Jake Pavelka promised to follow his heart, and in the end he did just that in proposing to Vienna Girardi on Monday night's Bachelor finale.
While the Florida native wasn't a favorite in the house, Pavelka, 32, said his opinion is the only one that matters.
"People don't understand why Vienna and are together, and that's OK," the commercial pilot explained on the After the Final Rose special. "I do - and that's the important thing."
Before he could pop the question, Pavelka had to say goodbye to Tenley Molzahn. Their final date was filled with tension after he tried to discuss why their "physical" connection didn't feel right. As much as it hurt to let Molzahn go, Pavelka said it was "amazing" to finally share his feelings with Girardi, 23.
"It was great to finally say, 'I love you,' and get it out there," he said.
The couple said they plan to move in together and reside in Pavelka's hometown of Dallas, with plans to tie the knot sooner than later.
"We've talked about getting married, but we haven't set a date just yet," said Pavelka.
"We're finally able to go out in the real world," added Girardi. "It's going to be nice!"
