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CNN LARRY KING LIVE

Interview with Trista Rehn, Ryan Sutter

Aired December 2, 2003 - 21:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN SUTTER, TRISTA REHN'S FIANCE: Trista Nicole Rehn, will you marry me?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY KING, HOST: Tonight, just days before the wedding that millions are going to watch, "The Bachelorette" herself, Trista Rehn, and her fiance, Ryan Sutter. Will their made for TV marriage work? And they're here and we'll take your phone calls.

But first, Allan Sjodin, father of University of North Dakota student Dru Sjodin missing since November 22. Last night, a convicted rapist charged last night with kidnapping her. Where is she? Her dad will tell us about Dru and how the family is getting through all of this, next on LARRY KING LIVE.

We begin with Allan Sjodin. He comes to us from his home -- a hotel near his home in Grand Fork, North Dakota. Here is what he said earlier today at a police press conference. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALLAN SJODIN, DAUGHTER DRU MISSING SINCE NOV. 22: Honey, we are still looking for you. We know you're there. Our strength is drawn off of you. We're just overwhelmed with this. Obviously, we have -- we're just totally overwhelmed, but what we want is everyone to continue doing what they have been doing. Just like these folks have been saying, check your shelter belts, check your buildings. Check anything. Check everything. We want information. We have the strength and wherewithal to be out there. We're going to continue to be there, honey. We're going to find you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Allan, the police chief, John Packett, John Packett, said today that, "Dru, we will find you" and said he believes she is still alive. What do you believe?

SJODIN: Larry, I believe exactly the same thing. That's our strength. We absolutely believe in that.

KING: Now, you've had a man -- an ex-con, a sexual predator, Alfonso Rodriguez, he's been charged with kidnapping in her disappearance. Are they entering into negotiations? Are they keeping -- what is going on between the prisoner and the police?

SJODIN: Larry, the police are handling that. We really aren't involved. They aren't getting a lot of information to us. And we aren't asking, because our motivation here is to find Dru, so we're saving our energy for that and that only.

KING: So you don't expect them to keep you informed as to progress?

SJODIN: Oh, absolutely. I'm sure they'll give us progress reports.

There's an arraignment tomorrow. And we'll have representatives at that arraignment. But again, our mission is to find Dru, and that's what we have set up to do.

KING: Is it strange to you at all that they have what they believe to be the culprit and they don't have your daughter?

SJODIN: Oh, I guess, you know, there's a range of emotions with that. We have all kinds of thoughts, you know, in this type of a situation. None of us -- we haven't gone through it. No one -- not many people have, so right now, we just -- you know, are holding to Dru and everything else we're trying to block out.

KING: How did you learn of the disappearance, Allan?

SJODIN: I received a phone call on Saturday evening of the 22nd telling me that there was a possible abduction.

KING: She worked at Victoria's Secret, right?

SJODIN: That's correct, yes.

KING: Did she have any -- she had a boyfriend, right? Did she call her boyfriend?

SJODIN: Yes. She was talking with her boyfriend as she was walking out of the mall, as I understand it.

KING: And then she seemed to be threatened? There was some type of threat, and the boyfriend reported that?

SJODIN: Yeah. There was a -- you know, there's some thoughts there -- there was a break in transmission, and he thought he heard her say a different -- something that, you know, to the effect of yeah, yeah. OK. Oh, no. You know? There's just a number of things floating in that, and all we know is that there was a break in transmission. And he tried to, you know, get back in contact with her and had no luck.

KING: Was she living at home, Allan?

SJODIN: No. She was living in campus housing here at UND.

KING: She goes to the University of North Dakota? SJODIN: That's correct.

KING: How old is she?

SJODIN: 22 years old.

KING: What does she want to do? What's her major?

SJODIN: She was a graphic artist and she loved photography.

KING: Was she serious with the boyfriend?

SJODIN: I think their relationship was, you know, just a -- more of a friendship relationship. They were a very nice couple, I believe.

KING: How are you holding up?

SJODIN: Today's been a problem. We've really had a long, tough day, so we just had a family gathering and we had a group hug, and that kind of gave us some more strength.

KING: How many are in the family? There's you, your wife, Dru and who else?

SJODIN: I have one son, Sven.

KING: And how old is he?

SJODIN: Sven is 24.

KING: And are he and his sister close?

SJODIN: Yes, yes, you know, brother-sister relationships. They've been away from each other for a while, but they're close.

KING: How's he taking it?

SJODIN: He's running on adrenaline right now. It's hurting him, but he's a strong kid.

KING: How's your wife doing?

SJODIN: She's -- she's holding on, too. She's gathering strength, also.

KING: How about the people who are involved in the search? What about your neighbors and everybody? How supportive has that been for you?

SJODIN: Oh, overwhelming, Larry. It's unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. The people of the region here have just opened up their hearts to us. Prayers and everything that's imaginable, the police have been fantastic. I can't point a finger at any one thing that hasn't been positive in all of those. KING: Your best hope is that if this guy is the culprit, that he has her prisoner somewhere and she's alive and he's going to negotiate a way to tell him where she is, right?

SJODIN: That is correct, yes.

KING: And that's the hope and prayers of everybody who is involved in this now? This has become a worldwide interest. Are you sleeping well at all?

