Besides giving us our weekly dose in drama, theoretically The Bachelor franchise is supposed to take contestants (and the audience) down a romantic journey of love with hopes that in the end, two people will be walking down the aisle headed for a lifetime of wedded bliss. Even though the whole point of the show is to help hot singles meet their ~soulmates~, and despite the fact that every season typically ends with a proposal, a surprisingly small amount of these pairs ever make it to the big day.
Could it have something to do with six weeks not actually being enough time to truly decide whether you want to spend an entire lifetime with someone, maybe? Or perhaps it’s the fact that once you get engaged, you’re not allowed to see one another at all until the show finishes airing so that the population doesn’t know who won. Either way, it ain’t easy finding your forever-bae on TV.
Spoiler alert: most of these couples headed to Splitsville almost immediately after their relaysh went public, but we have seen some successful marriages come out of the show (yes, even from Bachelor in Paradise) — and even a few babies!
Alex Michel and Amanda Marsh
Relationship Status: Terminated
This was the first season of The Bachelor, so it was back in the day when you didn’t necessarily have to propose at the end. So Alex didn’t, although he and Amanda did begin a relationship…only to break up a few months later.
Aaron Buerge and Helene Eksterowicz
Relationship Status: Terminated
These two gave it the old college try…by which I mean they got engaged and then broke up after a couple of weeks.
Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter
Relationship Status: Married
The rare success story, this couple has been milked by the franchise for all they’re worth. ABC televised their wedding in 2003 as a three-part miniseries, and trot them into the spotlight anytime anyone complains about the show’s success rate. The only problem is, there are a lot of rumors out there that Trista and Ryan knew each other before the show, and that Ryan was added to the cast because the show needed a win. Eff! These two have been married for over a decade and have two children, Maxwell (b. 2007) and Blakesley (b. 2009)
Andrew Firestone and Jen Schefft
Relationship Status: Terminated
Andrew did propose, but he and Jen broke up after several months, leaving her available to appear on the third season of The Bachelorette two years later.
Bob Guiney and Estella Gardinier
Relationship Status: Terminated
To their credit, these two didn’t get engaged on the finale, although Bob did give Estella a promise ring to indicate that he wanted to keep dating her. Which he did until shortly after the show aired, at which point they called it quits.
Meredith Phillips and Ian Mckee
Relationship Status: Terminated
Meredith accepted Ian’s proposal, but they called off their engagement in February 2005.
Jesse Palmer and Jessica Bowlin
Relationship Status: Terminated
Jesse and Jessica didn’t get engaged but did continue dating for a couple weeks, until they broke up in the face of the harsh reality of life after the show and realized they have very similar names.
Byron Velvick and Mary Delgado
Relationship Status: Terminated
Hey, they made not have made the long haul, but they lasted longer than most couples from the show. After Byron proposed to Mary on the finale, they stayed together for another five years before ending things. In a most-likely related event, Mary was arrested for assaulting Byron — supposedly punching him in the face while intoxicated.
…so splitting up was definitely the right choice.
Jennifer Schefft and herself
Relationship Status: Realistic
This one never even made it out of the gate. Jennifer chose Jerry Ferris over fellow finalist John Paul Merritt, but she rejected his proposal, saying that they had no chemistry. Finally, someone willing to call themselves out on something that we audience members pick up on all the time! End of the day, it seems like Jen was just pretty over the concept of the show, already having a broken engagement from a previous season of The Bachelor.
Charlie O’Connell and Sarah Brice
Relationship Status: Terminated
Considering that Charlie didn’t propose in the finale, these two lasted a surprisingly long time. They dated from the show until September 2007, and then got back together in 2008, dating for another two years before breaking up permanently in 2010.
Travis Stork and Sarah Stone
Relationship Status: Terminated
Different season, same story. Travis didn’t propose to Sarah, but the two of them kept dating…at least until the finale aired (they claim), at which point they officially called it quits.
Prince Lorenzo Borghese and Jennifer Wilson
Relationship Status: Terminated
Lorenzo did not propose to Jennifer, but the two of them continued dating until January 2007, when they broke up. Basically just read the last blurb I wrote and insert different dates.
Andrew Baldwin and Tessa Horst
Relationship Status: Terminated
Wow, we are on quite the tear here with failed relationships. Breaking with the tradition of the preceding few seasons, Andy did propose to Tessa, but the two of them called off their engagement a month after the finale and ended their relationship altogether in September 2007.
Brad Womack and himself
Relationship Status: Realistic
Continuing the trend set by Jen Schefft on The Bachelorette, Brad elected to choose neither DeAnna Pappas nor Jenni Croft, the finalists for his season. But don’t worry, guys — he’ll be back in season fifteen!
