, Adams also shared throwback proposal photos, writing, "A year ago today I asked my best friend to marry me. Best decision of my life. Happy engagement anniversary @sarahhyland, I love you +1 anything you say."

August 2020: They Reveal Their Would-Be Wedding Day

While appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Aug. 20, Hyland revealed she and Adams actually did have a wedding date in mind, which they celebrated together in quarantine. "It was my first time out of the house, out of quarantine, and we went to a winery," she said, adding that their friends and family (all of whom got COVID-19 tests) joined them. The actor even bought a white dress and veil and staged faked wedding photos "for fun."

Oct. 15, 2020: They Celebrate Their Three-Year Anniversary

Hyland told People that she and Wells celebrated their third anniversary by voting. "We filled out our ballots and walked our ballots over to the official dropoff box and triple-checked to make sure that it wasn't one of the fake ones that are lying around California," she said, adding that Adams also cooked dinner before they exchanged gifts that night.

As has become tradition, the pair also shared tributes on social media. Hyland reminisced about the day they began dating with a trio of photos, writing that their time in quarantine had "only made [their] relationship stronger." Meanwhile, Adams joked in his post that the list of things he loves about Hyland is longer than his tongue.

Oct. 31, 2020: They Wear Back to the Future Halloween Costumes

"We’re going back in time," Adams captioned his Instagram photo of their Marty McFly and Doc Brown costumes. "Anything y’all want us to change about 2020 or nah?" Hyland posted a similar shot, joking that in 2020 "Biff is president" and "only the flux capacitor can save us now!"

November 2020: Wells Celebrates Sarah’s 30th Birthday

Adams celebrated Hyland’s 30th birthday by posting a slideshow of silly, candid photos of her on Instagram. “Happy 30th birthday @sarahhyland!” he wrote. “Here’s a bunch of pictures that make me very excited about the next 30! Especially the last one. I love you the moistest! Sorry, mostest! To Pluto and back!”

January 2021: Wells Reveals Their New Wedding Plans

On the Click Bait with Bachelor Nation podcast, Adams explained that they hoped to get married in the summer of 2021, but it was all dependant on Hyland’s health. “She’s a transplant recipient, so she takes pills so that she doesn’t reject this new kidney in her body,” he said. “We have to be super careful about the pandemic, more so than most people our age.”

Of course, he has an interesting back-up plan as well. “If this thing continues and we’re not able to do it, we’ll do a courthouse. I’m really pushing for Vegas — powder blue suits, Elvis officiant,” he joked.

June 2021: Sarah & Wells Reunite After Three Months Apart

Hyland revealed on Instagram that she and Adams had been in a long distance relationship for nearly three months, and she was more than ready to reunite with him. “I get to be in his arms again soooooon,” she gushed. “PS. It’s been since the beginning of APRIL.”

October 2021: They Celebrate Four Years Together

Hyland and Adams marked her fourth anniversary by going on vacation, which she shared snapshots from on Instagram, and vowing to get married... one day. “Four years of love, travel, laughter, and trust,” she wrote. “You’re my world and beyond. One day we’ll get married… and I CAN NOT WAIT for that day. But for now… posing with canned seltzers is more than enough.”

December 2021: A Christmas Kiss

Hyland posted an adorable impromptu holiday photoshoot to Instagram, including a photo of Adams dipping his fiancée and planting a kiss on her lips. “Fosse but make it Christmas,” she captioned the post.

March 2022: The Couple Fools Us Into Thinking They Had A Baby

On March 19, Hyland and Adams introduced the newest addition to their family, Avett Adams. “The yummiest little baby on earth,” she captioned a photo of them holding the newborn.

Naturally, her followers thought they had welcomed their first child, so Hyland had to edit her caption to clarify that Avett was their nephew, welcomed by Adams’ brother. “Thank you @unicornautumn & @brettrobert for bringing him in to this world and making my ovaries explode!!!” she wrote. “UPDATE: He’s our nephew!!! @wellsadams and I did not have a baby.”

June 2022: Sarah Finally Has Her Bridal Shower

While the couple still hasn’t set a new wedding date, Hyland finally had her bridal shower on June 5 and shared photos on her Instagram Story, calling it the “bridal shower of my dreams.” The bride-to-be thanked her “amazing” maid of honor Ciara Robinson for hosting the soiree, which was also attended by famous friends like Vanessa Hudgens. But the most special part was when Adams surprised her with flowers and played The Newlywed Game with her. No word on who won.

July 2022: Sarah Throws Her Bachelorette Party

Hyland and Adams’ wedding is finally on the horizon, judging by the Bachelorette party she posted about on July 14. Hyland went to Casa Aramara in Punta de Mita, Mexico, where she and her bridal party (including Hudgens) posed in matching “bride” and “bridesmaid” swimsuits. “Bachelorette Trip of my dreams,” she wrote. “I love these humans with all of my heart and feel so much gratitude for the space we hold for each other. You all are MAGIC.”

August 2022: Third Time’s The Charm

After postponing their wedding twice, Hyland and Adams got married on Aug. 20, People reports. According to the outlet, the ceremony took place at a winery near Santa Barbara. Several of Hyland’s Modern Family co-stars attended the event, including Sofia Vergara, Julie Bowen, Nolan Gould, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

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