Gearing up to spend another Christmas with his beautiful wife Snezana and their three kids – the first for their four-month-old daughter Charlie – former Bachelor leading man Sam Wood has a picture-perfect family life.
But the 38-year-old is the first to admit that The Bachelor isn’t always a recipe for relationship success – just ask Matt Agnew and Chelsie McLeod, who called it quits just weeks after their finale aired.
Sam and Snezana met on The Bachelor in 2015 and have gone on to become one of the franchise’s success stories.
(Image: Network Ten)“I have no idea really what happened with those guys but I think it’s quite incredible what has happened for us,” Sam told Now To Love when asked why his and Snez’s romance was able to translate into the real world while Matt and Chelsie’s was not.
“I don’t think it’s necessarily a surprise that most of these relationships don’t work. I just think I was so lucky to meet Snez and we really wanted the same things. We got on brilliantly from pretty much the second we met each other and the more time we spend with each other, the stronger that gets.”
He added: “It was one of those things that was meant to be. It’s such a strange circumstance yes, but the perfect time for both of us. We literally laugh about it, how it’s all panned out this way. Our closest friends and family think it’s just ridiculous too.”
Sam wasn’t surprised that not everyone – including Chelsie and Matt (both pictured) – lasted the distance after The Bachelor.
(Image: Network Ten)Since meeting on the Network Ten dating show in 2015, Sam has become a stepdad to Snez’s daughter from a previous relationship, Evie, now 14.
The couple has also welcomed two more daughters, Willow, two, and Charlie, who was born in August, as well as tying the knot in December 2018.
“Now we have three beautiful kids and our lives have changed so much for the better,” Sam said.
And while the start of their fairytale romance was caught on camera, Sam laughed that he plans to hold off showing the girls the series until “one day when they’re old enough to understand.”
Family man Sam with wife Snez, and kids Eve, 14, Willow, two, and four-month-old Charlie.
(Image:@samjameswood/ Instagram)Although they struck up a relationship before the nation’s eyes on TV, Sam and Snez remained adamant they wouldn’t have a TV wedding like Married At First Sight’s Cam Merchant and Jules Robinson.
“I think each to their own but I guess the thing for us was – because we were approached about it – the thing for us was that we didn’t want to lose control. And what you learn being on The Bachelor or any of those other shows is that you don’t have much control when you’re in the crazy world of TV,” Sam explained.
True to their word, Sam and Snez got hitched sans the TV cameras and film crew, exchanging vows in a beautiful ceremony at The Fig Tree in Byron Bay in December last year.
“We only had sort of eight people at our wedding, it wasn’t a huge wedding, it was really intimate and special which is what we always wanted. And I don’t know if we could have been able to have a TV wedding and have that too so it was a pretty easy decision for us,” he said.
Sadly, their venue burnt down to the ground 11 months after they were married there, which Sam said he and Snezana are still heartbroken about.
“We nostalgically drove up there, it was about a week before our anniversary and had a look and it was a really, really bad fire. It was really quite sad,” he said.
WATCH: Take a look back at Sam and Snezana Wood’s sweetest moments together. Story continues below…
MAFS stars Jules and Cam tied the knot on TV, but Sam said he and Snez were glad to wed away from the camera’s prying eyes.
(Image: Channel Nine)These days though, much of Sam’s time is filled with the rewarding duties of fatherhood and the personal trainer is looking forward to heading over to Perth for Christmas with Snez and the kids.
And to ensure the family are fitting in as much quality time as possible, Sam has taken Groupon’s digital detox pledge after new statistics reveal that nine in 10 Aussies admit to using their phones on Christmas Day, while 43% of Aussies say being on social media too much during the holiday period can negatively affect their moods.
“The whole idea is being present with your kids and your family as a general rule. We have very basic rules that we try to stick to as a family when it comes to screen time – you know, phones away and having dinner together and that kind of thing,” Sam said.
“I just think we miss so much when we’re glued to our phone. If you can’t put your phone away for one day and do all the other fun things that Christmas is meant to be about then you probably have to have a good hard look at yourself. We’re looking forward to doing it.”
Sam and his family have taken Groupon’s digital detox pledge this year, and will step away from their phones and iPads this Christmas.
(Image:@samjameswood/ Instagram)
