16 Former Contestants On 'The Bachelor' Who Found Love With Other Men

A reality TV show where multiple people compete for the same person's affections doesn't exactly sound like the recipe for love, but despite this, The Bachelor has been in existence for more than a decade and there seems to be no stopping the ABC show. That said, there haven't been that many success stories from the dating show and it's spin-offs, which include The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise, and often, even when a couple seems hopelessly in love at the show's finale, it's only a matter of time before they release a joint statement expressing how it's with “heavy hearts” (or some similar terminology) that they have decided to go their separate ways.

From Nikki Ferrell, who ended up with Juan Pablo Galavis, arguably the most-hated man in The Bachelor history, to Lauren Bushnell who just couldn't make it work with her man, Ben Higgins, fans of the show have seen countless romances and breakups play out in a very public way. The good news is that these women have gone on to find love with other men; some have been college sweethearts or longtime friends, and others are men they met long after their reality fame. Below are 16 former contestants from The Bachelor who have found love again.

16 After Juan Pablo, Nikki Ferrell Found A Man Who Could Say "I Love You"

Juan Pablo Galavis was on Season 18 of The Bachelor and was arguably one of the most hated leading men on the show. He chose Nikki Ferrell at the end of the season, although he failed to propose to her and also failed to tell her he loved her, unsurprisingly, this relationship didn't last long and after seven months the pair called it quits.

Ferrell has since moved on and found love with Tyler Vanloo, who proposed to her during a vacation in Colorado. Surrounded by snow, he got down on one knee and asked Ferrell to marry him, and she shared the moment on Instagram. She gushed about how the big moment happened on the last day of vacation and how she couldn't wait to marry her “best friend.”

Their wedding happened on Oct. 8 of 2016, and the pair chose Kansas City, Missouri, as their wedding destination. It was an afternoon ceremony where they were surrounded by friends and family, and one of Ferrell's bridesmaids was fellow The Bachelor alum, Andi Dorfman. The day was everything Ferrell had dreamed it would be and she shared as much on social media, writing, “I cannot begin to describe how amazing this weekend was. I wish I could go back and relive every single moment a thousand times over. Thank you to everyone who was a part of the best day of our lives, from our wedding party, down to the very last guest. Tyler and I appreciate every single one of you.”

15 Ali Fedotowsky Married The Love Of Her Life In An Oceanside Ceremony

Ali Fedotowsky first came onto the public's radar when she competed for the affections of pilot Jake Pavelka in Season 14 of The Bachelor, and she later went on to become the sixth Bachelorette. Although she appeared to find love on the show and ended up engaged to Roberto Martinez on the finale, the pair later called off their engagement.

But Fedotowsky has since made it down the aisle, it just took a little longer for her to find the man she was meant to end up with. That man is Kevin Manno, and the pair first started dating in 2013, later becoming engaged in 2015. The couple was all set to marry the next year but had to postpone their wedding when Fedotowsky found out that she was pregnant with their daughter.

They were married in 2017, at an oceanside ceremony at The Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, where their adorable little girl Molly, who was just 8-months old at the time, served as their flower girl. Speaking of her big day, Fedotowsky told Us Weekly, “Throughout my life, I've always imagined what my wedding day would be like. Today has been far better than anything I could have dreamt up. Kevin is the one true love of my life, and I feel insanely lucky to call him my husband. I am honored to be Mrs. Manno.”

14 Melissa Rycroft Ended Up With The Guy She Loved Before 'The Bachelor'

Melissa Rycroft won the affection of The Bachelor star Jason Mesnick when she competed on the 13th season, but they were ultimately not meant to be, and he actually ended up dumping her for runner-up, Molly Malaney. It was one of the worst breakups because it was done in such a public way and Rycroft was humiliated. She told Celebuzz, “I was mad at Jason. It was Jason's job to tell me. I was mad at the producers for a second - but I was very angry at him. [He] at least owed [it to] me to tell me what was going to happen.”

After, Rycroft found happiness with Tye Strickland, who she had actually dated prior to being on the show. Speaking of their breakup, which happened shortly before she appeared on the ABC reality show, Rycroft said, “It was the worst breakup of my life. We broke up six months before I ended up going on The Bachelor, and I never really got over it. I couldn't move to that place where I was okay and could move on with my life. I constantly dwelled on it.”

But Rycroft told People magazine that she and Strickland “picked right back up,” and that he was her “best friend.” The pair got married in 2009 and had their ceremony Mexico, which Rycroft told the publication they wanted to make as “fun and relaxing as possible.”

13 Emily Maynard Married Her Husband In A Beautiful, Rustic Wedding

Emily Maynard had two very public relationships, first with Brad Womack from The Bachelor season 15, and then later she ended up with Jef Holm when she became The Bachelorette.

