'Vanderpump Rules' ' Brittany Cartwright Says She Wasn't a 'Stoic' Bride: 'I Was Just So Excited'

When it came time for Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor to say "I do," the couple wanted to incorporate one special tradition.

"I didn't want him to see me before we got married. I wanted that first look to be walking down the aisle," Cartwright, 34, told PEOPLE while promoting her new When Reality Hits with Jax & Brittany podcast.

"My favorite memory is seeing him for the first time walking down the aisle. That's what I was the most excited for," she says. "I just love that!"

The couple and former Vanderpump Rules stars exchanged vows in 2019 at a castle in the bride's home state of Kentucky in front of 240 friends and family members.

Many of the pair's castmates attended the fairy tale ceremony, including Scheana Shay, Ariana Madix, Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute and Lala Kent, who all acted as bridesmaids. Katie Maloney took on the role of matron of honor. At the time she was still married to her now ex-husband, Tom Schwartz, who served as joint best men alongside Tom Sandoval. Lisa Vanderpump was also a guest.

Cartwright adds that she couldn't contain her excitement on the big day.

"Some brides, whenever they're walking down the aisle, are very stoic," she recalls. "I was just so excited. I always have a smile on my face though. That wasn't going to change. But that was funny that [Lisa] noticed that."

Adds Taylor, That's just who we are."

Taylor and Cartwright announced their departure from the hit Bravo series in 2020. "We ended the show at our wedding," says Taylor. "I got married. I got a house. I have a kid. We went through a pandemic together. A lot has happened. We live together, work together, play together. It's changed our lives a lot."

The duo's love story has not been without its ups and downs. Taylor, 43, admitted to cheating on Cartwright in 2017, and they briefly split. But they eventually got back on track and announced their engagement in June 2018.

The pair both admit it isn't always easy, but they make it work.

"We would always hear, when we got married, the [critics] were like, 'They'll be together for one year,' or whatever. Now, we've been together for eight years, almost married for four," Cartwright says.

Adds Taylor, "There's good days and there's bad days. But that's marriage, and that's what makes your relationship stronger. We love hard. We fight hard. It's amazing. We're best friends. We have a lot of fun with each other. I honestly can't imagine my life with anybody else. She's the yin to my yang a little," he explains.

"I'm a tough guy to be around, so it takes a certain person to deal with my crap. Even through all this, and even though my life is a lot better now, I'm still tough to handle. I think she's the only one that can put up with me really."

The couple who welcomed their first child, son Cruz Michael Cauchi in April 2021, also say that becoming parents has improved their relationship.

"I think becoming parents made us stronger too because I love seeing him as a dad," Cartwright says of Taylor. "It just makes you love him more."

"Being a parent is really awesome. It's changed my life," adds Taylor. "We're obsessed."

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When Reality Hits with Jax & Brittany is available on major podcasting platforms.