Matt Grant and Shayne Lamas
Relationship Status: Terminated
Matt and Shayne got engaged and everything, but they still only made it to July 2008, just four months after the show began airing.
DeAnna Pappas and Jesse Csincsak
Relationship Status: Terminated
The return of The Bachelorette started out propitiously, as DeAnna and Jesse got engaged on the finale, and even had a wedding date set — May 9, 2009. If only they hadn’t broken up in November 2008.
(Fun fact though! DeAnna actually is married to someone that she met as a result of her time on the show. His name is Stephen Stagliano and his brother, Michael, was a contestant on season five of The Bachelorette, the season right after DeAnna’s.
Jason Mesnick and Melissa Rycroft
Relationship Status: Terminated
This one’s a weird situation, because Jason is still married to a finalist from his season, just not the one he actually proposed to. He and Melissa got engaged, only for Jason to call off their engagement on the finale, and ask Molly for another chance. She gave it to him, and the two of them got engaged in October 2009, with ABC televising their wedding on March 8, 2010. They have one child together, Riley Anne Mesnick, born March 14, 2013.
So…one successful relationship built on another unsuccessful one. I guess half points? Take what you can get, Bachelor Nation!
Jillian Harris and Ed Swiderski
Relationship Status: Terminated
Ed and Jillian got engaged, only to break up in July 2010, a little over a year after the first episode of their season aired. There were also rumors that he was a pretty big douchebag and cheated on Jill the whole time — which is double annoying considering he re-entered the freaking show after choosing to go home because he “thought she was the one.” SMDH.
Jake Pavelka and Vienna Girardi
Relationship Status: Terminated
Jake proposed to Vienna, but the pair didn’t even make it to the end of the year, breaking up in June 2010. They also had an explosive post-breakup televised interview with Chris Harrison… but not gonna lie, none of us wanted Vienna to win anyways and Jake was kind of a creep (though, obviously V good looking).
Ali Fedotowsky and Roberto Martinez
Relationship Status: Terminated
Hey, these guys stayed together for a pretty long time in comparison to the other Bachelor alums! They got engaged on the finale, and didn’t break up until November 2011. Anything over a year for this show, we might as well give the contestants a medal.
Brad Womack and Emily Maynard
Relationship Status: Terminated
Hey listen, Brad at least made progress this time around, because he actually proposed to someone instead of rejecting both his options. And she even said yes! But…they broke up while their season was still airing. They did later get back together after the finale, but broke up for good in May 2011. So close, Bradley. So close (yet so far).
Ashley Hebert and J.P. Rosenbaum
Relationship Status: Married
I know you guys, I can barely believe it myself, but we have another success story! And it only took twenty-two combined seasons! The two of them got engaged during the finale, and married on December 1, 2012. It was of course televised, because ABC gets the chance to do this so rarely. And they even have a baby boy named Ford and a baby girl on the way! Def one of the cutest couples that’s ever been on the fandom, which makes it even better that they’ve ended in wedded bliss. They did go on Marriage Bootcamp but all couples go through ups-and-downs (don’t we know it) and they are really working it out.
Ben Flajnik and Courtney Robertson
Relationship Status: Terminated
Ben did end up proposing to Courtney, but I have no idea why he bothered because the two of them broke up in February 2012 while their season was still airing. They did later get back together, only to have a final break-up in October 2012. That’s what happens when you choose the villain of the season to be your bride.
Emily Maynard and Jef Holm
Relationship Status: Terminated
Well hello again, Emily! Back for another broken engagement? Well she got it, because after getting engaged on the finale, Emily and Jef broke up just a few months later, in October 2012. There were rumors that the runner-up, Arie, left by choice giving Em no choice but to go with the sk8r boi. Jef now lives with some other Bachelorette rejectees, too, because misery loves company, I guess.
Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici
Relationship Status: Married
Are the incentives from ABC to get married getting better or what? Because this is the second marriage we’ve had in four seasons! Sean and Catherine got engaged on their finale, and then married in January 2014. They’re all over Instagram nowadays, sponsoring weird health-food products and flaunting their cute AF baby, Samuel.
Desiree Hartsock and Chris Siegfried
Relationship Status: Married
This one is so confusing because Chris was SO CLEARLY Des’ second choice. The girl was basically obsessed with Brooks until he was like “actually, nah” and dipped out — leaving the bridal gown designer no choice but to settle with Chris (who was my fave anyways). That said, they’re married AND have a baby together. They generally keep out of the limelight but things seem to be going well.
