The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and their spinoffs have resulted in many hookups, relationships, and even engagements over the years—but most of them don’t last very long once the cameras stop rolling. It seems like, after leaving the bubble of the Bachelor mansion (or that Paradise resort) behind and re-entering the real world, a majority of the franchise’s couples can’t seem to keep the magic alive. Huh!
But while most of romances wilted like the show’s roses over time, there have been a few success stories to come out of the Bachelor franchise. Whether they hit it off from the very beginning or found each other later on, these are the pairs who have managed to turn their reality TV love into… reality.
1. Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter
ABC’s first ever Bachelorette, Trista Rehn, got engaged to firefighter Ryan Sutter at the end of her season—Sutter proposed to her, although the original plan for the show was to have Rehn on bended knee. The two were married in a televised ceremony in December 2003 and, close to fifteen years later, are considered the franchise’s OG success story. They currently live in Colorado and have two children, Max and Blakesley.
Families who snuba together, wish they could stay underwater longer together!! ? #snubanotscuba #scubawithouttheworry #snorkelingplusscuba #wesawaseaturtle #newfavoriteactivity #bestfamilyactivity #thankyoubeaches #beachesturksandcaicos #springbreak
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So what makes their relationship work? ”You have to put in the time and effort and energy that you do into everything else in your life. And I feel like [Ryan and I] do that,” Trista told the TODAY Show in 2015. “We’ve had our bumps in the road, just like anyone else, but it’s really about staying focused on each other and dedicating time to each other.”
2. Ashley Hebert and J.P. Rosenbaum
At the end of season 7 of The Bachelorette, Ashley Hebert chose love with J.P. Rosenbaum, leaving runner-up Ben Flajnik to continue his search for a soulmate on The Bachelor (spoiler: that didn’t work out for him, either!). Hebert and Rosenbaum’s wedding—which was officiated by Harrison, obviously—aired as a TV special in December 2012.
Farewell to One Happy Island, the home of our first family vacation. This trip to Aruba will always hold a special place in my heart…from vow renewal to the memory of our kids smiling faces as they jump into the pool and run into the ocean. We ate ice cream every single day and all cuddled in the same bed to sleep. Aruba, we love you. See you again soon. ???? ?? cred: @croozephoto (thank you for photographing our wild children) #arubaido #hiltonaruba
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The couple welcomed their first baby, Fordham, in 2014 and their second child, Essex, in 2016. “I feel this sense of completeness,” Hebert told People magazine in 2017. “We’re very happy with our cute little family.”
3. Desiree Hartsock and Chris Siegfried
Chris Siegfried won over Desiree Hartsock’s heart at the end of The Bachelorette‘s ninth season. At the time, many fans questioned the legitimacy of their romance, especially considering Hartsock had accepted Siegfried’s proposal just weeks after expressing devastation over the early departure of Brooks Forester (the season’s original frontrunner famously quit the show after basically telling Hartsock he just wasn’t that into her).
What will it be… a he or a she?! ??? #genderreveal #babyseigfried
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Regardless of viewers’ doubts, Hartsock and Siegfried went on to tie the knot in January 2015 and are about to become a family of four, having announced they’re expecting their second child.
Despite the happy news, some of those old rumors of trouble are resurfacing, thanks to the duo’s turn on the upcoming season of Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars—a show that has become a mainstay for couples in their post-Bachelor life. And, to be fair, it seems more like an opportunity for another reality TV paycheck than a sign of real strife.
4. Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici
Some fans were surprised when “born-again virgin” Sean Lowe picked Catherine Giudici over Lindsay Yenter on the season 17 finale of The Bachelor. Rumors that Lowe had asked for Yenter’s hand in marriage had circulated prior to the episode’s airing, and everyone—including Yenter herself—seemed certain that would be the case.
But while Lowe’s proposal to Giudici came as a shock initially, the two have proved their love is built to last. After tying the knot in the franchise’s first-ever live TV wedding in 2014, the couple happily built their lives together in Dallas, Texas and have since welcomed two sons, Samuel and Isaiah.
