Ashley & Jared’s Engagement On ‘Bachelor In Paradise’ Was Honestly So Perfect
The moment Bachelor Nation has built up all summer has finally come and gone. Bachelor in Paradise has aired the engagement of its most popular past contestants, Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon. Although they never officially dated while on the show, Ashley and Jared almost seem like the most realistic Paradise couple because their relationship grew over time, and good things definitely come to those who wait. No matter how fans feel about them, the two's special moment spiked major interest among fans and the cast. Ashley and Jared's engagement was a perfect paradise moment.
Although viewers have known about Jared proposing to Ashley on the Mexican beach seemingly since he slipped the ring onto her finger, the two initially arrived in Paradise under the guise of deciding which couple within the current cast deserved a date. After Chris Harrison introduced Jared and Ashley to the group, he sent them down to the shore and then let the contestants in on Jared's big secret. Cue the sweeping Paradise orchestral music!
Alone together on the beach, Jared took on a sentimental note, talking about how he met Ashley on this very same sand three years prior. Ashley set her sights on the Bachelorette Season 11 alum the moment he arrived on Season 2 of Paradise, and after Jared danced around forming an official relationship with her that season, another contestant came between them the following Paradise season. Ashley's short-lived relationship with Kevin Wendt on Bachelor Winter Games earlier this year also seemed to cause some tension in her friendship with Jared.
Of course, in the moment of the proposal, it was time to let bygones be bygones. After Ashley and Jared marked the nostalgia of the location, viewers were treated to a sweet montage of the two's tumultuous Paradise journey. They may have been the stuff of jokes back then, but Jared's proposal proved they've grown since then.
Praising Ashley for always supporting him, Jared said in between kisses that he didn't want to live another day without expressing how much she meant to him. He asked the big question, and Ashley said yes, creating a picture-perfect Paradise moment. Pop some bottles, because these two crazy kids are officially engaged! We can officially deem any of their Paradise traumas as irrelevant.
When the two first announced their relationship in May, the quick origins of the couple's relationship initially stirred some suspicions about their intentions. Thanks to a 45-minute episode of Ashley's web series The Story of Us in which Ashley and Jared explained (quite adorably) how they got together, the more skeptical hearts of Bachelor Nation seemed to crack. Now after watching Jared's heartfelt proposal on this week of Paradise, any cynics remaining were definitely outnumbered by those who loved the romantic moment.
As Jared carried Ashley off into the (metaphorical) sunset, Ashley advised viewers to never settle for anyone less than "their Jared." We may not all be blessed with a husband via Paradise, but I'll definitely keep her advice in mind. Next stop: keeping an eye out for news of a televised wedding. Congratulations, Ashley and Jared!
Bachelor in Paradise continues on Tuesday, Sept. 4, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
