The Unplanned Podcast with Matt & Abby

Episode: "Welcome to Plathville, Saving our first kiss, and the tragedy that broke my family"

Guests: Lydia Plath Wise & Zach Wise
Date: January 7, 2026

Episode Overview

In this deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation, Matt and Abby Howard sit down with Lydia Plath Wise and her husband, Zach — known from TLC’s "Welcome to Plathville." The discussion spans their upbringing in a large, unique family, the pressures and misconceptions of reality TV fame, the whirlwind story of their own relationship, and, most poignantly, Lydia’s rarely shared experience of family tragedy and its long-lasting impact. Insights into maintaining authenticity, navigating rumors, faith, loss, marriage, and the importance of processing trauma as a family frame the episode’s central theme: embracing genuine connection and healing amidst public scrutiny.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Life on "Welcome to Plathville" and Growing Up Plath

• Unconventional Upbringing: Lydia explains her family's rural, self-sustaining lifestyle in Georgia with nine siblings — no processed food, limited mainstream media, and a home environment far removed from the norm.

  • “We grew a lot of our own stuff... I thought it was normal at the time.” (05:00, Lydia)

• Sheltered but not Fundamentalist: While the Plaths were perceived as fundamentalist or even compared to the Duggars, Lydia clarifies their family didn't fit neatly into any denomination or stereotype. The lifestyle was primarily her mother’s vision, shaped by her own difficult childhood rather than strict religious dogma.

  • “I couldn't say that...it was like, yes, I was raised in a Christian home...it was more just a lifestyle that my mom wanted.” (07:00, Lydia)

• Behind the Scenes of Reality TV: Lydia shares the strangeness and disconnected reality of being recognized, the family's tiny town origins, and their approach to privacy in the face of fame.

  • “I never had this, like, perception of being on TV was cool...it didn’t mean much. It was just me living my life.” (04:21, Lydia)

2. Lydia & Zach’s Relationship: Whirlwind Romance and Guarded Beginnings

• Meeting IRL—Not On TV: Lydia was adamant that Zach hadn’t seen "Plathville" before they met, ensuring the foundation was genuine.

  • “If they’ve watched the show...it’s like, hard to genuinely get to know each other, because they already know everything about me, supposedly.” (03:09, Lydia)

• Six-Month Courtship to Marriage: Their relationship developed quickly—meeting to engagement in four months, engagement to marriage in two months.

  • “Meeting to day of marriage was three days shy of six months.” (22:47, Zach)

• Saving Their First Kiss: They waited until their wedding day for their first kiss — a fact both find meaningful and, in retrospect, humorous:

  • “We saved our first kiss for the wedding day...We kissed five times on the first kiss.” (41:41, Lydia & Zach)
  • “It was long, you guys.” (42:18, Zach)

• Facing Rumors and Family Questions: Zach was subject to public speculation (including being asked if he was gay) and admits the quick timeline brought misunderstandings and judgments.

  • “People calling me gay, you know, literally the day I proposed...I just answered the question and moved on.” (15:04, Zach)
  • “Of all the questions I was going to be asked, I didn’t think that was going to come out.” (21:02, Zach)

3. Navigating Family Expectations, Reality TV, and Healing from Loss

• The Tragedy That Shaped the Plath Family: Lydia opens up about her brother Joshua’s death at 17 months—an accident she witnessed at age four.

  • “I was in the car when it happened...I saw him and...it's terrible...I just told Isaac, ‘Don't look, just get out the other door.’” (00:20 + 67:32, Lydia)

• The Lasting Impact of Unspoken Grief: The family never truly processed Joshua’s death, which Lydia believes contributed to later family strains and her parents’ divorce.

  • “Honestly, I think that has more to do with my parents’ divorce than the show. Not talking about the hardest thing in our childhood...I can't imagine how that affected my parents.” (00:40, Lydia)
  • “The hardest part for me as I’ve grown up was how little he was acknowledged… I don’t think I visited his grave till I was like nine.” (59:00, Lydia)

• Learning from Trauma: Matt, Abby, and guests reflect on how trauma shapes families, the importance of acknowledging pain, and how avoiding hard conversations creates further barriers.

  • “Families go through traumatic events...don’t know how to talk to their kids about it. Hearing you...wish there were more open conversations...can shine a light for a lot of families.” (63:13, Matt)

4. Choosing Authenticity and Managing Public Scrutiny

• Handling Fame, Rumors, & Misunderstandings: Both couples talk candidly about the emotional toll of public life, the necessity of therapy, and the strategy of tuning out negative or false narratives.