Celebrating Father’s Day with my crew and showing off an accessory that can help potentially make you a Father ? Catherine wears her @avawomen bracelet to track her cycle and gain insight on her health while she sleeps. If you’re looking to grow your family, Ava doubles your chances each cycle by letting you know the best days to try in real time. Learn more at avawomen.com and use code DAD for $20 off if you want a nugget like this one of your own! #avawomen #avabracelet
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Giuidici reflected on her marriage to Lowe in early 2018, telling E! News, “I love having my best friend to wake up to, spend the day with and kiss goodnight. I can count on Sean to make me feel loved every day and also give me sound advice when I need it. He’s honestly the best thing that has happened to me.”
5. Kaitlyn Bristowe and Shawn Booth
Season 11 of The Bachelorette brought us a lot of drama (remember almost-but-not-quite Bachelorette Britt?! Remember Nick Viall?), but it ended happily for leading lady Kaitlyn Bristowe. After giving Shawn Booth the final rose, she accepted his proposal, and the two are still engaged three years later.
Get a load of Kaitlyn trying to be one of the guys .. . Pick up this week’s issue of @usweekly to see our newly designed @bedbathandbeyond bedroom and @kaitlynbristowe’s podcast room. Thank you @jamxcreative & @decoristofficial for continuing to make our house feel like a home. ?: @alyssarosenheck
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They now live together in Nashville, but are taking it slow when it comes to wedding planning. “We talk about doing it in Hawaii,” Bristowe told Us Weekly, adding that the two “go back and forth with if we want it big or small, we haven’t made the decision on that.”
6. JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers
Another couple keeping the #BachelorNation love alive: JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers. The two fell for each other during season 12 of The Bachelorette–amid rumors that they had actually met before the show, oops oops. (Fletcher later clarified that they had never spoken prior to the start of the filming, although she had heard Rodgers’ name mentioned in connection to casting.)
‘Cause I’m on top of the world, ‘ey ?❤️
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Sparks flew once they met in person, and the rest is Bachelorette history. The couple remain engaged, although they have yet to choose a wedding date. “We’re really happy and enjoying our engagement and our life has been—and continues to get—so much busier and crazy,” Fletcher told Us Weekly, “and there’s just gonna be that moment where we look at each other and we’re like, ‘OK… Let’s do this, it’s time.’”
7. Jade Roper and Tanner Tolbert
The franchise’s spring break-style spin-off, ‘successful matchmaking’ might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Bachelor in Paradise might not be your first thought. But it has still resulted in a couple of successful couples! After meeting on, and getting engaged during, season 2 of the show, Jade Roper and Tanner Tolbert made it official in—yup, you guessed it—yet another televised wedding special for ABC.
This was the only photo I took with Emmy during her birthday party because I was too busy playing on “HER” slip n slide…
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Despite some drama (as caught on camera for Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars in 2016), the two have since settled in Tolbert’s hometown of Kansas City with daughter Emerson Avery, who was born in 2017.
8. Carly Waddell and Evan Bass
It wasn’t exactly love at first sight for Carly Waddell and Evan Bass, who first met on the third season of Bachelor in Paradise. But as fans know all too well, reality TV has a way of working its ‘magic,’ and before you knew it, the two were head over heels for each other.
This is the spot where we found out I was pregnant with Bella a year ago. What a wonderful year it has been! We thought we would go back and show her her history ? “Bella, this is where mommy peed on a stick inside a Mexican bathroom and we found out that you were now part of our crazy beautiful story” (also may I just point out Evan has very particular taste in shirts)
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By the end of that Paradise season, three men proposed to their ‘showmances.’ But while the other two engaged pairs, Josh Murray and Amanda Stanton and Grant Kemp and Lace Morris, quickly called it quits, Bass and Waddell successfully made it down the aisle in 2017, with fellow Paradise alum Jade Roper serving as a bridesmaid.
