The Chris Lambton FANSITE  

Reality stars find love the old-fashioned way

By Stephanie Foster

Cape Codder

Posted Feb 24, 2012 @ 11:04 AM

Stephanie Foster

When they were sitting by the fire pit last June, Chris Lambton finally proposed to Peyton - after asking her father’s permission first.

CAPE COD — Surprise! Behind Chris Lambton’s rugged good looks and perfect smile is a hard working, polite, family-oriented person who is close to this brothers and dad. A really nice guy. The Dennis landscaper, who made it to the last round of the Bachelorette, was an audience favorite but he turned down the opportunity to be the next bachelor. He wanted to find the love of his life in the normal way in a real world. Not on reality television.

He did.

On a trip to Tennessee as a mini-celebrity at a charity event with a pal from the show, he met Peyton Wright, who was visiting her parents. His buddy knew her and invited her over. “There was a knock on the door and there she was,” Lambton says, still in awe. “We hit it off right away.”

The striking blonde with the dazzling smile had been a contestant on The Bachelor, so she knew what it was like to be followed around by a camera crew all the time.

“We both experienced it,” says Peyton. “We didn’t have to spend time talking about it. That’s all anyone wanted to talk to either of us about.”

They bonded. But both had to go back to their separate lives: hers in Dallas and his on Cape Cod. They practically wore out their cell phones talking every day. Three weeks later, they rendezvoused at a friend’s house in New York.

Lambton then took a big step. “I asked her to be my date at my brother Eric’s wedding in October (2010).”

She agreed. It meant meeting his entire family all at once. She passed muster and invited him to Dallas. They switched back and forth traveling 2000 miles to be with each other. Finally Wright invited him to meet her parents, a sign that things were serious.

At Christmas he gave her parents a present - a week’s stay on the Cape in June at a house he rented across the street. It was part of a bigger strategy. He planned to ask her father for Peyton’s hand.

“I’m not good at secrets. And this is the biggest secret you can have. I couldn’t wait,” admits Lambton.

To propose, he needed an engagement ring but he had to keep it quiet. He knew Peyton liked David Yurman Jewelry. So he called a friend who worked at the Yurman store at Copley Place and made an appointment to pick a ring out, hoping that the Boston Herald wouldn’t get wind of it.

Finally he was ready. When Wright’s parents got settled on the Cape, he took them to Provincetown for the day.

“I pulled her dad aside and asked his permission. He gave me a big hug,” says Lambton with a killerwatt smile. Wright still didn’t know.

He walked around with the ring in his pocket all day, waiting for the right moment. It didn’t come. He had asked his brothers to have chilled champagne waiting at home. “But I didn’t know when I would do it.”

When they got back from Provincetown, Wright’s parents retired for the evening. It was 9 p.m. Wright suggested that they build a fire in the pit outside and have a beer. She inadvertently set the stage for the proposal without knowing it.

“It was a beautiful night. A perfect June night,” remembers Lambton. “ I was kind of nervous.”

Not only is he a romantic, he is also a traditionalist. He finally got down on one knee and produced the ring out of his pocket just like in the movies.

Wright was taken by surprise. But not totally.

“I thought he might. And I hoped when he did do it, my family would be here. But I didn’t expect it the first night.” Her answer was yes! They texted the entire family to come over and celebrate.

Wright says he did it the right way. “The Southern way.” She also knew that he hadn’t told any of her friends. “They would have spilled the beans.” Or even her mother. “I would have known if he had.”

They are planning a May wedding in Charleston, South Caroline. Both families will travel so it will be a celebration and vacation for everyone. The couple will postpone their honeymoon until later since May is a busy time of year in the landscaping business.

Meanwhile they are working together on 13 episodes of the new reality show, Going Yard, for HGTV. Most of them are being shot in Los Angeles but the show will focus on the Cape, next season.

The Lambton homestead will be their home and Wright is already making it so, painting the large kitchen a sun-shiny yellow. “I was ready for a quieter lifestyle. I like the Cape. I grew up in a small town. I like the sense of community. In Dallas I didn’t know my neighbors.”