  • _"Humans are just simply not designed to have this much feedback from people." _ (49:30, Abby)
  • "There's no end to that stuff. And I've just had to completely, like, lay aside at this point...if there's peace under my own roof, that's my world." (84:23, Matt)
  • "That doesn't matter...it's been like a good month now that I haven't looked into anything, seeing what people are saying." (85:22, Lydia)

• Mission Statements and Staying Grounded: Matt suggests couples in the public sphere maintain a mission statement to remain rooted and make decisions aligned with their values.

  • "Creating that mission statement helps create a standard...Does it fit that? And I think you could create a mission statement for your marriage, for your family, for your social media..." (81:50, Matt)

5. The Plath Family Band & Journey to TV

• Music as Family Glue: Lydia describes their family band, its folk roots, how they played at 111 churches/events in their busiest year, and how a viral music video led (indirectly) to TLC’s involvement.
  • "We traveled everywhere...we had a family band...piano, violin, accordion, mandolin, banjo, guitar, upright bass..." (73:09, Lydia)
  • "That's how you got discovered from that music video?" (76:39, Abby)
  • "We said no for about two years, but then here we are...season." (76:53, Lydia)

6. Building Their Own Family & Looking Ahead

• On Parenthood & Family Size: Lydia and Zach openly discuss when they might want kids, how many, and seeking advice from Matt and Abby on this transition.

  • "How long did you guys wait?" (31:32, Lydia)
  • "We decided… wait a year and have the conversation, but we want to be parents pretty soon. Just young parents." (31:09, Zach)
  • "Are you guys going to have nine kids as well? ...Three to five." (79:32, Matt & Lydia)

• Travel Fever & Community Roots: They share their travel adventures and Lydia’s desire for community over van-life isolation.

  • "We've been to almost all 50 states now, and somehow our employers have kept us?" (35:48, Zach)
  • "We're such people-people; we need community, we need time with our friends..." (34:44, Lydia)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Processing Family Tragedy:
  “The hardest part for me as I’ve grown up was how little he was acknowledged. I think that has more to do with my parents' divorce than the show.” (00:40, Lydia)

• On Public Rumors:
  "Why are you...what if I’m struggling with infertility and I see this, that you’re posting a pregnant picture of me? How hard would that be?” (83:40, Lydia)

• On Newlywed Life:
  “Love is not an emotion. Love is a decision...choosing daily and sacrificing for each other daily.” (29:28, Zach, quoting their pastor)

• On Grounding Themselves Amidst Fame:
  “I just had to tune everything else out…it’s been so freeing too, because then I feel like I can also just show up as authentically as possible, for our audience. And then I also can just sleep well at night…” (84:49, Matt)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:20] – Lydia’s first memory of family tragedy
• [04:21] – Lydia on being on TV, family’s approach to fame
• [05:00-07:00] – Plath family’s upbringing and faith
• [15:00] – Zach on handling family and public suspicion
• [21:02] – Zach discusses surprising family questions
• [22:47] – The timeline of Lydia & Zach’s relationship
• [29:28] – The wisdom of love as a daily decision
• [31:09-33:32] – Their plans for starting a family
• [41:41-42:19] – Saving their first kiss for marriage
• [59:00] – Lydia discusses the unacknowledged grief over Joshua
• [63:13] – Matt connects Lydia’s experience to the broader importance of processing trauma
• [73:09-76:53] – The family band and how they got on TV
• [79:32] – Conversation about family size
• [81:50] – Matt explains the importance of a mission statement
• [83:40] – Lydia on the cruelty of internet rumors
• [84:23-85:22] – How the couples keep public opinion from invading their peace

Final Thoughts

This episode delivers a rare, transparent look at real people behind reality TV personas. From Lydia’s reflections on grief and loss to the couple’s vulnerability about marriage, fame, and faith, listeners are offered both practical advice and profound empathy: about healing through honesty, the dogged pursuit of peace in the public eye, and the importance of choosing intentional love in marriage and family life.

Memorable closing advice:
"As long as there’s peace under my own roof, that’s my world." (84:23, Matt)

“Love is a decision.” (29:28, Zach)

For fans new and old, the episode is both a window and an invitation: to see beyond the headlines and find courage in authentic conversation and connection.