Maynard also revealed that she didn't want to become engaged for the second time on TV, and had made her feelings to Holm about this clear, so she was surprised when he asked her to marry him. She said yes, telling People, “But at the time, I didn't say yes out of pressure. I was like, 'You know what? I've lived a life of caution and second-guessing. Just do it!' But [after I said yes], Ricki [her daughter] ran up, and I was like, 'Something doesn't feel right. How did I get engaged to someone who's never really spent time with my daughter?' I had this weight on my heart like, 'What did I just do?' ”

Three months later the pair went their separate ways, but all hope was not lost for Maynard, who eventually met the man she was meant to end up with, Tyler Johnson. The pair married in 2014, and they appear to be happy together. They've also got a lovely little family, something which Maynard made clear she wanted right from the beginning of their relationship. She told People, “I've always wanted a lot of kids. I made it clear on our first day, Listen, my clock's ticking, and I'm ready to get on this!”

12 Whitney Bischoff Found Her Very Own Angel (His Name Is Ricky Angel)

Whitney Bischoff found fame (and love, albeit briefly) on Season 19 of The Bachelor when she competed for Chris Soules' affections. She ended up being picked at the end of the season, and the pair tried to make their relationship work, but ultimately announced they would be going their separate ways just two months after the finale of the show aired.

They released a joint statement, telling Us Weekly, "Whitney Bischoff and Chris Soules have mutually and amicably decided to end their engagement. They part with nothing but respect and admiration for one another and will continue to be supportive friends. They wish to thank everyone who has supported them through this journey." Some Bachelor fans may have been shocked by the decision, but it was only months later that Bischoff found the person she would later walk down the aisle with, Ricky Angel.

In 2016, Bischoff announced that she was engaged to Angel, and in October of 2017, the couple got married at the Wequassett Resort and Golf Club in Cape Cod. An eyewitness shared details of the ceremony with E! News, revealing, "The ceremony was set up right at the water with chairs lining the aisle. The weather was perfect and sunny." They added, "Whitney wore a classic long-form fitted dress with a veil. Her hair was in a low bun with a side part. Ricky wore a dark colored suit."

11 Mary Delgado Headed To Cuba For Her Wedding Celebration

Mary Delgado was one of the early contestants on The Bachelor, having appeared on Byron Velvick's Season 6. She was the woman that Velvick picked at the final rose ceremony, and they tried hard to make their relationship work, spending five years together before finally breaking up in 2009.

She found happiness later with James Kordomenos, who asked her to marry him in 2013, during a trip to the Virgin Islands. They later married in a simple ceremony in Cuba on New Year's Eve of 2015.  Cuba holds a special place in Delgado's heart because she was reportedly born there, although left the country before she was even a year old - she reportedly left with her parents and siblings on her father's fishing boat. She told TBO that she and Kordomenos had always wanted a destination wedding, and although they had initially considered Greece because he is of Greek descent, it was her homeland that they settled on.

She spoke about her wedding with TBO, telling the outlet that her big day “was a dream-come-true type of wedding.” She was also thrilled with her choice of destination, and said, “Cuba was beautiful. I'd absolutely recommend others get married there.”

10 Jillian Harris Is Not Just Engaged, She's Also Having Babies

Jillian Harris was the runner-up on Jason Mesnick season of The Bachelor, and she later became The Bachelorette in Season 5, where she ended up with Ed Swiderski. If that relationship had worked out, she wouldn't have been on this list, but it didn't and she's now engaged to partner Justin Pasutto.

The pair got engaged on Christmas day in 2017, and it was the proposal that Harris had always dreamed of. She shared the story on her website, writing, “I've seriously ALWAYS wanted to get engaged on Christmas morning and Justin always thought it was cheesy so the fact that he thought it was a silly idea I thought for SURE it wasn't going to happen.… Even though I knew Justin thought it was cheesy it didn't stop me from pressuring him every single Christmas to do it!!”

But before the pair even got engaged they had started a family and had welcomed a son, Leo George in August of 2016. And she didn't intend for him to be their only child either, as she revealed in her engagement story that they are actually speaking about having a second child, so for those wondering when the wedding may be, it could be a good few years. She explained, “We're actually considering getting married on our property but we want to get the landscaping done first and we're also talking about baby number two soooo the wedding might just be pushed for a few years yet!”

9 Ashley Salter Found True Love With Her College Sweetheart

ABC's reality dating shows didn't prove successful for Ashley Salter, who first appeared on Chris Soules season of The Bachelor, although she was eliminated in week 4, and then later went on to appear on Season 2 of Bachelor in Paradise. During her second reality TV stint she ended up dating fellow castmates, Dan Cox and Nick Peterson, but nothing longterm came of the romances, although that's OK because it turns out Salter was meant to end up with a man that she knew long before her reality TV debut. And that man is her college sweetheart, Austin Brannen.

