The 'Bachelor' Couples We Wish Had Lasted

For a show about finding eternal love, very few people on the Bachelor and Bachelorette have stayed with their partners for over a few months. There have, however, been a few Bachelor couples that should have lasted longer than they actually did. What makes some couples stand out from the rest? Many of the relationships on the show seem about as coincidental as you'd expect from a reality dating competition. However, there have been a few couples over the years that have seemed to have a real connection. These are the couples that seem like they could conceivably have fallen in love even outside of the format of the show.

Obviously, it's difficult to tell from the format of the show whether a connection is real or the result of the circumstances of the season and a score that plays with your heartstrings. But that's the leap you have to take in order to enjoy the Bachelor or Bachelorette. Clearly, we were wrong about these couples that really seemed like they were going to make it — maybe it was just a connection forged by expensive dates and competition, unsustainable in real life — but these are 12 Bachelor couples who I kind of wish had beaten the curse and stayed together.

1. Aaron Buerge And Helene Eksterowicz

This couple sold their engagement ring on eBay together, and it was a profit-based venture, not a charitable one (though a portion did go to charity). They seem perfect for each other.

2. Ali Fedotowsky and Roberto Martinez

They really seemed like they might make it, having passed the critical first few months, but they did not.

3. Jesse Palmer and Jessica Bowlin

These two seemed fairly stable, but, alas, they broke up after just a few months. There was so much wedding invitation potential with their names, but I guess that's not what counts.

4. Andi Dorfman and Josh Murray

They seemed happy and stable, even for a while after the show ended, but they ended their relationship after around a year.

5. Alex Michel and Amanda Marsh

Just because it would have been a good omen if the show's first couple had stayed together.

6. Charlie O'Connell and Sarah Brice

The couple had an on-again/off-again relationship that seemed like it might be fated to last, but they are not together at the moment.

7. Jake Pavelka and Vienna Girardi

Jake seemed really into the slightly evil Vienna, but they fought spectacularly and publicly.

8. Lorenzo Borghese and Jennifer Wilson

Maybe this one seemed a little too much like a fairytale — he was a prince, after all — but I was rooting for them.

9. Meredith Phillips and Ian Mckee

The Bachelorette couple seemed more interested in their offscreen romance than dramatically demonstrating their love, which seemed like a good sign. But they sadly didn't stay together.

10. Jillian Harris and Ed Swiderski

While they couldn't make it work, both ultimately found success in love and in their careers.

11. Andy Baldwin and Tessa Horst

Their relationship had an endearingly awkward start, and they made the seemingly wise choice of ending their televised engagement but staying together as a couple. Sadly, they did break up after a few months.

12. Emily Maynard and Jef Holm

They were a way better couple than Maynard and Womack, but they were not to last.

Despite its less than stellar track record as far as helping people find their forever partners is concerned, I'm thankful people keep trying to be on The Bachelor and Bachelorette. It's all about the destination, and the journey is very entertaining for the couple and for the fans.