It certainly wasn’t the most traditional of love stories, but ask anyone who knows them and they’ll tell you Sam Wood and Snezana Markoski are the real deal.
Back in 2015, the two met on the third season of The Bachelor and in a poetic moment, Snezana was the first contestant to step out of the limo.
Who could forget the now iconic moment when the Perth beauty introduced herself as parmigiana to help him remember her beautiful Macedonian name, which means Snow White? From then on it was clear that sparks were flying between the duo.
After Snezana Markoski was announced the winner of The Bachelor in September, Sam Wood told Woman’s Day, “I definitely know one day that I’m going to marry this woman,” and he’s clearly a man of his word.
Snez and daughter Eve, now 17, relocated from Perth to join Sam in Melbourne and formed their own family. Then in December 2015, just six months after meeting on the reality show, Sam popped the question saying “when you know, you know.”
Their plans to tie the knot were put on hold when Snezana found out she was pregnant and in October 2017, Australia’s first Bachie baby, Willow Wendy Wood was born.
Three years after that first fateful meeting, Sam and Snez made it official in a stunning Byron Bay wedding with their daughters Eve and Willow taking centre stage as bridesmaids.
In July 2019, the couple blissfully welcomed another baby girl, Charlie, and in May 2022 Sam and Snez expanded their brood with yet another daughter, named Harper Jones.
From reality TV to the image of family wholesomeness – let’s take a look back at their epic love story, in pictures.
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Sam and Snezana first meeting
Back to the beginning: It was love at first sight.
Bachelor 1
“Neither of us can believe that somehow in this ridiculous way we’ve managed to find each other.” The stunning couple revealed to us about their epic love story.
Bachelor 2
“He gave me reassuring looks and things like that, but I was still thinking, ‘Oh he’s doing that with all the girls,” Snez told Woman’s Day, before explaining, “But there was part of me that felt reassured and okay about the situation. I knew we’d be together in the end.”
Sam Wood meets Snezana on The Bachelor
Bachelor 3
Back to where it all began! “From our very first date in that hot-air balloon I knew how special Snez was, and I wanted to spend as much time with her as possible,” Sam explained.
Bachelor 4
You had him at parmigiana, Snez! The national fell in love with the mother-of-one’s refreshing sense of humour and who could forgot that romantic first date, sealed with the steamiest of kisses.
Back to where it all began for Sam Wood and Snezana Markoski
Sam and Snezana
It was rose after rose for Snezana.
Bachelor 5
On home town visits, Snezana introduced Sam to her daughter Eve. And Sam admitted, “It’s not Snezana and I, it’s Snezana, Eve and I.”
Bachelor 6
Sam Wood revealed to OK! Magazine that his late mum would “would absolutely adore her [Snezana],” and we can all see why.
Sam Wood On Having More Children And Wedding Details
Bachelor 7
It wasn’t the most conventional way to meet your soulmate, but it certainly worked for these two.
Bachelor 8
Talk about a fairytale ending!
Snezana and Sam
Sam shared this snap on social media to announce their relationship to the world saying, “Thank you for everyone’s support. We couldn’t be more grateful.”
Bachelor 9
Smitten from the start! Sam shared this sweet snap, which proved he had fallen head-over-heels for Snezana way before the finale. “Just found this photo that one of the crew sent me. A little throw back to our date at The Opera House when Snez needed a touch up.”
Bachelor 10
“I’m not just choosing one girl here, I’m choosing two.” Sam’s relationship with Snez warmed our hearts, but it’s his connection with her daughter Eve that truly blew fans away.
Bachelor 11
“Look what @samjameswood friends bought him! So cute!” Snezana couldn’t stop gushing about her man the minute it was announced she was the winner. And now they even have their own T-shirts with her infamous nickname emblazoned across it!
Bachelor 12
“Making Sam do selfies! He looks happy!” the mum-of-one shared this pic of the pair the weekend after the finale and judging by Sam’s undone belt-buckle it looks like they were making up for lost time!
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“Sam’s very strong, but at the same time he’s also gentle, caring and the most selfless person I’ve ever met,” the Macedonian stunner has said of her now-husband.
Bachelor 14
Six months after meeting they made it official with the most incredible rock and the sweetest words from Sam: “She said YES! When you know, you know. I love you Snezana.”
Bachelor 15
Before relocating to Melbourne, Snezana completed her Bachelor of Science degree in molecular genetics. And Sam couldn’t be prouder of his brainy and beautiful lady.
Bachelor 16
Sealed with a kiss at their engagement party.
Bachelor 17
These two may be fitness fanatics, but they love an espresso martini.
Bachelor 18
Name a more genetically-blessed trio – and the family was only going to grow!
Bachelor 19
The couple that works out together, stays together. Being engaged (now married) to a PT has its perks!
Bachelor 20
One of the best pregnancy announcements we’ve ever seen. Sam posted on Instagram, “Snez ………..a) has just eaten a bowl of pasta bigger than her head b) can’t do up her pants c) is having a BABY!!! d) all of the above #theanswerisd #happymothersday #soexcited”
Bachelor 20
Be still our beating hearts!
Bachelor 21
“My best friends bought this t shirt for me before The Bachelor finale 2 years ago as they said they knew who I’d chosen. How right they were and how lucky I am ❤️ #best2yearsofmylife #lovemy3girls,” Sam said in 2017.
Bachelor 22
And baby makes four! Sam and Snez’s first daughter together was named Willow Wendy as a tribute to Sam’s late mum.
Bachelor 23
“Rarer than an eclipse, it’s Sam and Snez date night,” Sam joked on Instagram.
