The Bachelor has been on for 19 seasons, but, sadly, not every relationship formed by the finale of the show tends to last for long after the cameras stop rolling. Although 11 of the men have proposed to women during their dramatic finales, only one of them has ever actually walked down the aisle. (Jason Mesnick doesn't count, since he broke up with the woman he originally proposed to.) On average, most Bachelor couples break up shortly after their season finishes airing — if they can even make it that long. This same principal doesn't hold true for The Bachelorette, however. The Bachelor's sister show has produced three weddings in just 10 seasons.
Everyone but Brad Womack has walked home with one of the women, but that doesn't always mean they could stick it out. That just makes it all the more special and inspiring when a couple truly does go the distance and make us all believe in love again, thanks to the reality TV show. But, realistically speaking, what does Happily Ever After on The Bachelor look like? On average, couples can make it a few months before calling it quits — which is true to life, and makes the show even more relatable.
The important thing is that, just because a couple doesn't make it past the finale doesn't mean their relationship was a failure. The Bachelors have come to find love, but some of them find lasting friendships instead. Even when things don't end amicably, they found a connection they never would have achieved without their time on the show. And that's the real charm and magic of The Bachelor.
Alex Michel & Amanda Marsh — Season 1
Official Relationship: A Little Over Two Months (April 25, 2002 — June 2002)
The first Bachelor couple only made it a few months. Marsh eventually dumped Michel when she found out he was still talking to runner-up Trista Rehn in May.
Aaron Buerge & Helene Eksterowicz — Season 2
Official Relationship: Just Over One Month (November 20, 2002 — February 2003)
Just five weeks after the finale aired, the second Bachelor pair called it quits.
Andrew Firestone & Jen Schefft — Season 3
Official Relationship: Seven Months (May 18, 2003 — December 2003)
Firestone and Schefft announced their split in a television exclusive in December 2003. "This is a decision we made together through long and thoughtful discussion," the pair's statement said. "It is totally amicable and, though we care for each other deeply, we have come to realize that our future goals are different."
Bob Guiney & Estella Gardinier — Season 4
Official Relationship: One Month (November 19, 2003 — December 2003)
The pair's relationship ended poorly with Gardinier saying Guiney dumped her via phone call.
Jesse Palmer & Jessica Bowlin — Season 5
Official Relationship: Less Than a Month (May 26, 2004 — June 2004)
Palmer never proposed to Bowlin, which was for the best since they only made it a few weeks after their finale aired.
Byron Velvick & Mary Delgado — Season 6
Official Relationship: Five Years (November 24, 2004 — December 2009)
In one of the longest-lasting relationships to come off the show, Velvick and Delgado were engaged for five whole years before things ended.
Charlie O'Connell & Sarah Brice — Season 7
Official Relationship: On-and-Off for Five Years (May 16, 2005 — April 2010)
Despite not proposing to Brice during the finale, the couple made it a long time before breaking up for good. They dated for about four of those five years, taking a break from 2007-2008 before ending things for good in 2010 with an amicable separation. "I think it was a mutual break-up. The thing is that we dated for five years... and were just arguing over the same things and stuff like that," O'Connell said of the split. "Eventually you've got to go your separate ways."
Travis Lane Stork & Sarah Stone — Season 8
Official Relationship: One Week (February 27, 2006 — March 2006)
Stork and Stone lived in the same town, but, during the time the show aired, were unable to see each other. It caused a rift in their relationship, and, a week after the finale, they confirmed that they'd broken up.
Prince Lorenzo Borghese & Jennifer Wilson — Season 9
Official Relationship: Two Months (November 27, 2006 — January 2007)
The pair split after reports that Borghese was still seeing the runner-up Sadie Murray.
Andrew Baldwin & Tessa Horst — Season 10
Official Relationship: Four Months (May 22, 2007 — September 2007)
Baldwin and Horst called off their engagement in August 2007, but kept dating each other for another month before calling it quits for good.
Brad Womack & No One — Season 11
Official Relationship: None (November 20, 2007)
Brad Womack dumped both women at his finale, and he walked home alone.
Matt Grant & Shayne Lamas — Season 12
Official Relationship: Four Months (May 12, 2008 — July 2008)
After just a couple of months, the pair issued a joint statement signaling their break-up. "We tried hard to make it work but we realized that we were both heading in different directions. We truly care about each other and will remain close friends," the statement read.
Jason Mesnick & Melissa Rycroft — Season 13
Official Relationship: Mere Minutes (March 2, 2009)
Although Mesnick picked Melissa Rycroft in the finale, during the After the Final Rose special that aired right after, he changed his mind and announced his love for Molly Malaney instead. Malaney and Mesnick got engaged in October 2009, and are still happily married today.
Jake Pavelka & Vienna Girardi — Season 14
Official Relationship: Three Months (March 1, 2010 — June 2010)
The couple lasted just a few months before splitting and embarking on a crusade to defame one another to the press.
Brad Womack & Emily Maynard — Season 15
Official Relationship: Three Months (March 14, 2011 — June 2011)
Technically Maynard and Womack broke up before the finale even aired, but they got back together to try to make things work. They lasted three whole months after the finale before deciding to call it quits.
Ben Flajnik & Courtney Robertson — Season 16
Official Relationship: Seven Months (March 12, 2012 — October 2012)
Robertson later wrote in her tell-all book that she and Flajnik broke up in February prior to the taping of the Women Tell All, but patched things up just in time for the finale. They lasted another few months before ending things for good in October 2012.
Sean Lowe & Catherine Giudici — Season 17
Official Relationship: Two Years and Going Strong (March 11, 2013 — Present)
Sean Lowe became the only Bachelor to wed his finale pick when he and Giudici married on January 26, 2014. Today, the couple is still happy as ever. Awwww.
Juan Pablo Galavis & Nikki Ferrell — Season 18
Official Relationship: Seven Months (March 10, 2014 — October 2014)
Juan Pablo and Nikki Ferrell actually made things last a lot longer than most people predicted before officially ending things in October 2014. Although Ferrell says that Juan Pablo eventually told her he loved her, in the end, it was too little too late.
Chris Soules & Whitney Bischoff — Season 19
Official Relationship: So Far So Good (March 9, 2015 — Present)
The most recent Bachelor seems to be doing very well with his fiancee, and there's even talk of them two of them moving in together. Only time will tell if they can stick together romantically, but things are looking good so far!
Images: Getty Images; Craig Sjodin (6), Steve Fenn, Adam Larkey, Matt Klitscher, Mark Wessels, Nicole Kohl/ABC