Chris Lambton’s Stuff

by Scott Kearnan | January 30, 2012

Photo: MICHAEL DISKIN

As anyone who has battled with a significant other over the thermostat can attest, sleeping temperature is a major source of contention in relationships. (Usually he's hot, she's cold, and everyone's complaining.) But since he can't fall asleep without the wind and whirring of his Vornado fan, local guy Chris Lambton has already learned the art of compromise with his bride-to-be, Peyton Wright. Of course, the road to a relationship wasn't easy for either: he came in runner-up on the sixth season of The Bachelorette, and she was a finalist on The Bachelor. But the reality-TV alums met at a charity event in 2010, fell in love, and will marry in May in South Carolina. While we won't get a Kardashian-style glimpse at their special day, we will be seeing the couple on TV together soon. In April, Lambton premieres his new HGTV show Going Yard, which will follow his family's Dennis-based landscaping company as they perform miracles for clients on and around the Cape. It's a surprise return to the small screen for Lambton, who famously turned down the chance to star as lead in his own Bachelor season. We asked him why the winds have shifted.

First of all - you can't sleep without a fan? Explain. I need the noise! If I don't have one, I'll use a white-noise app. And I think it has to do with growing up on the Cape, the sea breeze. We had a screened porch, and you'd feel that great breeze in the summer. It's funny - my old college roommate uses a fan because I used it for the two years we lived together. Sometimes I bring one when I travel. I couldn't sleep at first on The Bachelorette because I didn't have one. And when we visited Peyton's parents for two weeks over Christmas, she told them, "Chris needs a fan." So they got one for me [laughs].

I suppose it's a way to learn the important art of compromise in a relationship. Is Peyton okay with it? Just so long as it's not blowing on her! Hold on, let me ask. [Shouts] Hey Peyton, how do you feel about sleeping with the fan? [Muffled response.] She says she's used to it. Of course, every now and then you'll see me sleeping with the fan on and her sleeping in fleece and sweatshirts next to me.

You were portrayed as Mr. Nice Guy on The Bachelorette. Why did you say no to starring in The Bachelor? I got a very good edit; I can't complain about that. . . . [But] Something my father always told me was, "You have one thing in your life: your name. So be careful what you do with it." On a show like that, you put your name in the hands of editors. You don't have control of it. When they offered me The Bachelor, I was like, do I really want to give up my personal life story - my brother, my mom, my friends - for a whirlwind ride of media that will last six or 12 months? Because after that, the only reason you're in the media is if you break up with someone or date someone.

True! Here you are, back in it again for getting married. Yeah, but we mostly stay out of the media. We're not in the magazines when we go to the grocery store or being followed by paparazzi. They don't do that around here, and we want to live a normal life. We know our wedding will get publicity, but we're not going to put it on TV! We want to keep it as low-key as possible. It's our day, not to be shared with anyone else.

Would you ever have considered a show in the style of Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica? I don't think so. That puts a lot of pressure on a couple. Every week is a new storyline. What, would we have to get in a fight every week? When you're starting out a relationship, there's a lot on it to begin with. Why put it behind the eight ball? We love each other and want to be together.

What made you feel better about doing Going Yard? This is work. It's what I do every day anyway. It's not reality TV that looks into our relationship. Sure, you see the funny interaction between us: I go to work, and sometimes I bring Peyton to help with decorating and talking to clients. But it has my brother and father, too. It's an extension of our daily business. Now we're just doing it with cameras around!

Garden party with Chris Lambton

By Inside Track

Tuesday, January 10, 2012 - Added 1 week ago

HGTV now stands for Hunky Gardener TV because Dennis landscaper — and former “Bachelorette” fan fave — Chris Lambton has found some new broadcast turf!

Lambton will host “Going Yard,” a spiff-up your patio and backyard DIY show, starting in April. Chris and his team — including fiancee Peyton Wright — will trick out lawns and gardens with arbors, patios, fire pits and water features. Peyton will pitch in by helping home-owners plan their outdoor space’s coming out party.

“I am extremely lucky,” Mr. Green Jeans told the Track. “And the best part of it is I get to work with Peyton.”

You mean she’s going to be hauling bricks and stones?

“Oh, she’s working as a Lambton now,” said Chris, who will tie the knot with Peyton in September on a beach in South Carolina. “Gotta work and put in your time!”

The show has begun filming in warmer climes because Lambton, who specializes in stone and brick work, can’t do much in New England in winter. As for his own backyard, don’t ask.

“I built the fire pit because I needed it for my proposal to Peyton,” said Chris. “But my yard’s pretty much a mess. What’s that saying about the cobbler’s kids having no shoes?”

Cape's Chris Lambton branches out with own show

By Eric Williams

also by Jason Kolnos

[email protected]

January 13, 2012

Former “Bachelorette” star Chris Lambton’s new show, “Going Yard,” debuts in April.

Cape Cod Times/Merrily Cassidy

Tony and Kellie Oliveira had their backyard renovated by an HGTV crew as part of Chris Lambton's new TV show. Kellie Oliveira is pictured here with the couple's 16-month-old son, Brycen.