Having settled in Nashville, the couple is now focusing on their growing family. In addition to the two sons Bass already had from a previous relationship, Waddell gave birth to daughter Isabella, nicknamed “Bella,” in 2018.
Bonus: Aaron Bass and Juelia Kinney
Oh, and because you know it’s all about that Bass (family), Evan’s brother, Aaron, also found love within the Bachelor community—he is currently engaged to Bachelor/Bachelor in Paradise alum Juelia Kinney. As Kinney revealed on social media, the two met in Mexico in 2017 and dated long-distance for some time before he popped the question.
This man. From the time I met him last year in Mexico I thought to myself he is hot – and would make such a good husband from all the good energy I felt from his heart. I didn’t think much more of it because I lived in San Diego and he lived in Nashville. Little did I know he was going to come visit me and little did I know I would feel sick to my stomach when he left to go back home. I knew I hadn’t felt that special or that close to someone in pretty much ever, and had no idea how it would work out. I am so happy that our relationship not only developed so much over the next couple months, but flourished. The long distance was hard but we knew what we wanted. We went through the ups and downs but we made it here… stronger and happier than ever. I am so excited to say…. WE ARE ENGAGED!!!!!! ?❤️?✨? He is the best man I could ask for and my best friend… not to mention he makes me laugh till my stomach hurts every morning and every day. I never would have expected we would have met like we did but I am so freaking grateful that we did. I love you @theaaronbass!! Thank you for making me the luckiest girl in the world!! Special thanks to @monicalopezphotography for taking these beautiful pictures!! ?
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“He is the best man I could ask for and my best friend… not to mention he makes me laugh till my stomach hurts every morning and every day. I never would have expected we would have met like we did but I am so freaking grateful that we did,” she wrote on Instagram.
9. Raven Gates and Adam Gottschalk
Season 4 of Bachelor in Paradise brought Raven Gates and Adam Gottschalk together, and it seems the chemistry fans witnessed between the pair on the show hasn’t faded since. The two didn’t get engaged in the 2017 finale—that’s probably a good thing in terms of their taking the relationship seriously—and explained to Glamour that the few weeks of filming they had to get to know each other weren’t enough time to “hammer out those conversations that need to be had before you get engaged.”
? Now you’re lifting me up instead of holding me down ? You’re stealing my heart instead of stealing my crown ?Untangled all the strings round my wings that were tied ? ? Adam is my favorite person. I’m thankful he is the man he is. He sets an example for how every man should treat a woman. Don’t get me wrong he puts me in my place, but he also loves every bit of me. I don’t think I could love him more, but I continue to fall more in love with him everyday. #love
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Still, they did continue to work attheir relationship after the cameras stopped rolling. And after dating long-distance for some time, Gates recently moved to Dallas to be with Gottschalk—according to Us Weekly, an engagement could be announced any day now. “I’m really obsessed with Adam. I’m just really happy to be with him,” Gates recently said during an appearance on The Morning Toast.
10. Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo
Season 13 of The Bachelorette wrapped with Rachel Lindsay choosing Bryan Abasolo over forever fan fave Peter Krause, and it seems she couldn’t be happier with her decision. A year after getting engaged, the couple are still together and living in Dallas, Texas.
I ? you #happyanniversary #chapterone
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In July, Lindsay told ET the two are aiming for a spring 2019 wedding. “Yes, ideally, I wanted a winter wedding,” she said. “I wanted it in December, but as it’s getting closer and plans haven’t been put in place, it’s looking more next year, the spring, because I want to have kids. I really want to start next year. I want more stability. We’ve been traveling so much and I want to create this family unit and a home for us.”
11. Holly Durst and Blake Julien
Holly Durst had two big reasons to celebrate at the end of the season 2 of Bachelor Pad–the Bachelor spin-off that came before Paradise. Not only did she and partner Michael Stagliano take home the $250,000 prize in the 2011 finale, but she also revealed her engagement to co-star Blake Julien. Unfortunately, the announcement was pretty awkward, as viewers had to watch Stagliano, Durst’s ex, learn of the news on camera—a move that Durst later called “wrong.”