SJODIN: Fretful sleep. I'm a power napper, and that's the way I survive a lot of my life, so -- I will survive, yes.

KING: Because we know the connection between fathers and daughters.

SJODIN: That's -- it's a powerful connection, Larry. It's a powerful connection. I can't -- I can't wait to get her in my arms.

KING: Allan, we will stay close, and all of our prayers are with you, and thank you very much for sharing some moments with us.

SJODIN: Thank you, Larry. I can't believe that I'm live with you under -- I wish it was under a better circumstance.

KING: Me, too. Maybe the next time, it will be.

SJODIN: That's -- that's our hope, yes, thank you.

KING: You and Dru on together, that would be wonderful.

SJODIN: There we are, that's what I was hoping for.

KING: Thank you, Allan. Allan Sjodin, the father of the missing University of North Dakota student, Dru Sjodin.

We'll take a happier note now. As we come back, we'll talk with Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter, "The Bachelorette" and her fiance. She's the physical therapist and former Miami Heat dancer. That's the NBA team. And he's the firefighter from Colorado. And they're already married? Are they getting -- we'll be right back and solve this puzzle for you after these words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF JOHN PACKETT, GRAND FORKS POLICE DEPARTMENT: Dru, we will find you. With the arrest of Alfonso Rodriquez Jr. last night, this investigation has only reached the 50-yard line. As additional charges and information becomes available, we will be not -- we will not be satisfied or comforted until such time as we find Dru.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: We now welcome to LARRY KING LIVE, by the way, a reminder, next Monday night, Laura Bush is our guest for the hour. Laura Bush at the White House Monday night.

America's most famous couple, Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter join us. She's TV's bachlorette. He is her fiance. She's a physical therapist, danced for the Miami Heat at their basketball games. And he is a firefighter. They'll live in Colorado. She finished second last year in "The Bachelor," when Alex Michael picked Amanda Marsh instead of her. She won the hearts of everybody so she starred in "The Bachlorette." Wilted it down and selected Ryan.

First, why did you enter this, Ryan?

By the way, they'll be married on the air on ABc on Wednesday, December 10.

Why did you be one of the guys?

SUTTER: You know, it just kind of happened to me. I got a phone call from a friend of ours who -- whose wife -- whose fiancee at the time, wife now, was on another reality show. The producer of that show is also the producer of Trista's show, "Bachlorette." They were looking for more people to be on her show or be candidates for show. And his wife for whatever reason suggested me. Although, I've never met this woman that suggested me to be on the show. So, I am at work at the fire station one day and get a phone call from "The Bachlorette" casting department and ask me if I want to be on the show called "The Bachlorette."

I never watched "The Bachelor." or knew about Trista whatsoever. And so...

KING: What the hell.

SUTTER: I was like, you know, yes. Send me some information and I'll fill it out. And then one thing lead to another.

KING: You went on as (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?

SUTTER: Yes.

KING: Have some fun?

Give me the theme, Trista.

Did you have to date every one of them?

TRISTA REHN, "THE BACHELORETTE": Yes. There were 25 guys and we started with three -- well, the first night I meet all 25 of them. And I get rid of 10 of them.

KING: That night?

REHN: Yes. That night.

KING: That night?

Good-bye, Phil. REHN: Right, good-bye

SUTTER: I figured I was one of those guys.

REHN: He wrote me poem the first night. Definitely blew me away. I went on three group dates with five of them.

KING: Group dates.

REHN: Group dates. Yes. The first -- well with him, it was a spa date. We hung out by the pool and had like a barbecue.

KING: But other guys went.

REHN: Yes. There were five guys on each date. Then the next round, there was one group date and three individual dates.

KING: But a group date isn't really is it?

REHN: Yes, not so much a date. It's just basicly hanging out with each other kind of getting to know more about each other in a group atmosphere.

KING: Was the purpose supposed to be marriage?

REHN: No. It could be whatever it want -- I mean, they promote it as such. You know, will they get married at the end? Will she say yes is what they always say. But it doesn't necessarily have to be marriage.

KING: On "The Bachelor," which you finished runner up, did they marry?

REHN: No. They're actually broken up.

KING: It could have been you.

REHN: Thank god it wasn't me.

KING: Did you think you were going to be selected?

REHN: I Did. I did. I was hear broken.

KING: Did you like him?

REHN: Yes.

KING: You did like him?

REHN: I did. Yes, for some unknown reason.

KING: Does that bother you, Ryan that she likes this guy?

SUTTER: No. I mean, it's just like any other girlfriend that you have. They have obviously liked other people in their lives.

KING: But you understand he could have liked some girls?

REHN: Oh, yes. I know that.

KING: Give us the scoop. The wedding is December 10.

REHN: Yes.

KING: But they have taped all this.

REHN: Maybe, maybe not.

KING: So you might be married and you might not be married.

REHN: We might not be married or we might be. The public can watch December 10.

KING: Why do networks lie? In other words, they're lying right? They are telling us -- unless you're really getting married, they could be lying to us.

REHN: Could be, couldn't be.

