Charity Lawson is the latest Bachelor Nation romantic hopeful to find love, as season twenty of The Bachelorette has come to an emotional and beautiful conclusion. Her happily ever after is something fans were rooting for, and as we’ve seen it all unfold, it inspired us to look back at the couples in Bachelor and Bachelorette history who have stood the test of time.
With a combined number of 47 seasons, The Bachelor and The Bachelorette laid the groundwork for finding true love on reality television and for several spinoffs — most famously, Bachelor in Paradise, which allowed for more chances at getting that infamous final rose.
As Bachelor Nation grows, so does the drama and the turmoil on the road to finding love. Of course, the eligible men and women are still in it to find romance. However, with the expansion of social media a providing a problematic plethora of opportunities for those who try their hand at romance, some contestants aren’t always in it for the happily ever after.
The idea of true love isn’t something people are ready to give up on quickly, so no matter how many tears are shed, arguments are fought, and hearts are broken — we keep tuning in to The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. Call us hopeless romantics or gluttons for punishment, but we just can’t get enough.
From the series premiere in 2002, to Charity Lawson’s happily ever after, which just wrapped as of this writing, here are the couples who are standing the test of time.
The Bachelor
With an impressive 27 seasons, it’s a bit surprising that there are only five couples who have stayed together. Let’s take a look at them.
Jason and Molly (Malaney) Mesnick
We can’t forget one of the most dramatic finales in Bachelor Nation history — that of Jason Mesnick choosing his forever partner during the conclusion of his series, only to turn right around and try to rekindle his romance with the woman he said goodbye to during After the Final Rose.
During the airing of ATFR, Jason pleaded with Molly, telling her that he could not stop thinking about her and that he hoped for another chance.
Love was the name of the game for Molly and Jason, who were married the next year and are still together to this day, partners in all aspects of their life.
Sean and Catherine (Giudici) Lowe
Sean and Catherine met during the 2013 season of The Bachelor, and the two have been together ever since. Their romance was such a fan favorite that their marriage was a separate television event that we could all tune in to.
They were married in 2014, and they’ve grown a sweet family in the years since. They were even in the audience of the season 19 finale of The Bachelorette, and it was nice to see them back in the mix. They’re not a couple that remained totally in the public eye, but they have been known to attend Bachelor Nation events, so getting their input on the series and the couples born from it is a treat.
Arie and Lauren (Burnham) Luyendyk
Like Jason and Molly getting their happily ever after, Arie Luyendyk Jr. had mixed feelings about the woman he initially said goodbye to during the season finale of his journey to finding love.
Choosing between Lauren Burnham and Becca Kufrin, Arie sent Lauren home in a tearful and heartbreaking goodbye, asking Becca to marry him and begin a forever together. What happened next was released footage showing the opposite of what they’d both imagined after that beautiful day.
Arie told Becca he still had feelings for Lauren, and she handled it better than most would have. She asked him to get out, and Arie would go on to get engaged, marry, and have a family with Lauren.
The way it all unfolded wasn’t easy to watch, but Becca has also found her own happily ever after and is expecting her first child with the love of her life today. Lauren and Arie seem to be a perfect match, and all’s well that ends well.
Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell
Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell are the last couple to stay together on The Bachelor, and their road to happily ever after wasn’t easy.
The two didn’t get engaged at the end of James’ season, but they did fall in love and decided to continue a relationship. However, when James was clued into some of Kirkconnell’s past actions, he put a stop to their romance. The pair seemed to work through their differences, and James must’ve accepted Kirkconnell’s apology and changed behavior, because they were back together in early 2021.
They’re still together now and as happy as ever; we’re glad things worked out for these two.
Zach Shallcross and Kaity Biggar
Some of Zach’s decisions during his stint as The Bachelor might have left you scratching your head and wondering why on earth he was making them, but ultimately, things appear to have worked out perfectly.