Juan Pablo Galavis and Nikki Ferrell
Relationship Status: Terminated
Juan Pablo is generally known as the worst Bachelor of all time as proven by the fact that not only did he apparently have sex with Clare while there were a ton of other women left in the house, but afterwards he told her he “loved f*cking [her],” leaving the girl in tears. Yet, he dropped her like it was NBD, chose Nikki, but refused to propose or even say he loved her? Like, why’d you even choose to be the Bachelor, boy? Obviously they broke up soon after the After the Final Rose Special aired.
Andi Dorfman and Josh Murray
Relationship Status: Terminated
So after these two ultimately followed in basically everyone else’s footsteps and called it quits, Andi told our boy, Chris Harrison that she felt like “a failure” for not being able to make it work. Sad! Even worse, she alleges in her book that Josh was actually emotionally abusive towards her — especially after he found out that she and Nick Viall slept together in the Fantasy Suite (which Nick so politely announced during After the Final Rose. Ugh.
Marcus Grodd and Lacy Faddoul
Relationship Status: Terminated
Marcus and Lacey fell fast on Bachelor in Paradise season one — leaving “Paradise” engaged and if any two people could make a whirlwind romance into a lifelong love, some thought it could be this hopelessly romantic duo. They even came back for a filmed wedding on Bachelor in Paradise season two, showing hopefuls that yes, the process really could work!
Unfortunately, that wasn’t actually the case. Marcus eventually revealed to People that the two weren’t even really married because it took place in Mexico with none of the proper documentation and said their relationship turned “toxic” at times. Looks like all those season two hopefuls who fell head-first into love on BIP had been deceived!
Michelle Money and Cody Sattler
Relationship Status: Terminated
During Bachelor in Paradise season one, Michelle and Cody were the only two besides Marcus and Lacy who walked away from the show still together (though they decided it was not time for an engagement). Though the couple got together on the show in 2014, it wasn’t until 2016 when they decided to call it quits for good. The two appeared on Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars, however “boot camp” didn’t work and they broke up on the season finale of that reality show. Dramz.
Chris Soules and Whitney Bischoff
Relationship Status: Terminated
Even though Whit showed up to support her man post-engagement as he competed on Dancing with the Stars the two broke up shortly after he was eliminated from the show. According to rumors, they had to wait a certain amount of time after the show aired if they wanted to keep the rings (or something like that), but the two were basically just pretending during those final months.
Kaitlyn Bristowe and Shawn Booth
Relationship Status: Engaged
Hey, Shawn/Sean’s seam to have a lot of luck on this franchise! We’re not exactly hearing wedding bells as the two have admitted that due to the strange nature of meeting on a dating show, they’re gonna have a looooong engagement. Kaitlyn knew Shawn was the one from early on in the series, and she even told him that (rule breaker!), so we’ve got a pretty good feeling these two are in it for the long haul — it’s been two years and counting!
Tanner Tolbert and Jade Roper
Relationship Status: Married
We’re not going to lie when we say that we had no idea Tanner and Jade would actually be able to make it work outside of the show. Now that they’re married and have a baby, we’re willing to admit that we were totally wrong about them. In fact, these two are super, super cute!
Jade originally went on Bachelor in Paradise with her hopes set on Jared Haibon, but sparks instantly flew when Tanner asked her on a date. The two were committed for the rest of Paradise season two and even got married on Valentine’s Day 2016 for a Bachelor televised special. They welcomed their baby girl, Emerson Avery into the world August 2017. If their social media presences are any indicator, this family couldn’t be happier.
Samantha Steffen and Nick Peterson
Relationship Status: Terminated
Jade and Tanner may have made it work, but the same can’t be said for all of the season two couples who gave love after-Paradise a shot. These two apparently broke up because of the distance after just over three months together. They both still appear to be single on social media — but Nick’s got a cute little pup that keeps him company!
Cassandra Ferguson and Justin Reich
Relationship Status: Terminated
It looks like if you don’t leave Bachelor in Paradise engaged, your relationship doesn’t really stand a chance. Cassandra and Justin were another season two couple that got together and it was their bond over being single parents that connected them. However, things didn’t work and shortly after they flew home from Mexico, they broke up and Cassie started dating Jonathan Holloway, another single dad from Bachelor Nation. Sadly, those two didn’t last either and it doesn’t seem like things ended amicably, either, because Cass wiped all evidence of him from her social media.
Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell
Relationship Status: Terminated
This one’s recently dunzo but not all that shocking. Simply put, they both were too perfect. Ben’s said it was tough with all the pressure but considering some of the other Bachelor exes, things seemed to end amicably.