Cape Cod Times/Merrily Cassidy

Former "Bachelorette" star Chris Lambton, pictured here in a tree at his Dennis home on Wednesday, has a new show, "Going Yard," that will air on HGTV.

Cape Cod Times/Merrily Cassidy

DENNIS — He was weeded out of "The Bachelorette," but Chris Lambton has found a way to grow his television career on a new landscaping show.

The program, "Going Yard," set to premiere in April on the HGTV network, transforms neglected backyards and capitalizes on Lambton's years of experience as a landscaper.

"This is right in my wheelhouse," said Lambton, 34, during an interview in his Dennis backyard Wednesday.

Fixing up yards on TV seems a more natural fit for Lambton. It's got to be more comfortable than his last gig, where he tried to woo his way into a possible wedding in front of all the bright lights of network television.

While Lambton doesn't regret appearing on "The Bachelorette" in 2010, he generally sticks to sports when watching the tube. "I don't like reality TV," he said. "I try to stay away from it."

And while a "Bachelorette" romance didn't bloom for Lambton, love came a'knocking shortly thereafter. He is engaged to Peyton Wright, a former finalist on "The Bachelor," and the two are set to tie the knot in Charleston, S.C., in May, Lambton said.

Wright also will appear on "Going Yard," along with other Lambton family members, assisting with design projects and helping homeowners throw the first party in their new backyards. "Every yard needs a woman's touch, and that's where she comes in," said Lambton, co-owner of E. Lambton Landscaping.

The former reality star said his strategy for revamping these woebegone yards is simple: Create an aesthetically pleasing space that's easy to maintain. He doesn't want homeowners to fret about having to spend countless hours on yardwork or dollars on returning landscapers.

"With his landscaping expertise and easygoing, approachable personality, Chris is an exciting addition to HGTV's growing family of experts," said Kathleen Finch, general manager of HGTV, in a recent statement.

The show will take place in Cape yards, as well as locales elsewhere in the U.S.

One local family is sure to plant itself in front of the TV set this spring. Tony and Kellie Oliveira had the backyard of their South Yarmouth home renovated in the fall for "Going Yard."

A crew spent five days sprucing up their weed-infested yard, which Kellie Oliveira said was "a mess." The HGTV renovations on the couple's first house, bought two years ago, included a new deck, fencing, a fireplace and a small playground for their son.

"They pretty much took over our house like a hurricane and left us with a beautiful yard," said Kellie Oliveira.

Lambton said adding a fire pit on a patio is one of his favorite accoutrements for a backyard, because it can be used year-round. "People like to congregate around it, have some drinks in the afternoon, enjoy the nice summer nights."

Lambton also offered some advice to local folks who want to revitalize their backyards on a shoestring budget. Colorful hydrangeas, a flowering plant that thrives in sandy soil, could make all the difference. "If you get the ornamental beach grass and hydrangeas, it makes your yard look Cape Coddy," said Lambton.

For information about how you can apply for your property to be featured on "Going Yard," visit www.hgtv.com. Watch a video of Lambton dishing about his new show at www.capecodonline.com/capecast.

Staff photographer Merrily Cassidy contributed to this report.

“Bachelorette” Alum Chris Lambton Headed to HGTV

Y’all know I think The Bachelor and The Bachelorette are the most heinous shows on TV, next to that new one that’s an update of Bosom Buddies, and that time when they gave a sitcom to the Geico cavemen.

Boston Herald Photo by Abigail Peterson

But if there’s one thing I AM in favor of, it’s Track favorite Chris Lambton. The Bachelorette alum, who was famously ditched by Ali Fedotowsky on the show but got over her on the plane ride home soon after met his future fiancee, Peyton Wright, has scored a SICK gig as the host of “Going Yard,” a spiff-up your patio and backyard DIY show, starting in April. Chris and his team will trick out lawns and gardens with arbors, patios, fire pits and water features, which is his specialty. So basically it’s like Pimp My Backyard. The Track got Lambton on the horn today to talk about his new job, so head on over to Tuesday’s Track to read what he has to say about joining the HGTV team, and about that special someone who will be joining him in the squad. Plus, he’s hot and likes puppies, so it’s basically a win-win.

Bachelor Chris Lambton Donates Blood at CC Mall

Cape Cod Hospital hosted a blood drive at Cape Cod Mall on Thursday and bachelor Chris Lambton donated.

December 16, 2011

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The Cape’s favorite bachelor Chris Lambton got some support from Saint Nick while donating blood at a Cape Cod Hospital blood drive held at the Cape Cod Mall on Thursday.