SUTTER: We really getting married. They're not lying about us actually getting married. That's just going to happen. It's just we can't say for sure -- and really, to protect us and the security and the intimacy of the wedding itself. That's kind of why we're not saying when exactly it is or...

KING: Let me ask you some fair questions where are you getting married?

SUTTER: That's another thing. Our hands are tied by a contract we signed that binds us to secrecy or $5 million which we don't have to pay, so, we don't tell. It's that much easier.

REHN: It's that easy.

KING: What made you propose?

SUTTER: I was in love. I think...

KING: From group dates?

SUTTER: You move past the group dates and actually get to spend some time. I know it sounds crazy, and I don't blame anyone for being skeptical but it's real and I felt it and, you know, I went into the process not with no expectations and came out of the process having met this woman that I'd been hoping to meet my entire life. And for me to not ask her to marry me would have just been delaying me asking her to marry her later. And I knew that so I figured, you know, why waste any time?

KING: By the way, the guy who finished runner up to him, how well did you like him?

REHN: He's a great guy. And we remain friends with him. KING: He's wealthy, right?

REHN: No, his parents are pretty well. His father is a doctor.

KING: There's no lying on this show right? You knew Ryan was a fireman.

(CROSSTALK)

REHN: Yes. No. Yes. That's not the premise of our show. It's actually honesty.

KING: If the other guy -- you had selected the other and he proposed, you would have said, no?

REHN: Yes, well. I didn't want to -- is that what you're asking?

KING: It was Ryan?

REHN: It was Ryan all along. And then I let him kind of do the proposing. I said that I wanted to be with him.

KING: Did you propose right there?

SUTTER: Yes. It's interesting because you have to prepare yourself for -- I didn't know if she was going to pick me. I didn't know if I was going to have the chance to propose. On the had, I had to say, OK, if she picks me, do I wan't to ask her to marry me?

And if I do, how?

And on the other hand, like, what if she doesn't pick me how do I prepare for that sort...

KING: Thanks for not picking me but I love you.

REHN: Right.

SUTTER: Right, you know...

KING: What would were you going to do?

SUTTER: If she didn't pick me?

KING: Yes.

SUTTER: I was probably just going to -- no, I would have probably left peacefully and I would have been really sad. It would have been hard.

KING: When we come back, we'll ask you if Trista was shocked at the proposal. We'll also show you some of the wedding preparations and like. And including your phone calls for this delightful couple. Don't go away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUTTER: I guess this is as good time as any to give you something else that I should have for you. Just a little something I came up with yesterday called "Something About Her." Here I am not knowing where I stand. Here I am looking for a place to land. My heart in the palm of her hand. A boy dying to be her man. Between tomorrow and yesterday, what I really want to say is that I'm falling for something about her. She is to me the rainbow through the rain. She is to me the laughter through the pain. She's living in my dreams. She's a vision and it seems that I'm falling for something about her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUTTER: To only living once and taking chances.

REHN: I love that.

SUTTER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) living once and taking chances toast?

REHN: Yeah?

SUTTER: That's because I really, really want to kiss you and I've been like completely scared to do it this whole entire time. And if I let you walk out of here without kissing you, not only is everyone going to shoot me, but I might shoot myself.

REHN: Go for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: You like reality television, Ryan?

SUTTER: I don't like watching myself on it. And I actually don't watch -- don't watch it often at all.

KING: Why did you enter in the first place in the first one, Trista?

REHN: Kind of the same reason he did.

KING: A lark?

REHN: Yeah, I just wanted to have a good time. At that point, they were advertising it as, you know, come live in this mansion in Malibu and travel around the world. And I was like, hey, sign me up.

KING: Does ABC run the way the wedding runs? Do they say where it goes, who's the official, et cetera?

REHN: No.

SUTTER: No. We have been able to make just about every decision in the whole process.

KING: You invite who you want?

SUTTER: Yeah. And it's been great, because the sky has been the limit. We have been able to come up with ideas and suggest it to them, and they can usually make whatever we want happen.

KING: Was there a prize connected with this? Do you get money for being selected?

REHN: No, no.

KING: Were you paid for the show?

REHN: We were paid to do the wedding on television, but we were not paid to get married.

SUTTER: We weren't paid for the original "Bachelorette."

KING: Let's watch Ryan's reaction to the wedding details. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REHN: I have a very definite style in my mind of what I like and what I want. I love the pink, pink.

(UNINTELLIGIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But will Ryan go along with Trista's vision of the big day?

REHN: I love this.

(CROSSTALK)

SUTTER: Trista loves pink, and it's everywhere. We go to the invitation people, and it's pink everywhere. We go to the flower people, and it's pink everywhere.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look at the invitation.

REHN: Oh my god.

SUTTER: Little dolls.

There's no way that I'm going to allow like this pink, flowery, girly little Strawberry Shortcake wedding.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: They really milk this, don't they?

REHN: Yeah.

SUTTER: Yeah. KING: You know, the wedding, the elopement, the whole thing, everything is covered. Right? I mean, they got their bases covered.

REHN: Right.

KING: How many shows have you been on together now? I mean, on ABC.

REHN: You mean like interview shows?

KING: No. ABC. How many shows have they had leading up to this?

REHN: Oh, three.

KING: Three?

