When 61-year-old Golden Bachelor alum Joan Vassos embarked on her Golden Bachelorette journey, she wasn’t even sure she’d get engaged at the end. The mother and grandmother loved living close to her family in Maryland, had no plans to relocate, and didn’t expect a man to move for her either. She was open to leaving the show in a committed, long-distance relationship that involved lots of travel, but then she met Chock Chapple, and everything changed.
Vassos and her 60-year-old Golden Bachelorette winner from Kansas not only got engaged at the end of the show’s debut season, but after a trip to Disneyland with the family, they also have plans to move to New York to start the next chapter of their life. While the next year will involve getting to know each other better, blending their families, and visiting each other in their respective home states as they plan their next steps, the two do intend to get married after they find time to plan the wedding. And for those wondering, yes, the ceremony could be televised for all of Bachelor Nation to watch.
“I think that we are slowly coming to the thought that maybe we would do a televised one,” Vassos told Decider over Zoom. “I think our original discussions were something small, just friends and family… But certainly, if it’s a televised wedding, I would think that Bachelor Nation would love to see some of their old [Golden Bachelorette] favorites be part of it.”
In addition to wedding plans, Vassos and Chapple caught up with Decider about everything from their favorite Happy Couple dates and the important role their moms (and Joan’s mother-in-law) played in their love story to Joan’s celebrity crushes Rob Lowe and Kevin Costner, thoughts on a Golden Bachelor in Paradise, Charles L. as potential Golden Bachelor lead, and more.
DECIDER: Congrats on your engagement and such a great season. I want to jump right into wedding talk. Are you open to a televised ceremony like ABC did for The Golden Bachelor? And Gerry famously had Susan Noles officiate his wedding, so would you consider including any of your Golden Bachelorette friends in your big day? Jack could cater. Jonathan could read a poem. Gary could write a prayer.
JOAN VASSOS: [Laughs] You’re hired! You’re our wedding planner. I’m done. Take it over, please. But yeah, I think that we are slowly coming to the thought that maybe we would do a televised one. I think our original discussions were something small, just friends and family. And we’re still a little bit away from this, we’re ready to just enjoy being a couple out in public and living like normal people. A wedding takes a lot of planning, so I’m not sure if I’m dying to start that yet. Maybe after the holidays I’ll start thinking about it. It’s a lot to do. But now that have a wedding planner here in you, I think I’m less stressed about it. [Laughs] But certainly — these people are part of our journey. And if it’s a televised wedding, I would think that Bachelor Nation would love to see some of their old favorites be part of it. And they’re our friends, so it sounds logical. Jack is now hired!
CHOCK CHAPPLE: I only have two questions. When? And am I in a suit or a tux? That’s all I need to know. [Laughs]
VASSOS: Yeah, tell him where to be and what time to get there.
After filming you had to go into hiding for a few months. Did you use aliases in your phones for each other’s contacts to avoid spoiling the show?
CHAPPLE: Yes. I’m Kevin Costner. [Laughs]
VASSOS: In my phone, he’s Kevin C — Kevin Costner. [Laughs]
CHAPPLE: And she’s Katie Vanter. I don’t know where that came from, but it’s actually smart.
Oh I love that. Joan, you and I previously chatted about your love of Kevin Costner and Yellowstone, so maybe watching that show together can be a fun weekly date night.
VASSOS: I know! I love him. He’s not on this season though, so I’m sorry, Kevin Costner. You’re done. And today I’m gonna change his name to a normal name in my phone because he’s still Kevin in my phone. [Laughs]
Speaking of celebrity crushes, I know you’re very happy with Chock, but I did see your St. Elmo’s Fire crush Rob Lowe posted an Instagram acknowledging you and your feelings for him. What was your reaction to that? And Chock, how are you doing? Because I know she said she’d trade her winner for Rob “in one second.”
CHAPPLE: [Laughs] Oh I’m great. He’s a good looking guy. Famous. Funny. Interesting.