Audiences immediately fell for Kaity Biggar, and Zach did the same; while their journey wasn’t easy, it was worth it. The two were engaged after his season, and they’re still together today, and we couldn’t be more thrilled.
They aren’t as involved in the public realm as some couples, but the glimpses into their romance that they share are picture-perfect. Zach and Kaity developed a beautiful love story on television, and they’ve continued to cultivate it after the cameras stopped filming. They are another Bachelor Nation couple we’re really rooting for.
The Bachelorette
The Bachelorette also gave us quite a few couples who have stayed together, discovering their own fairytale with each new day. Let’s dive in and find out which pairs are still living in a happily-in-love bubble.
Trista (Rehn) and Ryan Sutter
The first bachelorette to take the reins ended up living happily ever after with her now-husband, Ryan Sutter. The two have been together since the first season aired in 2003, and they’ve formed a beautiful family and lived a happy life together. A great thing about Ryan and Trista is that they’ve always put one another first. Through ups and downs, they have always found a way to embrace the importance of their relationship.
As one of everyone’s favorite Bachelor Nation couples, we have to say we’re delighted that these two have embraced such a sweet love story.
Desiree (Hartsock) and Chris Siegfried
Desiree Hartsock was the bachelor in 2013, giving her final rose to Chris Siegfried. The two were married in 2015 and have lived a wonderful life together ever since. They are parents, best friends, and one another’s most outstanding support system. Desiree and Chris haven’t stayed as actively involved in the Bachelor realm as some couples, but they truly made the best of their time on the series — they got the happily ever after.
JoJo (Fletcher) and Jordan Rodgers
JoJo Fletcher was 2016’s bachelorette, and her now-husband Jordan Rodgers got the final rose at the end of the season. Their love story has been unique, and as the COVID-19 Pandemic affected their wedding plans, the two didn’t actually tie the knot until earlier this year.
However, that doesn’t mean they haven’t enjoyed wedding planning and a long engagement. The two have shared memories that most only dream of, and it’s still just the beginning for these love birds. One thing that is easy to see from their relationship is that they know how to have fun, and most importantly, they’re a constant source of support for one another.
Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo
Rachel Lindsay wore the mantle of the bachelorette in 2017, and she found her forever love in her now- husband, Bryan Abasolo. The pair got married in 2019, and have enjoyed doing everything from day-to-day tasks to traveling together since their joyful beginnings.
The love they shared was evident from the beginning, and fans hoped she’d end up with Bryan as soon as the first episodes of Rachel’s season began to air. She’s strong, confident, and powerful, and Bryan never tried to change that about her. He’s been a constant support for her dreams since they got together, and it’s a sentiment she returns to him. Their connection was undeniable, and their romance is indeed a sweet one.
Charity Lawson and Dotun Olubeko
If you weren’t in tears watching last night’s finale, we want to speak with you. I have to admit; it’s an instance where I was glad to have removed my fake lashes before sitting down with a glass of wine to watch the conclusion of a series.
Charity’s path to love was filled with some entertaining, aggravating, and altogether wonderful suitors who hoped to one day have her heart, but there was something special about Dotun from day one.
Something Charity’s sister said about Dotun stuck with us; she called him “intentional,” which sums it up. Dotun cared about every moment he spent with Charity, building upon them to craft a truly beautiful love story. We bawled as we saw Charity speak to Dotun during the finale, and saw that 1,000-watt smile as he realized she loved him, too.
They’re early in their journey, but we have a feeling that Charity meant every word when she called Dotun her future hubby and baby daddy; we couldn’t be happier for these two!
So what exactly happens to couples who don’t find love? Well, a few things. Some of them go on to fade from the public eye, and try to live their lives as normally as possible. Others take new opportunities to live the life of a reality television star, and some even try their hand at love with other Bachelor Nation contestants on Bachelor in Paradise.
You can see the exciting new season of Bachelor in Paradise, with some returning favorites from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette in addition to the first ever season of The Golden Bachelor on Sept. 28, and we can’t wait to start a new journey to love with all of you.