REHN: Three installments. The first one was this past Wednesday. It was like all the wedding preparations, what you just saw in that clip. The second will be tomorrow night, and that's the bachelor and bachelorette party, and the shower (UNINTELLIGIBLE), and then the following Wednesday will be the wedding. It's a two-hour show.

KING: But tomorrow night there is a show?

REHN: Yeah.

KING: And that's the party?

REHN: That's the bachelor and bachelorette parties.

KING: Is this your party, Ryan, or...

REHN: Both.

SUTTER: It's both of ours.

KING: Let's take a look at what Trista's friends saw at Ryan's big party. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Becky and I were in charge of putting this get-together for Trista, so we escaped and we just went to see what was going on with the boys.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I won't be mentioning any of this to Trista, and I would expect that if it were my situation, she would mention nothing to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Is it true they offered -- Oprah offered to pay for the wedding if you'd exchange the vows on her show?

REHN: Yeah, she did. We felt an obligation to ABC, though, and we had already talked to them a little bit about doing the wedding on ABC.

KING: You didn't have a contract that said you had to, right?

REHN: No, no.

KING: Because you didn't have to marry him, right?

REHN: No, no, nothing whatsoever. So. But Oprah was kind enough to offer, and we've been on the show since then. She's wonderful.

KING: Do you like being this public?

SUTTER: Personally, I don't. I mean, there have been a lot of great things. We have gotten to do a lot of really great things. Obviously, I'd never be on this show for one if it...

KING: Unless you saved someone in a fire.

SUTTER: True. There's other ways.

KING: If you had exposed yourself in a Miami Heat game, you're on.

SUTTER: But, I mean, you know what I mean. It's just, yeah, I wouldn't trade anything, I wouldn't take anything back, but I'm ready for it to kind of be over and get back to normal life.

KING: What was the bachelor party like?

SUTTER: The bachelor party was mostly fun. It was -- it was frustrating, as well. The ABC people tried to create sort of their own little drama and that conflicted with what we actually kind of wanted to have happen, and so there was a little turmoil through one little section of it. But we got through it, and everything is fine now. And I think it sort of clued the producers then to what -- how...

KING: So this is your show?

SUTTER: Right.

KING: I mean, they're showing it, but it's your wedding.

REHN: We look at it as a documentary of the wedding. We just have more video cameras there than a normal videographer team. You know? If we were doing the wedding on our own...

KING: You're going to live in Colorado?

REHN: Yeah.

KING: You're going to continue as a fireman?

SUTTER: Right.

KING: You can't be a Miami Heat dancer in Colorado?

REHN: No. No, I actually stopped dancing...

KING: You dance for the Nuggets.

REHN: Well, I stopped dancing a couple of years ago...

SUTTER: They're getting better.

KING: They sure are.

REHN: ... because my back is really bad. I have two herniated discs. So -- and I'm too old. How old am I? 31?

KING: How old are you?

SUTTER: 31.

KING: And how old are you, Ryan?

SUTTER: 29.

KING: You're older than him.

REHN: I'm older than him.

KING: We'll have to ask about this. You can comment any way you want, but someone, Kevin Allen (ph), filed a lawsuit against you.

REHN: Yes.

KING: What's that about? Was he a manager?

REHN: He was a previous manager.

KING: And he managed you in what, a show business career?

REHN: In entertainment, correct.

KING: And is he saying, what, you broke the contract? How do you react to this?

REHN: Well, officially, we're unable to comment. We've been told by our lawyers that we -- we shouldn't really comment on the matter.

KING: Were you upset, Ryan?

SUTTER: We just found out about it today. And I can't -- I obviously can't comment on any of the details. I honestly don't know many of the details.

KING: Do you know him? Do you know Kevin...

SUTTER: Of course I know him. And the disappointing thing to us is that our focus right now is on this wedding, which is, you know, the best day of our lives, and it's a really positive experience. And for someone who we know to come along and do this at this particular time is frustrating, but, you know, it's -- we'll deal with it.

KING: You think it's a low blow?

SUTTER: Yeah. I don't want to say too much, but (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KING: He's using a very famous lawyer, Howard Weitsman (ph).

SUTTER: I'm sure he is.

KING: A very famous lawyer, O.J.'s original lawyer. Are you worried?

REHN: No. Nothing whatsoever.

KING: So the wedding is December 10. Tomorrow night is more festivities that are going to be leading up to the wedding. And then that's it? Are you quitting television?

REHN: We're done.

KING: ... or you want a career?

REHN: No. Reality shows completely over. We won't -- we're not going to air our first baby. We're not going to air our first anniversary. We're done in reality shows.

KING: How about someone comes up with an idea, couples meeting other couples?

REHN: No.

KING: No? OK.

REHN: None of that.

KING: We're going to take a break, and when we come back, we'll go to your phone calls for Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter. They are about to be Mr. and Mrs. Sutter. They may already be Mr. and Mrs. Sutter. The wedding is December 10. There is a preview tomorrow night, December 3, on ABC. We'll be right back. Don't go away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUTTER: Fire pole is my big test with girls. If they are not willing to get on the fire pole, then it's just might not be worth the time.

Clear.

OK.

