The Bachelor and The Bachelorette have been on for 84 long, deranged years (okay, just a little over 20, but still!), and every season is basically the same: A person who definitely-isn’t-trying-to-be-famous-how-dare-you attempts to find love with several dozen aspiring actors/influencers random people in the span of, like, a month. Shockingly, however, this environment does lead to some serious love connections! Which kinda makes sense considering the show is like an intensive summer camp where you and all your friends are competing for the same person. Emotions are running high!
Buuuut emotions also crash and burn fast, and many Bachelor Nation relationships don’t last beyond the show. In fact, most Bachelor, Bachelorette, and Bachelor in Paradise ’ships end after a few months thanks to reality just hitting different than reality TV. But there are a few notable and very cute exceptions if you’re in the mood to cling to hope and scream “BACHELOR LOVE IS REAL!” at your computer/phone. Presenting: 24 Bachelor Nation couples that actually stayed together.
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—Ryan proposed to her, although apparently the shows original plan was to have Trista get down on one knee. The two were married in a televised ceremony back in December 2003, and close to 20 years later, they are still considered the franchise’s most major success story. They currently live in Colorado and have two children, Max and Blakesley…who will never see their season of The Bachelorette, if Trista and Ryan can help it.
2. Desiree Hartsock and Chris Siegfried
Chris Siegfried won 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 Desiree had accepted Chris’s proposal just weeks after expressing devastation over the early departure of Brooks Forester (the season’s original front-runner famously quit the show after basically telling Desiree he just wasn’t that into her).
Regardless of viewers’ doubts, Chris and Desiree went on to tie the knot in January 2015 and later they welcomed two sons: Asher and Zander Cruz.
3. 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 Sean had asked for Lindsay’s hand in marriage circulated prior to the episode’s airing, and everyone—including Lindsay herself—seemed certain that would be the case.
But while Sean’s proposal to Catherine came as a shock initially, the two have proven 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, and a daughter named Mia.
4. JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers
Another couple keeping the Bachelor Nation love alive? JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers. They fell for each other during season 12 of The Bachelorette–amid rumors they had actually met before the show, oops. (Jojo later clarified they had never spoken prior to the start of the filming, although she had heard Jordan’s name mentioned in connection to casting.)
Sparks flew once they met in person, and the rest is Bachelorette history. The couple tied the knot in May 2022 after having to postpone twice because of the pandemic. “Every time we postpone, it’s had to be one year out from the date because fall is not an option. Jordan’s gone for football all fall and there’s only a couple months of the year where our venue is really thriving and beautiful because it is outdoors, so it is just May of next year,” JoJo told Us Weekly. “We couldn’t get our deposit back, [but] it’s totally fine. We really do love this venue so much and so we wouldn’t want it anywhere else.”
5. Jade Roper and Tanner Tolbert
When you think of Bachelor in Paradise, “successful matchmaking” might not be the first thing that comes to mind. But the show has still resulted in a few successful couples! After meeting and getting engaged during season 2 of BiP, Jade Roper and Tanner Tolbert made it official in—yup, you guessed it—another televised wedding special for ABC.
Despite some drama (as caught on camera for Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars in 2016), the two have since settled in Los Angeles with their daughter, Emerson, and their sons, Brooks and Reed. Oh, and they recently celebrated their 7-year wedding anniversary!
6. 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. While they didn’t get engaged in the 2017 finale, they ended up getting married in April 2021 and welcomed their first child together in January 2022!
Oh, and if that’s not already cuteness overload, the couple recently announced that they’re pregnant with baby number two!
7. Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo
Season 13 of The Bachelorette wrapped with Rachel Lindsay choosing Bryan Abasolo over fan fave Peter Krause, and it seems she couldn’t be happier with her decision. Rachel and Bryan officially tied the knot in 2019—and no, the nuptials weren’t televised, but there are some extremely cute pics!
Rachel and Bryan are still doing amazing, and in August 2021, they took a trip to Colombia, where Rachel says she “met so many of Bryan’s family members who welcomed me with open arms. What an amazing experience to be surrounded by family while experiencing Colombian culture.”
Recently, the couple celebrated their third anniversary, and the video montage is truly so 🥺:
8. Holly Durst and Blake Julian
Holly Durst had two big reasons to celebrate at the end 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 costar Blake Julian. Unfortunately, the announcement was pretty awkward, as viewers had to watch Michael (Holly’s ex) learn of the news on camera—a move that Holly later called “wrong.”
