‘Bringing Up Bates’: Inside Zach Bates’ Failed Courtship

Zach Bates is now happily married, but the oldest child of Gil and Kelly Jo Bates wasn’t always so lucky in love. Before the family became a household name, The eldest Bates boy was enjoying his very first relationship, but instead of walking down the aisle the couple abruptly ended their courtship. So what exactly happened to Zach’s first love and where is she now?

Who did Zach Bates court before marrying Whitney Perkins?

While Zach met Whitney Perkins at a local Sonic in 2011, he had previously courted a woman named Sarah Reith. Sarah, now 30, was raised in an ultra-conservative family just like Zach Bates, and the two families were allegedly friends.

Bates and Reith began their courtship around June 2011, with Zach traveling back and forth between Missouri and Tennesse to visit his potential bride. The pair, however, called it quits in October 2011. The Bates family announced the end of the courtship on their blog, but quickly scrubbed the site of any mention of Sarah Reith when Zach met Whitney a few months later.

Where is Sarah Reith now?

While it didn’t take Zach Bates long to find his next love, Sarah Reith took some time off from the dating scene. Reith just recently got engaged and is planning an April 13.2019 wedding. Aside from her impending nuptials, Reith keeps herself busy with her band, Southern Raised.

Reith, along with her three siblings make up the Southern Raised Band. Reith, who sings and plays the banjo has been heavily involved in the success of the project. The four siblings most recently played on a cruise headed for the Bahamas in February 2019.

How did Zach Bates meet his wife?

While nursing the wounds from his earlier breakup, Bates ran into Whitney Perkins at the Sonic Drive-In she worked at, according to Reddit users. Bates became friendly with Perkins quickly but waited a year to begin a relationship.

While the pair followed many of the courtship rules laid down by Bates’ parents, they didn’t wait to kiss until their wedding day; a common trend among those in the ultra-conservative Christian community, according to the couple. They married in December 2013 and have two children.