You're an absolute natural.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REHN: Hi, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) my name is (UNINTELLIGIBLE) , and I want to thank you for standing by my side when I couldn't give you (UNINTELLIGIBLE) confirmation of your feelings.

SUTTTER: That's OK.

REHN: But my wall is finally crumbling and I can now tell you without reservation that I really love you. I hope with all of my heart that you feel the same, and that you want to spend the rest of your life with me as I do with you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Our guests are Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter. They are about to be Mr. and Mrs. Sutter. The wedding will be on ABC December 10. Is tomorrow night two hours, too?

REHN: No. Tomorrow night is...

(CROSSTALK)

KING: One hour but the wedding is two hours.

REHN: Yes.

KING: Before we go to calls, do you ever feel that this is like too public, you know? This is -- weddings are intimate and sacred.

REHN: They are but we still look at it like that. Even though, how I explained it. How we have more cameras there.

If we during our own, we would have a videographer. We just look at it that more people are going to have access to the tape. So we're concerned with the people we've invited, the people that are at the ceremony, sitting in the seats and having fun with us.

KING: How many are coming?

REHN: There will be about 275. Something like that.

KING: A lot of family on both sides?

SUTTER: Right, yes.

KING: Do you like being well-known?

SUTTER: No. Actually, I've never been really someone that's enjoyed the...

KING: Shied away from?

SUTTER: ... the lime light. But she makes it pretty easy.

KING: What does the gang at the fire station say?

SUTTER: When I first got back, it was non-stop ridicule. But they wall papered my locker with pictures of her and like sayings all over the place. And they kept track of every cheesy thing I said on show and plastered it all over. But then we would have people maliciously pull fire alarms to get us to come. It was chaos.

KING: You're kidding?

REHN: No.

SUTTER: It was bad.

KING: False alarms?

SUTTER there would be lines out the door for autographs and things and then they started to see that it had turned into this monster. And they backed off a little bit because they had really become involved. Obviously, I work every third day or something so they're finding themselves having to deal with it a lot.

KING: Are you concerned that he's a firefighter?

REHN: I think I'm more concerned because I'm such a scaredy cat. He leaves at 7:00 in the morning and then doesn't come back until 7:00 the next morning. To think of myself falling asleep in my house by myself. We will have Natasha (ph) -- I we have Natasha our Siberian husky at home. But I think that's what I'm most concerned about because I think he's great. He'll be OK.

KING: You don't work about do you?

REHN: No, I'm not worried.

KING: Let's go to calls.

Newport Beach, California, hello.

CALLER: Patty, make it much lower.

KING: OK, Newport, go ahead, you're on, dear. Hello. Hello. OK. You have to turn the TV down.

I know how to do it. Pearland, Texas, hello.

CALLER: Hi, Larry. Thanks for taking my call and I wanted to say to Trista and Ryan that I'm happy you got your tender hearted firemen and not that you're tell us, but where are you going on your honey moon. REHN: Well, we are considering going to Turtle Island in Fiji. We have been talking to them. And we've also been talked to the resort that we had "The Bachelor" and "Bachlorette" parties at and they were offering us to go some place.

KING: Have you gotten offers from lots of places?

REHN: A couple of different places. Yes, it's been great. Yes, I know.

SUTTER: Some places have wanted to film us there and we...

KING: You don't want that?

SUTTER: We don't want that, so.

KING: But the Fiji Island is just come and have a good time?

REHN: Yes.

SUTTER: Yes, yes.

KING: Why not?

REHN: I know. And it's very private and they want to take care of us and make sure we're secure. And that's what we want.

KING: You want a family right away?

REHN: Not right away. But we definitely want kids. I worked in pediatrics in physical therapy for four years, and I love babies.

KING: You want kids?

SUTTER: Yes. In a year or so I think we'll be ready for that.

KING: Do you have brothers or sisters?

REHN: Only child.

SUTTER: I have a brother, yes.

KING: Older?

SUTTER: Younger.

KING: What does he do?

SUTTER: He's a teacher.

KING: Newport -- do you like him?

REHN: Yes. He's great.

KING: Newport Beach, California, hello. Hi, are you there?

Newport are you there?

Good-bye again, Newport. Sidney, Nova Scotia, hello.

CALLER: Hi. Hi, Trista And Ryan.

SUTTER: Hi.

REHN: Hi. Good.

SUTTER: Good, thank you.

CALLER: What I wanted to know is the question is already answered. Are you planning on having any children. And also, I'd just like to tell you make a beautiful couple.

REHN: Thank you.

CALLER: I hope the love you share for each other lasts forever and best wishes to both of you.

SUTTER: Thank you very much.

KING: Ma'am, caller, can I ask a question?

CALLER: Yes.

KING: Why did you like watching them -- why did you like the whole thing?

CALLER: Well, I followed it all through and I picked Ryan from the first. And it was just interesting to see the love that they showed to each other. And I'm glad she did pick Ryan and Ryan proposed to her.

KING: Why do you like to show much?

Why would you follow it?

They're all strangers to you.

CALLER: I don't know. It's just (UNINTELLIGIBLE) love or what they are trying to get back to. I don't know. It's fun. It's enjoyable. It's eye catching.

SUTTER: Thank you.

KING: That's nice. Halifax, Nova Scotia, hello.