Despite the onscreen drama, Holly and Blake made it down the aisle in 2012 and are still going strong. They now reside together in South Carolina and adopted a baby girl named Poppy in October 2019.
They also recently welcomed a bb boy, who is truly so adorbs:
Oh, and FYI: Michael’s twin brother Stephen (while not a Bachelorette contestant himself) ended up marrying and having two kids with DeAnna Pappas of The Bachelor season 11 and The Bachelorette season 4! Sadly, they announced their decision to separate in January 2023.
9. Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney
After initially picking Melissa Rycroft as the recipient of his final rose, Jason somewhat infamously went on “After the Final Rose” and revealed that he had broken up with Melissa to date runner-up Molly Malaney instead. Oof.
Although that might not seem like the most auspicious circumstances on which to develop a forever love, their relationship flourished, and they tied the knot in a 2010 televised ceremony. Molly gave birth to their daughter Riley in 2013, who joined her big brother Ty (Jason’s child from a previous relationship). And now they’re out here celebrating 13 years of marriage!
10. Jesse Csincsak and Ann Lueders
Yes, Jesse was the recipient of DeAnna’s final rose in the fourth season of The Bachelorette, but after a 4-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. They got hitched in Las Vegas in 2010.
At the time of their wedding, Ann was four months pregnant with their first child, Noah Theodore. Now, they live in Arizona and have two more kids: Carter James and Charlotte Jean.
11. Peyton Wright and Chris Lambton
Peyton Wright and Chris Lambton are another couple born out of failed attempts at finding love during their respective seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. Peyton was on Andy Baldwin’s season…where she was turned down after a two-on-one date. Meanwhile, landscaper Chris was among the two finalists vying for Ali Fedotowsky’s hand in 2010.
The two met at “another Bachelor function” and hit it off. They got married in 2012, settled down in Massachusetts, and then starred in reality TV show for HGTV called Going Yard, which focused on landscaping. They have two kids, Lyla and Hayes.
12. 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. These two casually dated, broke up, and even saw other people before finally announcing their relationship ~for real~.
The couple shared the ups and downs of their journey during an episode of Ashley’s YouTube show The Story of Us and got engaged only a month later during production for season 5 of Bachelor in Paradise.
Oh, and they had a baby boy named Dawson last January!
13. Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Lauren Burnham
One of the most controversial moments in Bachelor history came with the two-part finale of Arie’s Bachelor season. He proposed to Becca Kufrin, took it back, and chose runner-up Lauren in just two nights.
After tying the knot in Hawaii back in January 2019, the couple welcomed their daughter Alessi on May 29, 2019, and have since welcomed twins!
14. Hannah Godwin and Dylan Barbour
Their season of Bachelor in Paradise is long gone but Hannah Godwin and Dylan Barbour’s relationship is still going strong, which is way, way more than you can say about most other couples who left the show together. Hannah was even spotted shopping for wedding dresses in November 2019—although obviously the pandemic kinda put things on pause!
As Hannah told E! News back in August 2021, “You know what’s so funny? People get so, like, angry. They’re like, ‘When’s the wedding already? What’s taking you forever?’ TikTok especially gets angry and I’m like, ‘Are y’all that mad?’ We went through a pandemic. We’re chilling. I think why we’ve been kind of cool with just chilling is because, like, we have a mortgage together. It’s funny how people get so angry. One day, we’ll give it to them and they’ll be really excited hopefully.”
Luckily, the two have shared their save-the-date deets and Hannah has even given a glimpse of her wedding dress shopping!
But nothing compared to the couple’s stunning wedding pics IRL!
To say these two are as in love as ever is a serious understatement!
15. Kevin Wendt and Astrid Loch
Another successful Bachelor in Paradise couple! Who would’ve thought? After meeting on the show, Kevin popped the question to Astrid in Toronto—and now they even have a baby!
“Since the wedding would keep getting pushed off, we thought, ‘Okay, well, I don’t want to wait five years to have a baby. Let’s just try to have one before the wedding,’” Kevin told People, adding that they plan to “push the wedding a full year.” They finally did get married in October 2022.
16. Dean Unglert and Caelynn Miller-Keyes
These two legit just got engaged back in October 2022, and we could not be more excited.
Previously, it seemed like we’d have to wait a literal lifetime for Dean to pop the question. “That’s never going to happen,” Dean told Us Weekly back in 2019. “She does joke around about us getting married all the time, and I always say, ‘Sorry, it’s not going to happen.’ I don’t know, I’m super unconventional and she obviously is a little more conventional. We joke around about it. Just try to keep expectations to a minimum, you know? Like I said on the show, ‘Underpromise, overdeliver.’”