Casual Fridays
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Despite the onscreen drama, the couple made it down the aisle in 2012 and are still going strong. They now reside together in South Carolina.
Bonus: Stephen Stagliano and Deanna Pappas
Oh, and Stagliano’s twin brother Stephen (while not a Bachelorette contestant himself) ended up marrying Deanna Pappas, of The Bachelor season 11 and The Bachelorette season 4—. On the latter show, she turned down Jason Mesnick for snowboarder Jesse Csincsak, and speaking of those bros…
12. Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney
After being dumped by Pappas in her season’s finale, Mesnick landed the leading man spot for season 13 of The Bachelor, a season that was filled with controversy–lucky 13, am I right!? Specifically, there was mad fallout from Mesnick’s finale. After initially picking Melissa Rycroft as the recipient of his final rose, Mesnick went on the after-show and revealed that he had broken up with Rycroft to date runner-up Molly Malaney instead. Oof.
Coffee and donuts with my girls!!!! ☕️ ? ☕️ ?
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And though that might not seem like the most auspicious set of circumstances on which to start (or develop) a forever love, their relationship has flourished. The two tied the knot in a 2010 televised ceremony, and Malaney gave birth to their daughter, Riley, in 2013.
13. Jesse Csincsak and Ann Lueders
Yes, Csincsak was the recipient of Pappas’ final rose in the fourth season of The Bachelorette, but after a four-month relationship they called it quits. He then met Ann Lueders, the first woman to get eliminated from Jason Mesnick’s season of The Bachelor during, of all things, a Bachelor/Bachelorette reunion cruise, and got hitched in Las Vegas in 2010.
The token #family pic #Oceanside #CaliFor2A #csincsaklife #family #adventure #fun
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Among the people present on their wedding day were Jason and Molly Mesnick, whose wedding the couple also attended. At the time, Lueders was already four months pregnant with their first child, Noah Theodore. Now, they live in Arizona, and have two more kids: Carter James, 2, and Charlotte Jean, 4.
14. Peyton Wright and Chris Lambton
Peyton Wright and Chris Lambton are another couple born out of failed attempts at finding love in their respective seasons of The Bachelor/ Bachelorette. Wright was on Andy Baldwin’s season of the show (where she was turned down after a two-on-one date, oof). Meanwhile, landscaper Lambton was among the two finalists vying for Ali Fedotowsky’s hand in 2010, but fell short at the final hurdle.
Oh how I love my little family! It’s been a long week with Chris traveling but we are so excited to welcome him home today!! #family #love #lylajames #travel #work #home
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The two met at “another Bachelor function,” and hit it off. They got married in 2012, settled down in Massachusetts, and have since starred in a reality TV show for HGTV called Going Yard, which focused on landscaping. Their daughter Lyla James, 1, will soon become a big sister as Wright expects to give birth in December.
15. Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon
Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon first crossed paths on season 2 of Bachelor in Paradise, but it took more than two years for them to officially become a couple IRL. The two casually dated, broke up, and even saw other people before finally announcing their relationship ~for real~ in May.
For my engagement photoshoot, I wore this THRIFTED Ceremony by Joanna August dress! It retails for $327 and I got it for only $70 at my fave online thrift store, @thredup. Amazing, right? I can shop for any occasion there, including date nights with Jared where I wore these Band of Gypsies dresses for only $16! Get an extra 25% off your first order w/ code ASHLEY at thredUP.com/ashley. (exp 8/15/18) #thredUPinfluencer #secondhandfirst
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The couple shared the ups and downs of their journey in an episode of Iaconetti’s YouTube show The Story of Us and got engaged only a month later during production for season 5 of Bachelor in Paradise. During a recent appearance on Good Morning America, Iaconetti and Haiboni revealed they’re hoping to get married next summer.
“The reason I met the love of my life is because of The Bachelor,” Haibon added. “And so I’m always indebted to them for that.”
Additional reporting by Jasmine Ting.
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