13 Rules You Didn't Know The Bachelorette Contestants Have to Follow

If you're looking for love in Bachelor Nation, rules apply.

Residing in a mansion with the occasional jet-set to romantic locations around the world may sound like a fairytale, but there are a slew of guidelines that must be followed throughout the journey on ABC's hit reality dating show.

The Bachelorette has its own set of rules in comparison to the other series in the franchise like The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise. While a majority of the guidelines are put in place for filming technicalities, others — like confidentiality — help bring the magic to the series.

Understandably, rules and regulations have likely been adjusted since the first season of The Bachelorette premiered in January 2003, however, previous contestants have opened up about the guidelines they had to follow when filming.

Now, The Bachelorette is entering season 21 when the series premieres on July 8. Jenn Tran, who was a former contestant on The Bachelor, will take the lead as the first Asian-American star of the franchise.

During The Bachelor season 28 finale in March, former Bachelorette star Charity Lawson broke the news that Tran would star, describing her as intelligent, witty, fun and "super kind."

Tran told host Jesse Palmer, "I hope I find my person someone that I truly feel like is 100% — my perfect match and someone who I'm compatible with someone who he and I can have fun."

Read on to learn about the rules you didn't know contestants on The Bachelorette have to follow.

Contestants must meet an age minimum to be cast

Interested in applying to be on The Bachelorette? Several requirements must be met for casting eligibility, according to the show's official casting website.

There's an age limit to be on the show. Applicants must me at least 21 years of age at the time of application. Plus, applicants must be legal residents of the United States or Canada (excluding Quebec).

Contestants must be single to apply

This may sound obvious, but contestants must be single to apply for The Bachelorette. This means that "the applicant must not currently be involved in a committed intimate relationship," according to the casting website.

Contestants must agree to be filmed 24/7

If applying to be on The Bachelorette, hopefuls must agree to be recorded at all times. According to the requirements on the show's official casting website, participants must agree to being filmed and audiotaped up to 24 hours.

"Each applicant acknowledges, understands and agrees that he or she, if selected for the Program, may be audio and/or videotaped up to twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week while participating in the Program," the site states.

Plus, the content captured will be owned by the producer. However, former host Chris Harrison revealed that they don't have hidden mics. "It's not a gotcha show. It's not a hidden camera show," he told Entertainment Tonight in 2020.

Contestants can't disclose they've been cast

Attending a casting session must be kept confidential. Applicants who are selected to participate must keep information about the process private, especially if chosen to be on the show.

"Applicants who are invited to attend a casting session shall treat all information and materials received or acquired about Producer, Companies, the selection process and/or the Program, as strictly confidential and shall not disclose or otherwise disseminate any such information to any third party," according to the site.

Applicants are also required to sign a Confidentiality Agreement presented by the producer.

Contestants might be asked to take a physical and psychological test

Prior to taping The Bachelorette, contestants might be asked to complete a few evaluations first. All contestants selected to travel to Los Angeles "may be required to undergo physical, medical and psychological examinations," the show's site states.

Contestants have to bring their own clothes

While the contestants on The Bachelorette are responsible for packing their own clothes to wear throughout the taping, the lead gets assistance from the show's longtime wardrobe designer, Cary Fetman.

Most recently, Fetman collaborated with former star Charity Lawson who took the lead on season 20 of The Bachelorette. The pair teamed up with haute couture designer Randi Rahm to create several of her gowns throughout her run on the show.

When it comes to the lead's night one look, Fetman told Bachelor Nation that the women are presented with an enormous amount of gowns to choose between. "It can be really overwhelming, but they probably try on anywhere between 20 and 24 dresses," she revealed.

Meanwhile, the men are left to fend for themselves. According to former contestant Wells Adams, the packing list is pretty vague as well, which makes it challenging when selected for dates that require travel to places with contrasting climates.

"You don't know where you're gonna go," Adams told Bustle of his experience on JoJo Fletcher's season of The Bachelorette. "Iceland? Tahiti? The moon?"

That means contestants bring everything from winter coats to bathing suits. "You tend to overpack," he continued, "and then you get home after filming and you're like, 'Oh yeah, I never wore any of this s--t.'"

Contestants must abide by a dress code

Not only do contestants have to pack their own clothes, but they must abide by a dress code. This is in part due to filming technicalities, like avoiding specific patterns that may clash on camera.

Bachelor Nation alum Sean Lowe revealed in his book, For the Right Reasons, that he and his fellow contestants were instructed not to bring clothes with "stripes, small checkered patterns, big patterns and solid white."

Cell phones are confiscated from contestants

Who needs outside contact when the love of your life is in the same mansion as you, right? Contestants are stripped of their phones when filming begins.

