Joan Vassos, the first woman to hold the title of The Golden Bachelorette, made her choice during the season finale of the ABC series, aired on November 13. After a romantic journey that included introducing her family to Chock Chapple in Bora Bora, Joan decided to send Guy Gansert home, realizing she had found true love. Joan shared her feelings on camera, saying, “It actually happened. I know where my heart is, and I know what I have to do.”
Though the finale revealed that Chock was the one to receive Joan’s final rose, the couple had actually gotten engaged months earlier during filming. Their love story continued to uncover, and fans are curious to know whether they remain together.
Joan Vassos finds true love with Chock Chapple on The Golden Bachelorette finale
The couple’s engagement took place in Bora Bora during the final moments of The Golden Bachelorette. After Joan made the difficult decision to part ways with Guy, she met Chock on a beach.
Although he didn’t realize he was the last man standing, Chock feared Joan hadn’t expressed her love for him. Joan, however, had waited until the proposal day to say those words. When she finally shared her love and commitment, Chock responded by proposing with a custom-made 4-carat diamond ring from Neil Lang Couture.
“I am so absolutely happy to be in your life and that you’re in mine,” Chock told Joan during the proposal. “You will never be invisible to me, and I promise to tell you that I love you every day.” During the After the Final Rose special, host Jesse Palmer announced that Joan and Chock are still together, calling them the franchise’s “newest Golden Bachelorette couple.” The couple was also treated to a surprise trip to Disney World with their families, echoing their first date at Disneyland.
Joan expressed how wonderful it felt to publicly share their relationship, saying, “I’m looking at our family and friends who we’ve never gotten to be with together, so it’s so nice to finally be able to share our love and our story and our future with them.”
Joan celebrated their engagement on Instagram, sharing a video of herself showing off her engagement ring, with Chock by her side. Chock later posted a series of engagement photos with a simple caption, “I love you @joan_vassos.”
Since their engagement in Bora Bora, the couple has kept their relationship relatively private. On the After the Final Rose special, Chock mentioned that they enjoy quiet moments together, like cooking and solving crosswords. Joan shared on Good Morning America that the couple had spent the last few months getting closer and falling deeper in love. Chock humorously added that they had dinner plans for the next few months, as they were tired of being cooped up inside.
Though there are no official wedding plans yet, Joan revealed on Good Morning America that she hopes to live “a little bit of a normal life” before focusing on their wedding. Chock is confident, saying, “She’s going to marry me. It’s just a matter of time.”
Joan later told PEOPLE that although she initially envisioned a small wedding, the idea of having it televised is now a possibility. She expressed, “It would be fun for them to see maybe chapter two of us actually starting a life together.”
As for their living arrangements, Chock shared his vision for a home in New York City, symbolized by a heart-shaped keychain he gave Joan. He expressed, “I want us to pick it out and make all the decisions together.” Joan, although previously certain she’d never leave Maryland, revealed that she’s now excited to spend time in Kansas, where Chock resides.
They plan to split time between Maryland, Kansas, and New York City, figuring out their living situation over the next year. “We’ll have a full-time place in New York, and whenever we get the opportunity, I think we’re going to be there,” Chock said.
