It is the question that has basically launched a thousand TikTok debates and divided households into Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah. You’ve probably spent hours watching the slow-burn tension between Belly Conklin and the Fisher brothers, wondering if all that angst leads to a wedding or just more heartbreak. If you are looking for the short answer: Yes, do Belly and Conrad get married? They absolutely do. But the road to that "I do" isn't a straight line. It is a messy, years-long journey involving college breakups, letters from abroad, and a whole lot of growing up that happens off-screen—or off-page, depending on how you're consuming the story.
Jenny Han, the mastermind behind The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy, didn't make it easy for them. Fans of the Amazon Prime Video series are currently biting their nails, but the book readers have had the blueprints for years. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
The Long Game: How Belly and Conrad Finally Link Up
To understand how we get to the wedding, we have to look at the wreckage of the middle years. Honestly, things look pretty bleak for Conrad fans at the end of the second book and the second season of the show. Belly is seemingly all-in on Jeremiah. They’re at Finch together. They’re "stable." But "stable" is rarely the endgame in a coming-of-age romance.
In the third book, We’ll Always Have Summer, the plot thickens in a way that feels almost like a soap opera. Jeremiah proposes to Belly. They are literally planning a wedding at the beach house in Cousins. It’s happening. But the entire time, Conrad is lurking in the background—not as a villain, but as a guy who finally realized he messed up by pushing her away. He’s living in California, studying to be a doctor, and carrying around the weight of everything he never said to her.
The tension peaks when Conrad admits he still loves her right before she’s supposed to marry his brother. It’s chaotic. It’s painful. And it leads to Belly realizing she can't go through with the wedding to Jeremiah. Not because she doesn't love him, but because the ghost of Conrad is always in the room.
The Letters and the Time Jump
After the failed wedding with Jeremiah, everything resets. This is the part people often forget when asking do Belly and Conrad get married. It doesn't happen immediately. Belly needs to find herself outside of the Fisher family orbit. She goes to Spain. She studies abroad. She becomes an adult.
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While she’s away, Conrad starts writing to her.
These aren't frantic, "take me back" emails. They are steady, consistent letters. He tells her about his life. He shares his thoughts. He shows her he’s finally done the emotional work to be the partner she deserved back when they were teenagers. By the time she returns, they are different people. They are ready. The book ends with a rainy wedding scene where they jump into the ocean in their wedding clothes. It’s cathartic. It’s the payoff for three books worth of "will they, won't they."
Why the Show Might Change the Vibe (But Not the Result)
TV is a different beast than literature. While the core question—do Belly and Conrad get married—remains the central hook, the path there in the show has been way more balanced. Gavin Casalegno’s portrayal of Jeremiah has made "Team Jere" a massive faction, arguably more so than in the books. In the books, Jeremiah’s character takes a bit of a hit in the final act (the infamous Cabo plot point), which makes the choice easier for Belly.
The showrunners have a challenge.
If they follow the book exactly, they risk alienating half the audience. However, Jenny Han is notoriously protective of her endings. She knows that for the "Bonrad" fans, the marriage is the only acceptable conclusion. The show has already planted seeds—the infinity scarf, the glass unicorn, the way Conrad remembers every little detail about her. These are narrative "Chekhov's Guns." You don't put that much effort into a "first love" connection just to have it fizzle out in favor of a comfortable college romance.
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The "Cabo" Factor and Character Growth
We have to talk about the controversy. In the source material, Jeremiah hooks up with someone else during a temporary break with Belly. It’s the catalyst for their ultimate downfall. Many fans wonder if the show will keep this. If they do, the path to Conrad becomes a highway. If they don't, the writers have to find a more nuanced way to break Belly and Jeremiah apart.
Conrad’s growth is the real story here.
Early on, he’s moody. He’s dismissive. He’s dealing with his mother’s death in a way that shuts everyone out. For the marriage to work, he has to learn to communicate. The letters in the final book serve as his "rehabilitation." It’s how he proves he’s no longer that shut-down kid from the first summer.
Common Misconceptions About the Ending
People often think the ending is a "win" for Conrad and a "loss" for Jeremiah. That’s a bit of a simplification. By the time the wedding happens, Jeremiah is also in a better place. He’s present at the wedding. He’s found his own path. It’s not a tragedy for him; it’s a resolution for everyone.
- Does she choose Conrad because of his mom? No. Susannah wanted them together, sure, but Belly’s choice is framed as an independent realization that her soul is tied to the older Fisher brother.
- Is it a rushed ending? In the books, the actual marriage happens in an epilogue. It’s a "blink and you’ll miss it" moment after pages of angst.
- Are they still together? Within the universe of the story, yes. They are the "infinity" couple.
The nuance matters. Belly doesn't just marry Conrad because he’s the "main" guy. She marries him because, after years of distance, they chose each other as adults, not just as nostalgic kids playing at a beach house.
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How the Summer I Turned Pretty Finale Impacts the Fans
The cultural impact of this specific "endgame" is huge. It taps into the "first love vs. right love" trope. For many, Conrad represents the intense, sometimes painful first love that you never quite shake. Jeremiah represents the "best friend" love that feels safe but maybe lacks that final spark.
When you ask do Belly and Conrad get married, you’re really asking if the "meant to be" trope still holds weight in modern storytelling. In this case, it does.
Actionable Insights for Fans Waiting for Season 3
If you're spiraling while waiting for the next season, there are a few things you can do to prep your heart for the inevitable "Bonrad" wedding:
- Read the Epilogue of Book 3: If you haven't read We'll Always Have Summer, go straight to the end. It provides the closure the show hasn't given us yet. It describes the wedding day in just enough detail to satisfy the craving.
- Watch the "Small Moments": Re-watch the show and look for the "invisible string" moments. The show is much more intentional with Conrad’s POV than the books were early on. Pay attention to the fireplace scene or the cocoa scene; they are the foundation for the marriage.
- Manage Expectations for Jeremiah: If you’re Team Jere, prepare for a rough ride. The narrative structure of this story almost demands he be the "obstacle" in the final act, even if he’s a great guy.
- Track the "Letters" Motif: Keep an eye out for how the show handles communication. If Conrad starts being more honest and less cryptic in Season 3, you know the wedding is on the horizon.
Ultimately, the story of Belly Conklin is about a girl growing into a woman who knows what she wants. And what she wants, after all the drama and all the tears, is the boy who gave her the moon and the stars (and an infinity necklace). The wedding isn't just a plot point; it’s the closing of a circle that started the very first summer she turned pretty.