Former ‘Bachelor,’ 48, Announces Engagement

Former BachelorJake Pavelka is engaged!

The pilot-turned-entrepreneur, 48, announced his engagement to his girlfriend of two years, Aimee, 41, on Saturday, Feb. 14.

In an interview with People, the former reality star shared he and Aimee, who works in aerospace and defense contracts, got engaged on Nov. 22, 2025.

At first, Pavelka went back-and-forth about whether to do something “really big and extravagant” or “simple and intimate.” Ultimately, he decided on the latter — popping the question at home following dinner at a restaurant near their Dallas apartment.

“We went and had a great dinner and laughed and had champagne,” Pavelka recalled. “Then we took an Uber back to our apartment. I had rose petals on the ground and a table set up with candles. We walked in the apartment and she was like, ‘What’s going on here? Did somebody break into our apartment?’ She was looking at a table trying to figure out how a candle got lit.”

“When she turned around, I was down on one knee with a really pretty ring, and I asked her to marry me,” he continued. “She kind of gasped and then muttered yes. It was sweet and intimate. I definitely made the right choice keeping it private. It was a really special moment.”

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Although the proposal went perfectly, Pavelka couldn’t help but stress in the moments leading up to it.

“We live in a high-rise in Dallas, so on the way to dinner, I walked Aimee to the elevator and then I said, ‘Oh, my gosh, I forgot something. I got to run back to the apartment real quick,'” he explained. “I frantically ripped a bag of rose petals open, I pulled the table away from the wall and set a battery-operated candle on there. I sprinkled the roses everywhere and decorated real quick, got back to the elevator and she was like, ‘What did you forget?’ I was like, ‘I needed to get a drink of water.’ I couldn’t even think of a good lie.”

Aimee, however, noted the proposal “would’ve been perfect” even if it was “just him asking.”

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The couple first met after matching on the dating app Bumble in January 2024.

“I was on a layover in Santa Barbara with the airline, and we matched up,” Pavelka said. “She was living in Los Angeles. I was very, very intrigued, I’ll tell you that.”

A week or two later, the two decided to meet at a restaurant in Las Vegas for their first date, where Pavelka recalls having “sushi for about six hours.”

Pavelka first joined the Bachelor universe when he appeared as a contestant on Jillian Harris‘ season of The Bachelorettein 2009. The next year, he starred in the 14th season of The Bachelor, which ended with him proposing to Vienna Girardi.

Pavelka and Girardi split three months after their finale aired in March 2010, with the two later appearing together on season 2 of Bachelor Pad in 2011. Pavelka also participated in season 10 of Dancing With The Stars in 2010, placing 7th.

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