CALLER: Hi, guys. We have been following your show from the very beginning and we just wanted to know what the most surprising thing you found out about each other is.

KING: Good question.

REHN: Yes, that is a good question.

KING: OK. Ryan, you go first.

REHN: Yes, you go first.

SUTTER: You know, I have found out a lot of surprising things about her, and...

KING: What can you tell us?

SUTTER: Right.

REHN: They're all secret.

SUTTER: There's so many -- just these little time intricacies that are things I really like. We have extremely different diets and I am trying to get her to eat vegetables and tells me how much she likes corn and corn isn't a vegetable. But she's always grown up her whole entire life think it is.

KING: Corn is not a vegetable?

SUTTER: It's a starch, like potatoes.

REHN: I'm like, it's really a vegetable, Larry?

SUTTER: That would have ruined me.

KING: We I look at corn, I think vegetable. But OK.

SUTTER: Yes, maybe everyone does. I don't know. But anyway. You know, and she loves to drink half of a glass of Gatorade but pour a full glass. There are always little things -- and these are just the little things that I've notice. But for the most part, there's so many things where we're different -- completely different people. We have different characteristics and things like that. But we compliment each other so well the that my weaknesses are her strengths and her strengths are my weaknesses. So, those are the things that I really enjoy about our relationship.

KING: Are you health food person?

SUTTER: Yes.

REHN: Yes.

KING: Ellijay, Georgia, hello.

CALLER: Yes. Larry, great show. Would you consider talking to Dr. Phil about what makes a good marriage?

How about that?

REHN: Us or Larry?

KING: I don't know, that don't make sense. You have them going to Dr. Phil before they start? REHN: No, no, no. I think Dr. Phil is great and I think any advice on marriage is well received. You know, I'll take any hints of marriage from somebody who's been married for a long time.

KING: Are your parents living?

SUTTER: Yes.

KING: What do you think of this?

REHN: They think it's great, but in the beginning they felt a little disconnected, because they were looking at it more as a television show, like everyone is, and less of a wedding. And I think they're now on board just 100 percent. That it's our wedding and any phone call, you know, anything that we can answer, they can call us directly.

KING: Do they like Ryan?

REHN: Oh, Yes. They love Ryan.

KING: What about your parents?

SUTTER: They love her. And they were obviously a little skeptical at first. My mom, I couldn't tell my mom, I was engaged to Trista without my parents knowing, so.

KING: That's your parents right there right now, right?

SUTTER: Yes. That was tough on my mom to watch on television me proposing to Trista and having never met her so...

KING: Yes, you're the mother and the son.

SUTTER: Yes, it's tough on her. But now everything's fine.

KING: Boston, hello.

Boston, are you there?

CALLER: Yes, I hear. Sorry. Hi, Trista. I'm really good -- big fans of yours, but Trista, I never hear what you're going to be doing after you get married.

REHN: You know, I honestly don't know. I want to go with the flow and just get done with the wedding, get done with the show and be happy in our new home and decorate. And I was just telling Larry I'm thinking about opening a gift shop or doing something along those lines.

KING: You live in (UNINTELLIGIBLE) right?

SUTTER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

REHN: Yes. So I've always wanted to do that. Maybe like an art gallery-ish and he always -- recently discovered that he might want to build furniture. He could build it. I could sell it in the shop.

(CROSSTALK)

REHN: We have lots of ideas.

KING: Your, famous to begin with.

REHN: Yes, maybe it would help but I want to do something. I'm just not concerned with what I'm going to do at this point. I want to get through this next month. Get on to the new year.

SUTTER: One step at a time.

REHN: Yes.

KING: Do you ever watch your dance with the Heat?

SUTTER: I have seen footage. Yes, she's good. She's really good.

KING: Did you have fun doing that?

REHN: So much fun. You know, The best part for me was, I had a really hard time meeting people in Miami, and I made good girl friendships and guys that worked at the Heat and everything so...

KING: Did you date a player?

REHN: No. That's very forbidden.

KING: Really.

REHN: Yes. But no. There were some girls that broke the rules and and hung out with..

KING: Did you come close to getting married, Ryan?

SUTTER: I did come close to getting married once, yeah, and it turned out, you know, not working out sort of at the last minute but I guess everything...

REHN: Luckily.

KING: How about you?

REHN: I was in a relationship in college, where we talked about marriage but we've never talked about an engagement. So.

KING: We'll be back with more. Ryan Sutter and Trista Rehn. They'll be married officially on December 10 on ABC.

Ryan didn't just have to compete with a bunch of other men for Trista's affections. Take a look. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Give her a kiss.

REHN: I can?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

SUTTER: I guess I was a little jealous when Trista kissed the dolphin, but I don't know if there is anything I can do to a 600-pound animal that can swim a lot better than I can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUTTER: When Trista did tell me that she was in love with me, those are the words I've been waiting to hear since the moment I knew that I was falling in love with her.

(UNINTELLIGIBLE) the happiest guy in the world. I mean, it's unbelievable. Everything that I've gone through, everything I felt for Trista, all this time and all the unanswered questions, I finally got the answer, and it was the answer that I wanted. So I'm so happy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Before we go to some more calls, what did you make of the Rick Rockwell/Darva Conger thing? You know, they picked each other out, then went on a boat then hated each other in two and a half minutes.

