Golden Bachelorette Finale Full Recap: Joan Vassos Is Engaged After Deciding She ‘Found Love’

The mom of four told one of her finalists her “heart belongs to somebody else” before accepting a proposal from another in the Nov. 13 finale

After a season chock full of love, laughter and some tears, Joan Vassos found herself with two guys left going into the finale of The Golden Bachelorette.

During the Nov. 13 finale, Joan, 61, decided between Chock Chapple and Guy Gansert after spending a night in the Fantasy Suite with each man. Joan had hoped to enjoy a camera-free night in the Fantasy Suites with Pascal Ibgui. However, he chose to end his journey before the overnight portion of their date, telling her that he didn’t feel a “spark” after they participated in a Tahitian bonding ceremony together.

“I know what love is. I’ve experienced it, you’ve experienced it,” Pascal, 69, said to Joan in the Oct. 30 episode. “And I’m caring about you as a friend. But I’m not in love, you know, and I just can’t be there and it’s hurting me because we have a good time together.”

Joan said at the Men Tell All special that she saw a future with Pascal. “I pictured a life with you and I know that that Tahitian bonding ceremony was very uncomfortable for you,” she told the salon owner. “And I thought maybe in Fantasy Suites we could’ve figured out something in either direction, but you had already made up your mind.”

The private school administrator teased “happy tears” ahead during her Golden Bachelorette finale, which saw her reunite with her kids in Bora Bora. Joan introduced her family to Chock, but she broke up with Guy before he could meet them once she realized her feelings for Chock.

Joan didn’t want to say “I love you” back to Chock, though, until proposal day. So when she and Chock reunited on the Bora Bora sand on the final day of her journey, Joan said “I love you” — and then she said “yes” when Chock asked her to marry him.

Keep reading to find out what happened during the finale of the first Golden Bachelorette season.

(Note: the most recent updates appear at the top, so scroll all the way down to start from the beginning of the show.)

The Happy Couple Heads to the Happiest Place on Earth

Joan and Chock joined Jesse in the studio for their first time in public as an engaged couple. The former NFL star surprised Chock and Joan with a trip to Disney World for their two families.

On proposal day, Joan told Chock that, “From our first date in Disneyland, I thought I saw a future with you,” referring to their first one-on-one. Now, they will get to live that future together with their families.

Joan Says ‘Yes’ to Forever

Chock entered proposal day not knowing that Guy went home. He told Jesse upon arriving to the engagement that he loved Joan, but Chock had some “self-doubt” since Joan hadn’t said “I love you” back to him.

But when Chock showed up on the beach in Bora Bora on the last day of her journey, Joan returned the sentiment.

“I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you,” Joan said to Chock. “I want to wake up next to you in the morning and I want to kiss you when I go to bed at night.”

Chock reiterated that he loved Joan and told her that he had a question for her.

“I’ve been waiting forever to do this,” Chock said before dropping to one knee and popping open a Neil Lane ring box. “Joan, will you marry me?”

Joan replied, “Of course I’ll marry you,” before giving Chock her final rose.

Read more details of the proposal here.

Guy Questions Whether There Was ‘Something Missing’ with Joan

Guy joined Jesse, 46, live in the studio and said it was “heartbreaking” to watch back his breakup with Joan.

Then, Joan came out on stage and the two spoke for the first time since splitting in Bora Bora. Guy told Joan that everything he said on the show “came from the heart.”

“Was there something missing that I just didn’t really anticipate or I should have?” Guy asked her.

“It comes down to being kind of a time thing,” Joan explained.

Joan said she had a “really, really, really” hard time letting Guy go in the end. “In any other situation, I would have been with you because we would have more time,” she continued. “But there was a time element in this that I had to make a decision, and I had just gotten farther along.”

The reality star made sure to let Guy know “it was absolutely nothing you did” to lead to the breakup, and she told him she hoped they can double date one day.

Joan Loses 1 Guy

Joan’s date with Chock showed her what she really wanted. So before Guy could meet her family, she went to his hotel room to break things off.

“We really had a connection and hearing that he loves me and that he wants to spend the rest of his life with me, I realized that I actually found love,” Joan told the cameras of Chock. “It actually happened. I know where my heart is at and I know what I have to do.”

And then she proceeded to do just that. “I’m here to tell you that my heart belongs to somebody else,” Joan said to Guy, 66. “And I care about you so, so, so, so much and I know we talked about being seen, and I want you to know that I saw you at every rose ceremony, I saw you at every date. I care so much about you, I just … my heart belongs to somebody else now.”

Joan added that, because she cared about Guy, she wanted to spare him meeting her kids.

Guy said that he planned to propose and asked Joan, “There’s no changing your mind?”

Joan replied, “I love you, but I love you in a different way.”

Joan Feels Like a ‘Different Person’ After Hearing the ‘L’ Word

After what Chock deemed a “perfect” day with Joan and her family, the couple embarked on their last date before engagement day.

They popped champagne and Chock told Joan he hoped he did a “good job” during her family visit. “You did a great job, actually,” Joan assured.

Chock then gave Joan a gift: a heart keychain.

“This gift is a symbol of my commitment to you and I would for us to have a place in New York City,” he said. “And I want us to do it together and to pick it out and make all the decisions together.”

“I literally can’t believe this,” Joan responded.

Chock continued to explain his hopes for his future with Joan. “I want to marry you and I want to spend my life with you and I want you to know that,” he said. “I do love you.”

Joan told the cameras that that marked the first time someone said “I love you” to her since her husband died. However, she didn’t want to say “I love you” back to Chock because she promised herself she wouldn’t say that to anyone until the end of the process.

Still, “I feel like a different person,” Joan told the cameras. “I feel like I deserve love.”