Jojo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers
Relationship Status: Engaged
Am I the only one seriously surprised these two are still together — and seem pretty great together? Most viewers were simply convinced Aaron Rodgers‘ bro was definitely there for the wrong reasons (to get a job, to get back at his brother, etc.) and yet the two seem blissful as can be. I wouldn’t even be surprised if Jojo was wearing a white dress before Kaitlyn!
Grant Kemp and Lace Morris
Relationship Status: Terminated
As one of three couples that walked away from Bachelor in Paradise season three engaged, fans of the show had grown wary of BIP relationships at that point — so it was no huge shocker when Grant and Lace announced they’d broken up after just a few months. While Lace told Us Weekly she was “shocked” about how fast Grant moved on after their split, she also said the relationship ended very mutually and she, herself, was cruising for dates on the app, Bumble.
Josh Murray and Amanda Stanton
Relationship Status: Terminated
Another season three BIP couple that got engaged on the show, many had their reservations about this partnership considering Andi’s words about Josh’s allegedly abusive tendencies in their relationship and his own actions on the spin-off dating show. After a brief breakup and reconciliation, Amanda and Josh officially called off the partnership for good about eight months after they met on the show. When they broke up, Amanda corroborated what Andi said about Josh’s unacceptable actions in relationships. Don’t you think Bachelor producers shouldn’t have even put an accused abuser on the spin-off show in the first place?
Evan Bass and Carly Waddell
Relationship Status: Married
Let’s not sugar coat this: Carly was so not into Evan when he first started persuing her on Bachelor in Paradise season three. She was pretty much going after everyone else and dodging his advances (which included a medical emergency). So when they got engaged on the season finale, we weren’t exactly putting all of our eggs in that basket.
However, in a twist of fate, these two are actually still together (the only ones who made it from that season)! They got married last summer (around the same time the Bachelor in Paradise sexual assault scandal was happening) and have even announced that they’re expecting a little one. While it was certainly unexpected pairing, we couldn’t be happier for these two!
Nick Viall and Vanessa Grimaldi
Relationship Status: Terminated
While Nick ultimately chose V over fan-favorite, Raven Gates, they seemed absolutely miserable during the After the Final Rose episode, leading many to believe that once the glam of the reality show wore off, so did their love. Ultimately, Nick and Vanessa made it about five months before publicly announcing they’d called off their engagement, though many assume the relationship really ended several weeks before that…
Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo
Relationship Status: Engaged
This last finale was a tough one for a lot of fans to watch as many hoped Rachel would choose runner-up, Peter Kraus. After a tearful goodbye with Peter, who wasn’t ready to get engaged, Rachel gave Bryan The Final Rose and accepted his proposal. Since then, Rachel and Bryan have spent a lot of time out-and-about together and even celebrating their engagement with friends in Miami. Only time will tell if these two can make it last, though…
Taylor Nolan and Derek Peth
Relationship Status: Engaged
No one thought Bachelor in Paradise season four could possibly be conducive to a long-lasting relationship after it was riddled in controversy and actually only filmed in Mexico for ten days once filming resumed. But somehow, Taylor and Derek found love in what we can only call the most HOPELESS of places when they got engaged during the reunion show for season four. As of now, the couple’s making it work.
Raven Gates and Adam Gottshalk
Relationship Status: In a relationship
Raven and Adam may not have taken the plunge to betrothment during Bachelor in Paradise (like we said, they only had ten days to film!) but they did leave ‘Paradise’ in a committed relationship. And it seems like they’re still going strong! Raven’s said that she and Adam make a point to not go longer than two weeks without seeing one another, even if they are long-distance, because “communication’s key.” She continued, “I tell him all the time, like, if we don’t see each other for two weeks, we’re breaking up!” Hopefully it doesn’t come to that!
Amanda Stanton and Robby Hayes
Relationship Status: Terminated
Poor, Amanda. It really seems like looking for a beau in Bachelor Nation really isn’t the right way to find him! While this couple dated after leaving BIP, she was sent photos of him cheating on her at a concert shortly thereafter. Amanda, who’s a mother of two, simply wasn’t interested in putting up with his “excuses” and called him out on social media. Robby, who was the runner-up on Jojo Fletcher’s season, seems to be trying his hand as a “social media influencer” now but doesn’t seem to be seriously dating anyone.
Lacey Mark and Daniel Maguire
Relationship Status: Terminated
This Bachelor in Paradise “relationship” was pretty much DOA. By the time they filmed the aftershow, it turns out that Lacey had figured out Daniel was doing the whole “romantic” thing for the cameras and wasn’t ACTUALLY interested in dating her at all after the show, which was sad considering she’d pined after him for weeks before he arrived.