SUTTER: You know, I mean, if some people -- it's just not right for them. So I guess it wasn't.

REHN: But she did agree to marry a man she didn't see until she exchanged vows with him.

KING: You would not have done that?

REHN: No, no, no.

KING: Are you going to take his name?

REHN: Yes, definitely.

KING: Tampa, Florida. Hello.

CALLER: Yes, Larry, my question for the couple is, before "The Bachelorette," did they try any creative ways of meeting single people and perhaps have advice for myself or others who are looking for that special someone? KING: Did you have a method?

REHN: I think just leave your mind open to anything. Obviously, we did, and it worked out for us. I was really having a hard time meeting people, and this kind of came at a good time. At first, I didn't think about it as really as a dating mechanism, but obviously, it turned out a great way to meet somebody.

KING: What is your method?

SUTTER: I actually wasn't looking. It was kind of a thing where you just -- everyone always says it always happens when you're not looking. I would say to not discount any opportunity you have to meet people. You never know how it is going to happen.

KING: Did you ever date anyone like you saved in a fire?

SUTTER: I have never saved anyone in a fire, so I...

REHN: A cat.

SUTTER: Except a dog. And I didn't date it.

KING: Hollywood, Florida, hello.

CALLER: Hi, Trista and Ryan, how are you?

REHN: Good.

SUTTER: Good, thanks.

CALLER: Oh, I wanted to ask you both, how long did you both know before you were in love with each other?

REHN: I think we both knew around the same time, and it was between our date to vail when he took me home and Seattle, when we went there for our overnight date. It definitely happened in that timeframe for both of us.

KING: They allow an overnight date unsupervised?

REHN: No. It was supervised until a certain point in time.

KING: But I mean, you could have a relationship?

REHN: Yeah.

SUTTER: Right. Yeah, and that was the best -- that's when you actually -- there was nothing recording you, there were no video cameras, no microphones. You could talk openly, and that was when you really started to get to know the person.

KING: How honest is a reality show? I mean, how honest is the conversation as opposed to we know we're being filmed?

REHN: It is honest. I mean, I've been on two now, well three I guess if you count the wedding, but it -- I think it's honest, because I said everything from my heart.

KING: What you felt like you did.

REHN: Yeah. I mean, I didn't let the cameras hinder that whatsoever. Yeah. It's -- they're annoying to be around and sometimes if a cameraman bumps into something, you lose your track, you know, you lose your train of thought because you're now drawn to the camera. But normally you're engaged in a conversation with somebody and you're paying attention to them.

KING: What about for you?

SUTTER: I was always honest. I felt like the only way for me to convey who I really was to Trista was to be honest with her. So I didn't see any other way to do it.

KING: Westminster, Colorado, hello.

CALLER: Hi, Larry. I'm thrilled to talk to you.

KING: Hi.

CALLER: Congratulations, Trista and Ryan.

REHN: Thank you.

SUTTER: Thank you.

CALLER: I have a question that really has nothing to do with your wedding. I wanted to know if it's true -- I heard a rumor on the radio the other day that Bob and Estella are no longer together. Is that true?

REHN: We've been asked that a lot.

KING: Who?

SUTTER: Everybody's been asking us, but we don't know.

REHN: Bachelor Bob.

KING: Who's Bachelor Bob?

REHN: He did the latest version of "The Bachelor." Right there. That's him.

KING: That's Bachelor Bob.

REHN: He's still coming the wedding. You know.

KING: He's coming to your wedding?

REHN: Yeah. They're still coming.

KING: Is he a couple? Did he get married?

REHN: No. He didn't get married, but he gave her a promise ring.

SUTTER: The show just ended a few weeks ago. So who knows?

REHN: They just got to be able to...

KING: What do you think of the lie show? Where the guy lies that he's rich?

SUTTER: We're not about lying.

REHN: We're not about lies.

KING: Greensburg, Pennsylvania, hello.

CALLER: Hi, Trista and Ryan. Congratulations and best wishes.

SUTTER: Thank you.

REHN: Thank you.

CALLER: Excuse my voice. I have a cold.

REHN: That's OK.

CALLER: Congratulations again. I'm getting married this summer, and Trista, I wanted to ask you, do you feel you benefited from having the wedding on television, or that maybe you were a little limited with ABC controlling it all, or did you have a lot of say so? I know with us, it's -- you know, the planning, it gets very hectic and we have to worry about every little thing, you know.

KING: You have a third party involved. Good question.

REHN: Yeah, but we had 100 percent control over the wedding, and that's actually a big misconception. Our contract got leaked on the Internet, and everyone focuses on this one paragraph that says that they have control over my dress and the cake and everything.

And that's actually not true. They just basically had to put that in there in case Ryan and I went overboard in the requests that we wanted for the wedding. Like, you know, I used the example of can you please send 500 of our closest and dearest friends over to Italy, because that's where we want to have the wedding, and you have to pay for it.

So they needed to limit us in that degree, but it's definitely been a huge benefit. I mean, I'm working with amazing people, (UNINTELLIGIBLE). You know, Wendy Weitz (ph) is doing diamond shoes for me, and it's crazy. And we have so many helpers. Wendy Weitz (ph) is our wedding coordinator, and she is magnificent. She makes us feel extremely calm, and we never would have had all of that help had we not done it on camera.

