Thursday, September 21, 2017

Tori Bates' Engagement Photos


As we just announced, Tori Bates and Bobby Smith are engaged! It was a complete surprise to Tori. Bobby picked her up from college and drove out to Wiseman's View in North Carolina.

The couple hiked for a while, and then Bobby popped the question at a scenic viewpoint with an incredible view of the mountains. Both sets of parents were present for the proposal, although they watched from a distance. Kelly actually decorated the spot before the couple arrived.


Bobby completed his ministry degree in May and is working at Gil Bates' church. Tori graduates with her elementary education degree in May 2018. The wedding date has not yet been announced, but the couple is planning to wedding December.


Wondering how many kids Tori and Bobby would like to have? Both say they like the idea of a large family, so we will just have to wait and see!

Click here to see more photos of the engagement on the UP website.

Photos courtesy of Shannon Benfield, UP

49 comments:

  1. Cute!! I knew they were getting engaged!! Carlin told my sister the other day!!!!

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    1. Cool that you're friends with the family.

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  2. Awww, so sweet! Congratulations!

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  3. They make an addorable couple! I'm so happy for them. Congratulations again to them!

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  4. Congratulations you two your the best match for each other.

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  5. Congratulations on your engagement.

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  6. Congratulations Tori & Bobby. I have to be honest though, I was hoping it was going to be Michaela & Brandon announcing that they were expecting.

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  7. Very nice for the young couple :)

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  8. wow they were close to my neck of the woods during the proposal..congrats to all

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  9. People mag article said the wedding in December...no specific date. "Following their conservative upbringings, the happy couple are saving their first kiss for their wedding day this December."

    What was the date of the engagement?

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  10. With all due respect to people's religious beliefs, I do think that no hand holding, no real hugging, etc is ridiculous. Why should one have to wait until engagement to know what the touch of the other feels like? It's like already paying for the merchandise before you've even seen it. I understand they are more laxed than the Duggar family in the courting rules, so does that mean that the Duggar family thinks the Bates family is not keeping in accordance with God's wishes and are sinning in their rules? Do the Bates family think the Duggar family is unnecessarily severe?

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    1. I don't think the Duggars or Bates are critical of the other family. Everyone will answer to God for themselves and for how they raised their families. They aren't worried what each other are doing but what they believe God would have them do. The Duggars have never said that everyone should do things just like them or they are sinning.

      I am a little disturbed by your comment that not being able to touch the other person is like paying for the merchandise before you've seen it. They can clearly see each other so you aren't talking about their looks. The Bible clearly says that fornication is wrong. When you and your future spouse follow God's plan and wait for marriage, you don't have to worry about unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, comparisons to a previous lover, etc.

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    2. Holding hands, hugging and kissing is not fornification. There is no where in the Bible where it says this. These are values that someone decided to come up with and other people follow them. I was brought up to be kind and true to yourself and to allow yourself to trust your own relationship values. I didn't need a chaperone to know where my physical boundaries were with the opposite sex.

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    3. 2:27- Handholding, kissing, and hugging is fornication? That's a stretch!

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    4. i believe anon @ 2:27 hit the nail on the head with her response (couldnt have said it any better!) and i do think anon @ 7:05 is confused on the touching guidelines/rules. gil & kelly (as well as jimbob & michelle) have set the parameters for courting, yet it has ultimately been up to each couple to set the guidelines that they themselves are comfortable with following with each other. carlin & evan are comfortable with saying 'i love you' and hugging each other in this stage of their relationship, yet joseph & kendra said they specifically waited until after they were engaged to say i love you, and even then limited their hugs to 2 a day! and honestly, all religion aside, those "parameters" the bates & duggars have set are nothing more than respect & consideration for each other first. get to know each other's heart before you know their body. (i'm not even close to religious & i agree 100%!)

      btw, the only time you "pay for merchandise before you've seen it" should be going thru a fast food drive-thru or ordering from a catalog. people, relationships, your life, doesn't fall in this category

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    5. I never said hand holding or kissing was fornication. I was referring to the comment about paying for the merchandise before you've seen it. That person doesn't appear to be referring to only kissing or hand holding.

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    6. Folks, the point is that hand holding, kissing, and hugging can often lead to other things, which is why some people avoid altogether before marriage or engagement.

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  11. Congratulations on your engagement love y'all God bless you and your family!!

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  12. Anyone else getting oops something went wrong message?

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  13. Congratulations Tori & Bobby!

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  14. Congrats Tori and Bobby. I'm so excited for you guys! Lily and Ellie please tell them I say congrats!
    -Kennedy Sim- :)

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  15. Congrats to a lovely couple...so happy for them.xoxo from Indiana.

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  16. Congratulations!!!!! So happy for y'all!!!!!!

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  17. There's no way she didn't know it was coming, no one hikes in that dress and she doesn't usually wear that much makeup. It looks like a very sweet engagement though!

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    1. But Bobby surprised her when he picked her up from college. She was most likely dressed like this for her classes that day.