Oh, how the tables turn!
17. Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell
Matt and Rachael briefly split up after photos of Rachael attending a racist antebellum party surfaced online. Matt told Rachael on After the Final Rose, “If you don’t understand that something like that is problematic in 2018, there’s a lot of me that you won’t understand. It’s as simple as that.” But the pair ended up reuniting post-show and are currently in a relationship.
18. Grocery Store Joe and Serena Pitt
Grocery Store Joe (aka Joe Amabile) and Serena Pitt met on Bachelor in Paradise and left the beach celebrating their engagement. They’ve been living in pure bliss ever since, and even tied the knot in October 2022.
And here’s more cuteness just because:
Like, these two are legit even starting their own podcast together!
19. Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin
Kenny and Mari were another pair to leave the Bachelor in Paradise beach engaged after the show’s most recent season. They hit a rough patch on the show that resulted in a short-lived break up, but later came back together and found their stride. Since the show ended in early October 2021, they’ve been getting deeper into each other’s real-life worlds, like Kenny meeting Mari’s dog and her spending time in Chicago.
Oh, and hi they even celebrated their two-year anniversary in June 2023.
Former Bachelorette Becca Kufrin and Katie Thurston’s ex Thomas Jacobs get together on Bachelor in Paradise season 7. Even though Becca broke things off on the show with Thomas before overnights, they got back together post-show and are truly living their best, cutest lives and are now engaged after Becca popped the question to Thomas. Yeah, you read that right!
And if that’s not already cuteness overload, these two are pregnant with their first bb!
21. Noah Erb and Abigail Heringer
This one got messy on season 7 of Paradise. Right before overnights, Noah ended up telling Abigail that he didn’t believe she was his person and broke things off—they both left the island teary and heartbroken. But in the final credits of the season, Bachelor producers informed viewers that the pair realized they missed each other and started hanging out again. Now, the two are in a full-blown relationship and are so in love they even hit houses while making out in cars.
22. Victoria Fuller and Greg Grippo
These two initially sparked dating rumors over summer 2022 when they were spotted vacationing in Italy together, but to say that the ‘ship was contentious is a serious understatement lol. Why, you ask? Well, at the time, Victoria was *also* falling for Johnny DePhillipo during Bachelor in Paradise‘s 8th season, which ended with an engagement between the two for around a month before they ultimately called it quits.
Enter: The ~blossoming~ bond between Victoria and Greg, who initially built a friendship after meeting through mutual friends before delving into a full-on relationship after she returned from Paradise. “I was like, you know what, we’re at this moment where we’re really interested in one another and I was like, I want to take you out for a drink,” Greg confessed to People. “So, you want to go to Rome in two days?” And the rest is history! The two have since gone Insta official, spent the holidays together, and have even gotten matching tattoos!
23. Zach Shallcross and Kaity Biggar
Zach’s season of The Bachelor wrapped in March 2023 and ended with an engagement to Kaity Biggar!
Unlike most couples on the show in years past, these two already live in the same city and are planning to move in together now that they’re in Real Life, based on what Zach told People. “Right now, the main emphasis is living together in Austin, getting to know each other more and more, and just see how things go,” he said. “There’s no rush.”
And while the couple talked about the potential for a 2025 wedding, Kaity told the outlet they’re taking their time. “We have the rest of our lives together, so why does everything need to be a rush? It doesn’t.”
Wishing these two the best!
24. Chris Conran and Alana Milne
Despite this couple’s rocky start during their Bachelor in Paradise season (TL;DR: they were accused of already dating, which led them to subsequently be ousted from the show), Chris and Alana are definitely still going strong off camera! Like, these two are out here traveling the world together and living their best lives.
25. Charity Lawson and Dotun Olubeko
Charity and Dotun found love during season 20 of The Bachelorette, and not only did they leave the show engaged, but (!!) they revealed in August 2023 that they’ll be living in New York City together soon. As the child and family therapist put it to Entertainment Tonight, “I’m currently in Charlotte, he’s in Brooklyn…We have obviously talked throughout this whole process, being in hiding, what’s going to be the best-case scenario for us. We are looking to move in together soon. We don’t have a set date right now, but it’s in the works… I will be coming to him in New York.”
During that same convo, Dotun added that they’ll ideally live in Brooklyn, but are “also open to moving to Manhattan. It’s pretty open-ended. We’re just going to see where the wind blows.”
Love this for them!