VASSOS: And happily married, also.
CHAPPLE: Yes, happily married. But after the Jimmy Kimmel episode came out, a friend of mine sent me a snippet of it and I called Joan right away and I said, “Come on, give me a break!” [Laughs]
We had a front-row seat to so much of your love story, but we didn’t get a glimpse at your Happy Couple visits, which were also crucial to your relationship. Is there a standout date night or memory during that period you can share with Bachelor Nation?
CHAPPLE: We had relaxing times. We did crosswords. We did puzzles. We had a couple members of the production team over for dinner, which was probably one of the more enjoyable things. I think it was our first Happy Couple and we cooked a big meal for everyone and we were just a great tandem. It was really fun.
VASSOS: Yeah, I remember my my favorite day and it introduced me to the person that Chock really was. I had to go to the stylist place to do a long day of fittings for a bunch of things I needed outfits for, and I came home I was tired and the pulled into the driveway, and I walked up, and when the car pulled out he came out of the house and had a glass of wine for me. And I came inside and he had dinner made. I was like, “OK, I’m marrying this man. Definitely.”
Oh we love to hear it. In addition to Chock, there were so many wonderful men on The Golden Bachelorette, but during the Men Tell All we saw some real interest in National Treasure Charles L. being named the next Golden Bachelor lead. How would you feel about that?
VASSOS: Well, he’s gonna be busy, because Chalk has now nominated him for a presidential candidacy in 2028. [Laughs]
CHAPPLE: In 2028, Charles is gonna be the man.
VASSOS: As far as The Golden Bachelor, he is such a unique human being. None of us have seen this kind of person, such an innocent adult. And I think that maybe the nation needs that right now. We need that pure love and that purity of him. There’s no meanness. There’s no evil in the man. And that’s hard to find in a grown adult. So he as well so many other men from this season, could be an amazing Golden Bachelor.
Joan, you and I also talked about your support of a potential Golden Bachelor in Paradise, but since then, it feels like so many of the Golden Guys and Golden Gals have organically met. Has anyone in particular hit it off in your opinion?
VASSOS: So I’ve set up a couple of them before the season ended as the guys left the mansion. I made a couple love connections that are in the works right now. But I’ll tell you — what hasn’t really surprised me, but has happened very quickly, was a lot of the men from the show have entered into relationships really quickly, which shows you the power of the show. They hadn’t been in relationships up until this point. Some of them have been single for a really long time. And after being on the show and having these interactions with other men in what they called their “free therapy sessions” every day, they came out ready for love.
I think like at least five of them have girlfriends and are matched up, so I think the pool of people ready to go on a Golden Bachelor in Paradise season may be smaller than what we were thinking. I don’t know if all these relationships will work out, if these are just new romances and may fizzle out. But right now, if you were going to have a Paradise soon, I think we might have a hard time finding enough participants.
Before we go, Chock, this season we sadly saw your mom pass away. I’m so sorry for your loss. It was so touching, Joan, that you got to be there to help him through that, and also that you also had your 92-year-old mom cheering you.
VASSOS: I am so lucky. I have my 92-year-old mother and also my 85-year-old mother-in-law. So I have these two mother figures that are so strong, and their opinions matter so much to me. I feel like I’m a little on the older side, and people think I’m wise, but they are wise beyond my years times a million. I’m so lucky that I still get to have my best friend and my greatest supporter and also my mentor still alive, and that she got to meet this new man in my life. And she loves him.
CHAPPLE: We get along great. The only thing that could have made yesterday better for me was if my mother would have been in the room. But she had a strong fight, a long fight with Stage 4 cancer. And she gave it a hell of a run.
VASSOS: I wish that I got to meet her.
I’m sure she’s looking down along with John and Kathy, and they’re all happy for you.
The Golden Bachelorette is now streaming on Hulu, and you can read Decider’s finale recap here.