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    2. And....no one has a TV show where just the week before, it's televised that your boyfriend ask your father for your hand in marriage! When you see that on TV, you KNOW it's coming, lol!

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    3. It still could have been a surprise. She just came from collage class, which she probably dresses up for, and reason she hiked in the dress is because they went straight to the hike and she didn't have time to dress in hiking clothes:)

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  18. Her outfit makes me think she knew it was the proposal and not just a hike!

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    1. They always know the proposal day. I remember Erin saying she knew the day Chad was proposing just not the "exact" moment. It's still exciting and sweet, but the "I was so surprised" is a bit of a stretch.

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    2. Her dress was lovely! Tori likes to dress more casual, even on picture day. So I would agree, she knew. Exciting day! Happy couple!

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  19. Her ring is gorgeous! Congratulations. (:

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  20. Congrats to the happy couple! I remember on one of the episodes that Tori mentioned that when they got married Bobby would bring home the bacon and she would stay home with the kids. Is Tori planning on using her elementary degree in education? It would be such a shame for that to go to waste!

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    1. It wouldn't be a waste if she uses what she learned to teach her own kids. Is learning ever really a waste? She can use the things she learned to teach Sunday school, vacation Bible school, etc. without actually teaching in a school.

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    2. I'm talking about the money that was spent on her education. I'm sure growing up in the Bates family she is already highly qualified to teach Sunday School. You don't need an elementary education degree to homeschool your own kids. But I'm assuming she took classes in lower elementary grades to teach math, history, language arts, etc. And if she is now qualified to teach those things but all she ever does is teach Bible Study, yes I have to say that her education was then a waste of time and money. It would be as if Josie didn't use her beauty school experience on anyone except her family after she graduates from her beautician school. And yes, I am an educator so that's why I am saying spending ALL that time and energy and money on elementary education to only teach Vacation Bible School is a waste. There are so many children that need public education because they don't have the stable life at home or people that care whether they can count to ten.

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    3. didnt one show mention kelly having her's also, which was what motivated her to go after her own degree? kelly has done an excellent job teaching each & every one of her kids so i can understand tori's desire to teach too. actually, if any of the bates kids have as many as their parents did, i'd guess it would be tori or michael

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  21. That is awesome, I wish them much joy and happiness. May God bless your journey together

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  22. Her ring is so gorgeous! Good job, Bobby!

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  23. The view of the trees is beautiful. The candles are a weird touch. It looks odd. It's not even dark. Happy for the new couple. Hope they are kind to their pets.

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  24. What a beautiful backdrop! I love Bobby's huge smile in the second photo.

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  25. Congratulations����

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  26. There is no way Tori didn't know about the proposal. Perfect hair, perfect dress, perfect manicure for the ocassion (and photos with the ring!). Maybe she didn't know how it was going to be or where, but that's not an everyday look for college... There's nothing wrong with it, but just curiousity

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    1. Well she knew she was going to be filmed that day, so it would make since

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  27. How gorgeous! The setting, the ring, the smiles...beautiful. I think their genuine full hug shows their love and comfort with each other.
    Their courting rules included hand holding and hugs so the awkwardness seen in some of the Duggar relationships just is not there.
    Each couple is different and sets the rules that fit them.

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  28. I know they cay the couple sets their own rules, but if they decided not to have chaperones, would that ever be allowed? I know Zack and Whitney kissed before marriage but it has been said that they "confessed" to Gil and Kelly, as though it were a sin about which they felt guilty. Shouldn't confession be to the Lord instead of parents? Both were legal adults and shouldn't have to report to their parents. And I remember when Jill and Derrick were simply walking together in Nepal, JB inserted himself between them so they couldn't even talk without him being in between. Joseph and Kendra couldn't sit next to each other in the truck. I know the Duggars and the Bates are different families, but when they both claim the couples set their own rules, it just seems a bit disingenuous if the couple has to report their behavior to the parents.

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  29. If you think about it, the kids from these families are living under the authority of their parents until they get married. I'd guess there hasn't been much opportunity to feel completely comfortable making their own decisions, at least not without first consulting their parents or reporting to them afterward. Anyone they marry pretty much comes from the same background and belief system.

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  30. Actually it was Jessa and Ben that couldn't sit beside each other in the truck, Michelle had to squeeze between them. Kendra and Joseph did sit together.

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  31. Congratulations to the very cute couple! I think everyone should only do what they are comfortable with doing with the one they love. It's not for us to judge our fellow man and I think it's great to see younger men and women with some restraint. I was on the very opposite of the beliefs that they hold dear and even though I love my daughter with all my heart and soul I wish I had people who cared enough about me and where my future would go. I'd give anything to sit down with my parents and have BIG talk but I never have until this day. It's not right to judge your fellow man until you can stand and be judged yourself. I say let them be able to make a life together on their terms without judging them. I would much rather encourage them because they have it more together than most couples I know!

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