Even though The Bachelorette has many critics and sometimes misses the mark for some viewers, every fan of the show looks forward to the grand finale so that they can find out if a lead got engaged. The emotional and heartfelt speeches, the love emanating in their eyes, and the ring, of course, are all highly-anticipated elements. The culmination of all the minutes, hours, and weeks that viewers put into the show finally comes to a head when they find the person they want to commit to.
In recent years, certain Bachelor Nation fans have steered more toward The Bachelorette, as they've felt that it is more genuine, honest, and romantic than its The Bachelor counterpart. This could be why producers decided to have back-to-back The Bachelorette seasons in 2021, with Katie Thurston’s premiering June 7 and Michelle Young’s season allegedly being filmed right now. As the fans await the epic conclusions to these two 2021 seasons, let's count down the best proposals ever featured on this series.
Tayshia Adams & Zac Clarke
This was the most recent The Bachelorette proposal, and what set the tone for it being so perfect was the fact that Tayshia Adams was leading the latter half of that season. Tayshia was gracious, mature, and decisive. This could be because she was previously married and took the process very seriously. Tayshia asked the men important questions about their beliefs, values, and futures. While Tayshia had a fantastic group of men overall, those questions asked by Tayshia helped the viewers understand why she ultimately chose to be with Zac Clark in the end. Throughout her journey, Tayshia was authentic and open, and their proposal was the best because fans could see exactly why she had chosen Zac.
Zac and Tayshia’s engagement was made even more romantic because of Zac’s speech. “I am going to choose you right now,” Zac said, looking deep into Tayshia’s eyes. Zac continued, “I am going to choose you tomorrow morning. I am going to choose you next week and next year. I am going to choose you.” What a moment that was for these two. There was surely not a dry eye behind the scenes of filming this. Tayshia said yes, of course, and the couple is now planning their wedding and enjoying each other’s company. For a season that started on a dramatic note - with Clare Crawley leaving to be with Dale Moss - the fans still got a beautiful, heartfelt proposal in the end. This was a proposal that felt like it came right out of a romance novel.
JoJo Fletcher & Jordan Rogers
Jojo Fletcher may not have gotten the final rose during Ben Higgins’ season of The Bachelor, but everything happens for a reason, and that reason was for her to meet Jordan Rogers. Their relationship has been lauded as one of the best of the franchise, and even as the most good-looking couple within Bachelor Nation. Moreover, Jordan’s speech leading up to the proposal felt like they were living a real-life fairytale. “You made me believe that love doesn’t need to have a script and there’s no one way to draw it up,” he told JoJo.
The waterworks had already started at this point. But observing the way that JoJo looked at Jordan, and the way that Jordan stared back at Jordan, the viewers could tell that this was the real deal right here. Their excitement was emanating through the screen. “I am so unbelievably in love with you,” Jordan said to JoJo. When she finally replied, JoJo said: “I have been waiting to tell you that I love you.” They embraced at this point, and it became obvious how much they already cared for each other. JoJo and Jordan planned on having their wedding in 2020, but the pandemic happened, and the couple decided to postpone their nuptials.
Rachel Lindsay & Bryan Abasolo
Some people dismiss Bryan Abasolo’s proposal because Rachel Lindsay had just gone through one of the most emotional breakups in the history of The Bachelorette with runner-up Peter Kraus the night before. So, at the time, some viewers were still hung up on that relationship. In reality, however, Rachel made the right choice. Overall, Rachel and Bryan’s love story was not played up as much as it should have been, hence why some fans were surprised when he was her top pick. But from the moment that he kissed Rachel and got the first impression rose from her, the fans should have known it was going to be Bryan all along.
Their proposal was incredibly choppy, but their love for each other was still evident despite the heavy wind going on around them. “When I first stepped out of that limo, I knew I was in,” Bryan said, “When we first kissed it was literally like a chemistry bomb that exploded.” From the beginning, Rachel and Bryan’s relationship was solid, and Bryan always let Rachel know that he wanted to be with her. Never once did Bryan make Rachel doubt, and that was what made their proposal so romantic. Bryan never broke eye contact with Rachel as he just poured his heart out to her, saying: “You are everything I could ever want in a woman, a wife, and the mother of my children.” Hands down, a great proposal.
Trista Rehn & Ryan Sutter
The original Bachelorette proposal deserves a spot on this list as their proposal was simply spewing romance. From the rose petals leading to where Trista Rehn was standing to the speech delivered by Ryan Sutter, the love between these two was palpable. To add a cherry on top, the two of them have been together and married for more than a decade as of 2021. Together, Trista and Ryan set the bar for The Bachelorette. Even though some fans thought during the season that Charlie was the frontrunner, Ryan snuck his way into Trista’s heart with poetry, and it worked.
Trista said, “I can now tell you without reservation that I am in love with you.” Doesn’t that just make you swoon? Ryan was so eager to propose to Trista, that he started to get down on one knee a bit too soon and Trista had to hold him off as she finished her declaration of love. Ryan responded, “I love you with every ounce of my being.” He then got down on one knee and proposed to her. Their wedding was the first televised ceremony of The Bachelorette. Ryan and Trista are still married, and they have a daughter together.