INDIANAPOLIS — In the season finale of Netflix's new original series "Say I Do," viewers get to watch Indianapolis couple, Randy and Skyler Caplinger, have a wedding they never would've thought possible.
The show features a diverse array of couples who get a second chance to have the wedding day of their dreams after the first go-around failed to succeed due to unforeseen obstacles. In just one week, three experts — interior designer Jeremiah Brent, fashion designer Thai Nguyen and chef Gabriele Bertaccini — get to know the couple's love story, help with a surprise proposal and personalizes the wedding of their dreams.
Randy first proposed to Skyler in 2017 after attending one of Skyler's favorite Broadway shows, "Wicked," in New York City.
The couple had saved thousands of dollars for their wedding; however, another vital matter sprouted up for them: Disney World.
Randy and Skyler's nephew had been looking forward to going to Disney World for months, but his parents came upon financial problems and had to cancel the trip.
"So we took our wedding money, and we took him to Disney," Randy said. "It was the right thing to do."
Two years after sacrificing their wedding money for their nephew's Disney trip, Skyler and Randy still hadn't been able to come up with the money and time again.
"I filled out the application just kind of on a whim, like, you know, why not?" Skyler said, laughing. "Two weeks later, I think it was, they were just kind of interested and getting to know us a little bit more. And then from that point on, I had to start kind of lying to Randy about what the show was and what their true intentions were."
Now, it's Skyler's turn to propose to Randy with the help of "Say I Do."
From the very beginning of the episode, titled "Me and My Guy," Skyler mentions that they didn't feel safe to hold hands in public. Even noting a time they were walking in downtown Indianapolis, just a week before filming in 2019, and a woman yelled out a vulgar and homophobic slur at them.
Throughout the entirety of the show, Randy and Skyler grapple with what it means to be gay in Indiana and face both family and personal judgment of themselves. Especially Randy, who viewers watch deal with the anxiety of having a bold and out wedding.
"(The Show) definitely got us out of our comfort zone," Randy said of his experience being on Say I Do. "I'm a very reserved, shy, timid, personality, but this show ... really pulled me out of that. And I learned a lot about myself."
"Filming was very stressful, but it was fun because it's not scripted," Skyler said. "They would just say, 'Hey, welcome to the set! We're going to start rolling. Let's mic you, now 3-2-1 - whatever happens, happens.'"
The experience of being on "Say I Do" is one of the most influential moments of both Randy and Skyler's lives.
"You know ... I couldn't just say, 'No, I don't want to do this.' Like cameras were rolling and time was ticking," Randy said, chuckling. "But I'm glad that they pushed us and the executive producer pushed us."
Before the show, the two felt more reserved about their relationship and were timid with how out about their engagement they could be. But with the help of the showrunners, the two say they feel more open just to be who they are.
"I have a bond with them that I'll never take for granted," Skyler said. "They have shown so much support toward us and love and just the whole experience ... everything that they sacrificed, like from their own personal lives to do this show, not just for us. They spent three months of their life filming for us and seven other couples and just the dedication and how much stress they probably were under. Like, I think about it every day."
Randy and Skyler both work in property management in Indianapolis. The couple looks forward to spending more time with their family and soon starting one of their own.
Say I Do premieres on Netflix Wednesday, July 1. Click here to watch a trailer.