The pair rekindled their romance when Salter returned from filming Bachelor in Paradise, and they announced their engagement in 2015. Then in 2016, they made headlines again, this time when they had a destination wedding at the Atlantis Hotel and Casino in the Bahamas.

This was a big year for the couple because it was also the year that they welcomed their son, Brooks. They had initially announced the news that Salter was pregnant during a televised wedding for Bachelor alums Jade Roper and Tanner Tolbert, and according to E! News, when they told host Chris Harrison, he couldn't have been happier.

8 AshLee Frazier Got Her Fairytale Ending With Aaron Williams

AshLee Frazier was one of the beauty's who competed on Season 17 of The Bachelor for Sean Lowe's love. He ended up choosing Catherine Giudici (and they are actually one of the few The Bachelor success stories) but Frazier came third out of all the hopefuls, although her departure was infamous because according to Us Weekly, she left without saying a word.

After this relationship, Us Weekly notes that she was linked to The Bachelor star Brad Womack, and reportedly also dated Bachelorette contestant Michael Garafola the same year. But it was only later that she found lasting happiness, with a man who had been friends with her for years, a man named Aaron Williams. They got engaged in 2016, after Williams popped the question on the Brooklyn Bridge, during their vacation in New York City, Us Weekly reports. Frazier commented publicly about the proposal in a statement to the publication, saying, "After a 10-year friendship and 11 months of courtship, I am marrying my best friend.”

The following year they had their wedding in an outdoor ceremony located on a lakeside in Conroe, Texas, and among the guests were former The Bachelor stars, Elise Mosca and Erica Rose.

7 Lauren Bushnell Isn't Married Yet, But She Sees A Future With Her Beau

Lauren Bushnell became a fan favorite when she competed on Ben Higgins season of The Bachelor, and although the pair ended up together at the end of the season, they ultimately weren't able to make their relationship work. In May of 2017, the couple announced their split saying in a statement to People that their decision was made with “heavy hearts.” In 2018, Higgins revealed that he was still dealing with the aftermath of the relationship, saying, "There's not a day that goes by that Lauren isn't brought into my life, and as you're trying to heal from a breakup… it crushes you."

Although Higgins and Bushnell didn't make it to the aisle, she may be getting her chance in the years that follow because she admitted she sees a future with her new boyfriend, Devin Antin. Brides reports that during a Q&A session with her Instagram followers, Bushnell said, "I do see a future with him but I want to be 1,000 percent sure before I get engaged and even more sure before I get married. And for me, that takes time. I've learned a lot of things in the last couple years and this is a big one. Marriage is such a special and sacred thing that should never be rushed."

6 DeAnna Pappas Was 'Giddy With Excitement' About Marrying Her Man

The Bachelor Season 11 starred Brad Womack, whose final two ladies were DeAnna Pappas and Jenni Croft, although he decided to reject both women at the finale. This did give Pappas the opportunity to find love again thanks to The Bachelorette, and at the end of the show, she became engaged to Jesse Csincsak.

The couple even had their wedding date planned, but ultimately decided not to go through with it and split just months before, and it seems this was all Pappas's decision. Csincsak reportedly posted a video on the couple's website, People reports, and explained that his fiance had broken up with him two days earlier. He believed he had done everything he could to try and make the relationship work, and claimed it was Pappas who ended things by telling him, “I love you, but I'm not in love with you.” He continued, “She's a great person but she wasn't willing to try anymore… That's a lot to swallow no matter who you are when you're in love and you put yourself out there.”

Pappas did get her wedding though and in 2011, she married Stephen Stagliano (who has a twin brother who featured on Jillian Harris' season of The Bachelorette). The pair wed in Georgia, after becoming engaged the year before, and a witness told People, “They were giddy with excitement. She looked incredibly happy.”

5 Tenley Molzahn Can't Wait To Spend Forever With Her Fiance

Tenley Molzahn competed for Jake Pavelka's heart of Season 14 of The Bachelor, and although she didn't win, she was the runner-up. But everything worked out for her in the end because she is now engaged to her boyfriend, Taylor Leopold.

In 2016, Molzahn told Bustle that she had found the man she wanted to spend her life with, saying, “I'm going to marry him. He's so cute… it was the exact right timing. When you know, you know. I've been waiting to meet this guy for a long time.”