As fans of The Bachelorette may know, Lambton’s late mother was a nurse at Cape Cod Hospital for nearly thirty years before she passed away from ALS.

Lambton and his brother, Erik, were on hand to support this very personal cause. Chris, as you can see, got a bit squeamish when it came time for Cape Cod Healthcare Phlebotomist Susan Russell to insert the needle.

Tracked Down: Chris Lambton, Mike Ross, Curt Schilling and more

By Inside Track

‘Bachelorette’ alum Chris Lambton gets some support from St. Nick while donating blood at the Cape Cod Mall.

Dennis’ fave Bachelor-but-not-for-long Chris Lambton getting squeamish from the needle at Cape Cod Hospital’s blood drive at the Cape Cod Mall (Chris and his bro, Erik, dropped by out of respect for their late mom, who was a nurse at the hospital for 30 years) ... City Councilor Mike Ross helping Santa Claus at Heading Home’s 2011 Holiday Drive kiosk in the Prudential Center ... Retired Sox hurler-turned-videogame entrepreneur Curt Schilling [stats] chowing at Met Bar in Natick ... Patriots [team stats] corner back Kyle Arrington encouraging shoppers to get-a-move-on at the New Balance store in Legacy Place ...

We Hear: Ali Fedotowsky, Roberto Martinez, Chris Lambton

By Inside Track

Monday, November 28, 2011 - Updated 3 hours ago

That while Ali Fedotowsky and Roberto Martinez of “The Bachelorette” fame have called it quits, Chris Lambton, the Cape landscaper Ali passed over in favor of Roberto, is planning to tie the knot in May. Chris and his fiancee, Peyton Wright, a contestant on season 10 of “The Bachelor,” will swap “I dos” on the beach in South Carolina. The happy couple posed for pictures in front of Chris’ house in Dennis the other day — where he popped the question. Word is, it may be the cover of the April issue of Cape Cod Magazine.

Bachelor Pad’s Peyton on fiancé Chris: “he’s the man of my dreams”

From Star Magazine‘s August 1 2011 issue:

Photo: Star Magazine

Peyton Wright and Chris Lambton didn’t find love on TV but sparks flew between them off-camera and now, engaged they talk to Star about their romance. “I finally got that fairy tale I’ve always wanted,” Peyton gushed.

The two met through her Bachelor Pad partner Jesse Beck who thought the pair would hit it off. “I never thought I would ever go on the show,” she admitted. “[But it] led to me meeting the man of my dreams.”

Chris, who proposed in Cape Cod in June, showed off Peyton’s round-cut David Yurman diamond ring exclusively to Star and explained his ring choice. “She is beautiful and elegant and not showy. I knew she wouldn’t want a Kim Kardashian ring because it is too flashy, and of course I can’t afford it!” He laughed. It was a perfect fit. “I’m always staring at it.” Peyton–who will move in with Chris in November–said giddily.

Chris Lambton & Peyton Wright's Wedding Party Won't Include Bachelor Friends

POSTED ON JULY 4, 2011 AT 9:43 AM

It looks like The Bachelor's dream couple Peyton Wright and Chris Lambton are living a fairytale, and RumorFix has exclusive details of their upcoming wedding!

Peyton, who starred in Andy Baldwin's season of The Bachelor, says that when she first met Bachelorette star Chris Lambton in last August, it was love at first sight.

"Chris said that he didn't know he was going to marry me but he knew we had something special the minute he saw me, and I think it was the same way, and after just a couple of months we were fully in love,"

Peyton tells RumorFix exclusively.

"I told him when he dropped me off at the airport 'I'm going to marry you some day!' and he said it right back to me so it was all pretty quick."

Peyton and Chris were introduced by their mutual friend Jesse Beck, who was matched up with Peyton on Bachelor Pad. "He and [wife] Bianca are thrilled that Chris and I are engaged," says Peyton.

And the engagement was incredibly romantic -- Chris proposed to her on the back porch of his Cape Cod home in front of her parents.

"It was simple, it was perfect," Peyton says. "We're just really excited and I just can't wait to be married and start working on our house and start building our life together."

While the 27-year-old, wants to keep some details about her wedding secret, she tells RumorFix it will be a big, fun beach wedding on the east coast.

"No Bachelor friend will be my bridesmaid or maid of honor," Peyton says. "It will probably just be one of my normal girlfriends. We want to celebrate with everyone! It's like your one shot to have that big wedding party that every little girl dreams of. Neither of us are very formal so it'll be very casual and just lots of fun!"

As for the engagement ring, Peyton says, "I can tell you it's David Yurman... he did well!"