KING: Ottawa, Canada, hello.

CALLER: Hi, Larry. KING: Hi.

CALLER: Hi, Trista and Ryan.

REHN: Hi.

SUTTER: Hi.

CALLER: I just wanted to know, do you guys plan on staying in Colorado, like in the next 10 years, let's say?

REHN: Yeah.

SUTTER: Definitely, yeah. We just bought a house in Colorado, so we plan to be there for a while.

KING: As we go to break, we talked about Ryan's wild bachelor bash. Trista's was about as G-rated as a G string. Here's a quick look as we go to break.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REHN: Oh my gosh! They have my name on the butt.

Oh, I have chocolates? Maybe? Yeah!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like to call it sexual chocolates.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REHN: He just makes me feel so warm and appreciated and special. And he has absolutely everything that I've been looking for and a lot more.

SUTTER: I've finally found what I've been looking for for what seems like forever and without a doubt, this is -- this is far and away the biggest day of my life.

REHN: I am on cloud nine. I couldn't be happier right now. I'm very much looking forward to being able to spend the rest of my life with him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: If this don't work, something's wrong with you and nature.

Linded, New Jersey, hello.

CALLER: Hi, Trista and Ryan.

REHN: Hi.

CALLER: I want to wish you congratulations from the entire Trista (UNINTELLIGIBLE) message board.

REHN: Wow. We've got one. Thank you.

CALLER: My question is, how are your families holding up under the pressure and how are you enjoying your recipe box?

REHN: Oh my god, we love recipe box. We actually pulled out a recipe for my birth day. So thank you. But...

KING: Families, how are they dealing with it.

REHN: I think they're OK. In the beginning, they were a little disconnected. At least they felt a little disconnected.

KING: Now they're with it?

SUTTER: Everybody excited about it now.

KING: State College, Pennsylvania, the home of Penn State, hello.

CALLER: Hi. Good evening, everyone.

SUTTER: Hi.

CALLER: Larry, first of all, happy birthday to you, great show. And Trista and Ryan, I wonder, knowing what you've gone through on the show, is there anything that you would change or do differently or wish ABC would have?

KING: Anything you'd say we're sorry we did that?

SUTTER: You know, I don't think either one of us has regrets, but if we could go back and knowing what we do know now, I think we would be a little more open with ABC and Telepictures and everything. And a little bit more insistent upon things. It's been a learning process for us and for the producers. Its first time anything like this has been done.

KING: You want more things to go the way you want them to?

SUTTER: Right, I mean, we'd take this knowledge and implement it.

KING: Myrtle, South Carolina, hello.

CALLER: Yes, hi Larry. Wonderful show.

KING: Thank you.

CALLER: Hi, Trista and Ryan.

SUTTER: Hi.

CALLER: I wanted to know if you ever keep in touch with any of the other bachelors or want to know what they're doing. REHN: Yes. We do. We're actually inviting a bunch of them to the wedding.

KING: Did you become friends with some?

SUTTER: Close friends.

REHN: And I am still friends with a lot of the girls from the first show.

KING: One more call. Heath, Ohio, hello.

Heath, Ohio, are you there? Go ahead.

Heath, are you there?

Heath, we know you're there. I'm struggling with Heath, but I just want you to get on.

REHN: Hello.

KING: No, it can be line five, line five is ring. They gave me the wrong line. OK, anyway, guys. I'll try line 7. Just call.

Where are you calling from? Are you calling from Ontario?

CALLER: Yes.

KING: You're on. Go ahead.

CALLER: Hi. I'm from Boneville.

KING: OK, Boneville what's the question?

CALLER: High Trista, and Ryan, congratulations.

REHN: Thank you.

CALLER: I just wanted to let you know that we're really excited for you in this part of Ontario at my work at a day care center. And I believe in short engagements and short courtships because I just got married in the summer to a wonderful man.

REHN: Congratulations

CALLER: And I'm 40.

KING: Do you have a question dear?

Do you have a question?

CALLER: Yes. I just wander how you feel about short engagements and falling in love right away?

REHN: Well, obviously we're all for it. That's what happened to us. KING: So, as we await the date, no doubts?

No doubts?

REHN: No doubts.

SUTTER: None at all.

REHN: None.

SUTTER: There never has been any.

KING: I see that. I will tell you this, it's obvious. To anybody watching you, it is obvious. Best of luck to you.

SUTTER: Thanks, Larry.

REHN: Thank you, Larry.

KING: Did you get married yet?

REHN: Nice try.

KING: Our guests have been Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter. They are about to be Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Sutter. No relation to the hockey players?

SUTTER: Nope, unfortunately.

KING: We'll take a break and come back and tell you about tomorrow night and some wild things coming next week. Don't go way.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: Tomorrow night the Peterson and Jackson matters will be taken at hand. Nancy Grace and Johnnie Cochran and the panel will assemble. Next Monday night Laura Bush from the White House.

Other guest next week include Jimmy Carter and Tom Brokaw and another surprise we'll tell you about tomorrow night.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




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