She announced the news of their engagement on Instagram in 2018, and it was clear that she was overwhelmed with happiness. She wrote, "THIS IS HAPPENING!!! Last night I said yes to spending forever with him! My heart is gushing with happiness and excitement & I can't stop thinking of how good God is!!!” She also took a moment to celebrate the man she is marrying, praising him for being “the answer to some of my hearts greatest prayers and deepest desires.” She then finished her message off by writing about how they were always meant to be together, and "God's Love and faithfulness has always been true to me, but since the day I met you, I truly believed that God had all along been letting me find my way to you.”

4 Carly Waddell Had A TV Wedding Thanks To 'Bachelor In Paradise'

It didn't work out for Carly Waddell when she appeared on The Bachelor Season 19 with Chris Soules, but she did get a second shot at love on a Bachelor spin-off show, Bachelor in Paradise. On the third season of the show, she fell in love with Evan Bass, (who had previously competed for JoJo Fletcher's heart on The Bachelorette) and they got engaged.

This is a place that held many special memories, so the following year they returned to exchange vows in a televised wedding near Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, which host of the show, Chris Harrison, officiated.

They spoke about their big day during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, and Waddell revealed that her favorite moment was when she walked down the aisle and saw her future husband's face. “His jaw was on the floor,” she said, and Bass added, “It felt so full-circle. A year earlier Carly was puking a few hundred feet away from where we were getting married on our first date.” Um… how romantic?

Shortly after their marriage they also revealed to Extra that Waddell was pregnant. She said, “It's our little miracle baby… Happened really fast, but we're so excited.”

3 In The End, Jen Schefft Didn't Need 'The Bachelorette' To Find Love

Jen Schefft competed on Andrew Firestone's season of The Bachelor, and later went on to become the third person to star on The Bachelorette. At the end of her season, there was a disappointing result because despite choosing art gallery dealer Jerry Ferris as the winner, Schefft shockingly rejected his proposal, and according to People, she claimed she just wanted to be his friend.

Schefft spoke about this decision years later on the Reality Life With Kate Casey podcast, and according to Life&Style, she had this to say of Ferris: "They said he was this art gallery dealer but he worked at the mall at an art store. At the time he wanted to be an actor, but they didn't say that because that would make it look like he was on the show for 'the wrong reason. I will say he proposed to me again at the After the Final Rose, and I was shocked that that happened because they must have put him up to it. I don't know." She also added that either the show or Ferris himself misrepresented him, and it ended up making her look like the “bad guy.”

But according to The Hollywood Reporter, Schefft now lives in Chicago where she has started a family with her husband, Joe Waterman. The couple has two daughters, although it seems not too much is known about their personal life, which is probably the way they'd like to keep it.

2 Shayne Lamas And The Husband Keep The Love Alive With Dinner Dates

The Bachelor Season 12 belonged to Matt Grant, who proposed to Shayne Lamas in the show's finale, but their relationship was short-lived. In a statement to People, they confirmed their split, saying, “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.”

But Lamas married Hooman Karamian aka Nik Richie two years later, after reportedly only knowing him for a few hours. According to TMZ, the pair met in Las Vegas, Nevada, and at some point between meeting and getting married 24 hours later, inside the Little White Wedding Chapel, they obviously felt that they had a connection that would last forever. The publication revealed that insiders claimed the newlyweds opted for the "Michael Jordan Package," a package that costs $519 value and includes a DVD of their wedding and 36 professional photos. They then had a honeymoon at Vanity nightclub at the Hard Rock Hotel.

Considering how quickly the pair got married, and how they chose to do it, for many it didn't seem as though it would be a lasting romance but fast forward eight years and they are still together, and still enjoying dinner dates, as Lamas shared on Instagram.

1 It May Be Early Days, But Vanessa Grimaldi Has Moved On From Nick Viall

In 2017, Nick Viall was finally given his shot at love when he became The Bachelor, and he ended up proposing to Vanessa Grimaldi at the end of the show. Their relationship didn't last for more than five months, and the pair decided the best way to let the public know they were no longer an item was with a joint statement made to E! News. It read, "It's with a great amount of heartbreak for the both us as we have decided to end our engagement. We gave this relationship our all and we are saddened that we did not get the fairytale ending we hoped for. We will continue to be there for each other no matter what. This hasn't been an easy decision, however, as we part ways, we do so with lots of love and admiration for each other."

But it looks as though Grimaldi has moved on. She is neither married nor engaged like many of the other woman featured on this list, but she reportedly does have a new man in her life. According to E! News, she has a boyfriend from Montreal and although she has not publicly released his identity, what they have is believed to be special. An insider told the publication, "Vanessa needed a normal, down to earth person that isn't caught up in the limelight. He's really that person."

References: Us Weekly, E! News, TMZ, People, The Hollywood Reporter, Life&Style, Extra, Brides