Sam and Snezana
The lovebirds had a quick European getaway and their Instagrams gave us major wanderlust.
Bachelor 24
Find a guy who looks at you the way Sam looks at Snez.
Bachelor 25
Their little family was getting cuter every day as sisters Eve and Willow started growing up.
The Bachelor’s Sam Wood and Snezana celebrate baby Willow’s first birthday!
make up Snezana
“Happy Birthday to the strongest, most selfless person I know. Love you and can’t wait to marry you ❤️”,” Sam gushed on social media a few years back. Beautiful with or without make up.
Snezana at her beautiful Byron wedding
Mr and Mrs Bachie! Snezana stunned in her Pallas Couture lace gown as she wed Sam Wood in a stunning Byron Bay ceremony. (Image: Media Mode) Check out all the amazing new wedding photos here!
Bachelor 26
Just three months after their picturesque Byron Bay wedding, newlyweds Sam Wood and Snezana Markoski announced they were expecting their second child together. The heartwarming news was shared via Instagram Stories after eagle-eyed fans spotted Snez’s growing baby bump in a previous photo.
Sam Wood and Snezana Markoski announce their expecting their second child
Charlie
In July 2019, the Bachelor sweethearts welcomed their adorable baby daughter Charlie Jane Wood. Speaking of his wife at the time, Sam wrote: “You are my everything and my love and admiration for you somehow only grows stronger. The last 30 hours have been magical “.
Family
The three girls have continued to grow before our eyes, with both Sam and Snez sharing some of their lighter family moments.
Family 2020
December 25, 2020, the family were all smiles despite a tough year – seriously, nothing could break the bond between this lot.
Not even a global pandemic and countless lockdowns could keep this family down! Sam and Snez shared plenty of upbeat family snaps in 2021 – including this one from Sam’s birthday in May 2021.
“When I have you, I have it all.”
Even with three kids under their roof, the couple know how to keep the romance alive with stunning wedding throwbacks like this one. Snezana captioned it: “Me & Prince Charming. I don’t know what it is about this picture but it gives me serious Royal vibes … @samjameswood looks seriously handsome too. 😍🔥”
There was even more happy news for the family in November 2021, when Sam and Snez announced they were expecting their third child together – another girl! The mum-to-be posted this snap with the caption: “❤️Filled with joy to share that we are expecting another little girl. Baby number 4 ❤️”
Over on his account, Sam gushed about his incredible wife: “Our ‘little’ family is about to become 6 with another little girl !!! We told Eve a couple of weeks ago but swipe across to see when we broke the news to the little girls this morning 💜💜 … Seriously, how did this goofy kid from Tassie get so lucky 💜”
Even with another bub on the way, this Bachie couple still make time for romantic date nights.
In March 2022, Sam and Snez looked glam as they headed out for a well-earned date night. The personal trainer cradled his wife’s 30-week bump for this sweet pic.
On May 4, 2022, Sam and Snez welcomed their third child together, Harper Jones Wood. Harper was born one month premature, and spent the first three weeks of her life in hospital.
Sam announced the birth of Harper on Mother’s day, telling fans that Snezana became “really sick” during labour. “Before we knew it Harper was off to the special care unit and Mum was into ICU,” he explained at the time.
He continued on to gush over Snez’s strength when Harper was taken away for treatment, saying: “Of course in true Snez Mum fashion her only thoughts were for her little baby, and it was breaking her heart that she couldn’t hold her.”
Snezana gushed over how well Sam handled their stressful and emotional few weeks.
“Our little Harper had an infection and mama here sepsis but you never told me or showed me how serious it was or how worried you were. You stayed calm which kept me calm,” she said of her doting husband.
“I asked you to stay with Harper till she was ok, and you did, then you came across to the hospital I was taken to to make sure I was ok, then back again to Harper and so on. It was a lot!”
“Thank you again for being you, thank you for being my strength and helping me get through what has been the toughest most stressful 3 weeks we’ve ever experienced. You are my everything, I love you to the moon and back and couldn’t have gotten through this without you.”
In May 2022, the Woods celebrated Sam’s 42nd birthday at home with their kids, with Snezana saying of her husband: “You are our everything, we love you.”
They might be parents, but they still know how to dress up!
In June 2022, Snezana revealed Sam had surprised her a brand new engagement ring after her original band broke.
“About a year ago I broke my engagement ring, I was devastated and since then I have solely been wearing my wedding band (which is beautiful in it self),” Snezana shared on Instagram.
“We spoke about getting my engagement ring fixed/replaced. So to my surprise in the middle of all the chaos of the past couple of months @samjameswood took it upon himself to surprise me.
“He has to be the most thoughtful caring and romantic man I’ve ever come across and always spoils me with lovely surprises,” Snezana gushed in her caption.
In September 2022, Sam celebrated his first father’s day with Harper Jones.
Snezana shared an adorable tribute to Instagram, writing: “Happy first Fathers Day with this squishy little angel… and as a Dad of now four gorgeous girls who all love and adore you.”
Snez birthday
Sam posted this birthday tribute to Snezana, he wrote: “Birthday lunch with my amazing wife. What a human being you are.
“So strong, so selfless and so real. We met in the craziest way and our lives for over 7 years have been madness but you don’t change. You are so real, so caring, no time for BS and the best Mum and wife a family could ever have.
“Happy Birthday and thanks for being you. Never change xxx”
Snez isn’t a regular mum, she is an incredible mum! Sam shared this image to Instagram with the caption: “When your wife really is this incredible.”
The family all dressed up as members of the iconic children’s movie The Incredibles.