According to former suitor Daniel Maguire — who appeared on Fletcher's season 12 of The Bachelorette and season 3 of Bachelor in Paradise — contestants also have to abide by music rules.

“Once in a while, one of the producers might play a couple of minutes of a song, but they can’t have music playing often because they don’t have the copyrights," he previously told The Verge of his experience on the show.

"Plus they don’t want background noise and they don’t want people being distracted," he explained. "OnThe Bachelorette, three or four guys brought guitars. Once in a while they played guitar. But [the producers] often didn’t want them to do that.”

Contestants' limo entrances are strategic

Among the most anticipated segments on The Bachelorette and The Bachelor are the contestant limo entrances on night one. They are a perfect mix of over-the-top and corny that make each suitor stand out in their attempts to receive the coveted first-impression rose.

Lowe told Glamour that producers give thought to the order contestants step out to meet the star upon their arrival at the mansion. "I remember one of the producers said to me... You are going to be the first one out of the limo," he recalled.

"I didn't think much of it. But then he said, 'Because you are first, everyone here thinks you are going to do well.' They want to get the show started off on the right foot," Lowe explained.

Former host Harrison told ET that producers work with the women on The Bachelor to write their one-liners and plan their limo entrances on night one. "Because you can't just have 30 people getting out going, 'Hi, my name's Lauren,'" he said in January 2020. "We do try to mix it up."

Contestants don't always eat on dates

Wondering why you don't often see anyone chowing down on beautiful plated meals on group dates or one-on-ones? That's because contestants reportedly eat before taping because — obviously — no one looks attractive chopping on camera.

"Before we went on the date, the producers sent food to our hotel rooms," Lowe previously revealed. "We ate in our rooms and then went out for dinner, where we would be given beautiful food arranged nicely on the plate," he continued. "This was just for show. No one looks good eating and microphones pick up all kinds of chomping."

Former contestants on The Bachelor revealed that they cooked for each other in the mansion. "We were responsible for making all of our meals in the house,” Ashley Spivey, a contestant on Brad Womack’s season 15, previously told Refinery29 of her time on the show.

However, Spivey said the women did get a break from cooking at times. “For rose ceremonies, they have catered food available for the girls, but a lot of it isn't the healthiest — think California Pizza Kitchen and fried chicken tenders,” she said.

Contestants have to endure long rose ceremonies

Rose ceremonies may seem quick due to editing, but in reality, the filming process takes a long time. Shawn Booth, former contestant who won season 11 of The Bachelorette, told Us Weekly about his experience when waiting for leading lady Kaitlyn Bristowe to make her decisions.

"They’re long and they’re always super intense and cold,” Booth told the outlet. “I just remember a bunch of ours being [cold].”

Not all of the elimination rounds take place in the mansion, either. Booth recalled one ceremony was held at Citi Field Stadium (home of the New York Mets) in New York City, which was hit with non-favorable temperatures.

"It was so cold that they had to give us all pairs of Under Armour spandex [to] put underneath our suits,” he remembered. “And Kaitlyn was taking her time with that one and we were sitting out there for like a half hour, 45 minutes, just all shivering."

Contestants aren't allowed access to the internet

Contestants' focus should be on the leading lady! Similar to the limited phone access, the way the contestants spend their downtime on the show is controlled.

"Beyond unplugged and it’s the best feeling in the world," former contestant David Ravitz, who appeared on The Bachelorette season 14, told Refinery29. "You’re completely disconnected from the world: no phone, no computers, no internet, no TV."

Tasos Hernandez, a contestant on Andi Dorfman’s 2014 season of The Bachelorette, told The Verge that iPods and books were both allowed when he was on the show. “But whenever we were all together and filming we were not allowed to read or listen to music," he said.

While rules seemed to differ from season to season, the intent remains the same, whether contestants are on The Bachelorette or The Bachelor.

"You’re completely and fully immersed and focused on connecting and your relationship," Bibiana Julian of The Bachelor told the outlet. 

Contestants can't disclose spoilers when filming wraps

Ravitz told Refinery29 that ABC goes to great lengths to prevent content leaks from happening when filming wraps.

"You sign all kinds of paperwork, confidentiality and whatnot," Ravitz told the outlet. "You know it all has to be secretive and you’re not supposed to talk about behind the scenes, you’re not supposed to talk about relationships that form."

"We get to experience really cool things, potentially meet a life partner, and in return, we know that we need to give the studio full confidentiality and give the show the respect they deserve," Ravitz continued. "That’s kind of the give and take that goes along with the whole experience that we get to partake in."