This article was originally published on Crafting Your Home. A human contributor also wrote and edited the post.
Bachelor Nation has a brand new engagement to obsess over, and this one comes with a whole lot of dogs, Italy, and pure joy.
Jason Tartick is officially off the market after popping the question to girlfriend Kathryn Hurley, and the internet has thoughts, most of them involving heart eyes and exclamation points.
The former Bachelorette star announced the happy news himself, and honestly, the whole thing reads like a rom-com nobody saw coming this fast.
Tartick shared the announcement on Instagram Monday, July 13, posting a carousel of dreamy photos capturing the exact moment he got down on one knee.
The setting looked like something straight out of a travel influencer’s fantasy, with water and mountains framing the background as Hurley reacted with what can only be described as total shock.
He kept the caption short and sweet, simply writing, “Right where we belong 💍.” Hurley matched his energy on her own Instagram Story, adding “Keeping him forever 💍” for good measure.
A Proposal Kept Secret in Lake Como
Here is where the story gets even more romantic, because this was not some spur-of-the-moment public spectacle.
According to TMZ, Tartick actually popped the question about a month before the announcement, outside the Grand Hotel Victoria in Lake Como, Italy, and the couple intentionally kept the moment private between just the two of them.
After Hurley said yes, they celebrated with a romantic boat ride before eventually FaceTiming their families and closest friends to share the news, which honestly sounds like the dreamiest way to keep a secret that big for that long.
The pair had actually been overseas for a good chunk of the summer, with social media showing stops in Croatia, Italy, and France along the way.
Part of that European itinerary reportedly included attending fellow Bachelor Nation alum Blake Horstmann’s wedding in Croatia in June, which may have been the perfect excuse to sneak off to Lake Como for something a little more personal.
Hurley even got reflective about the trip in an Instagram post from June 17, writing that she had been scribbling little notes and saving mementos along the way, trying to etch every moment of the vacation into her memory forever.
She did not stop there either, gushing about how special the experience felt with Tartick by her side. “It’s not lost on me that this is a once in a lifetime experience, but sharing it with the person who makes our existence brighter, lighter, and oh so funny, well I just don’t know how it could get any better,” she wrote at the time.
She even joked that she would “either explode from happiness or pasta,” which, honestly, is relatable because Italy will do that to a person.
From Dog Rescue to Diamond Ring
Every great love story needs an origin, and this one starts with a golden retriever named Teddy. Tartick adopted Teddy from Wags & Walks Nashville back in March 2025, and that is exactly where he crossed paths with Hurley, who founded the organization’s Nashville branch and serves as its executive director.
At the time, Tartick reportedly joked that whoever he ended up dating would need to love dogs, and it turns out Hurley checked every single box on that list and then some.
The two quietly began dating in late 2025, with Us Weekly confirming the relationship that November before things went fully public a month later.
Tartick made their romance Instagram official in December with a heartfelt birthday tribute that fans immediately fell in love with.
“From the dogs you save every day to the people whose lives you change, you make everything around you more beautiful. Happy Birthday, Kathryn!” he wrote at the time, and honestly, if that is not relationship goals, then nothing is.
From there, the couple wasted absolutely no time building a life together. They have documented milestones ranging from red carpet appearances to Super Bowl weekend, and they reportedly purchased what Tartick has called their “dream home” together in Nashville.
For two people who started out bonding over a rescue dog, the pace at which their relationship has grown has clearly been intentional rather than rushed, even if it looks lightning fast from the outside.
This engagement also marks a meaningful new chapter for Tartick, whose last high-profile relationship played out very publicly.
He was previously engaged to fellow Bachelorette alum Kaitlyn Bristowe, and the two dated for roughly 4 years before announcing their split in August 2023.
Tartick has been open in the past about wanting to eventually settle down and start a family, once sharing that he felt confident he had found the right partner and would “give it all up right now” for the life he wanted. It seems Hurley turned out to be exactly the person he was describing.
Bachelor Nation Celebrates Their New Chapter
Once the engagement news broke, the comments section on Tartick’s post basically turned into a Bachelor Nation reunion. Blake Horstmann, who appeared alongside Tartick on his original season of The Bachelorette and recently got married himself, revealed he had actually known about the engagement ahead of time.
“Yassss! Congrats you 2!!! Hard secret to keep 😂 love yall!!!” he wrote, proving that keeping a proposal secret for a month is no small feat even among close friends.
Former Bachelor alum Molly Mesnick also chimed in with plenty of enthusiasm, writing a comment that fans quickly latched onto. “If there was a rightest of the most right things… this is it.
You two are SO RIGHT for each other! Congrats!!!” she shared, capturing exactly the kind of energy fans have been feeling about this couple since they went public.
Between the well wishes from Bachelor Nation alumni and the flood of support from everyday followers, it is safe to say Tartick and Hurley’s engagement landed as one of the most celebrated announcements of the summer.
As for what comes next, there is no word yet on wedding planning, and that is probably by design. Given how private the couple kept their actual proposal, it would not be surprising if they took their time enjoying the engagement before diving into any big-day details.
For now, fans are simply thrilled to watch two people who found each other through a shared love of rescue dogs build something that looks like it is built to last.
Tartick’s journey through Bachelor Nation has taken him through a very public breakup and plenty of scrutiny along the way, but this chapter feels different and noticeably quieter in the best way.
Hurley’s own social media presence throughout their relationship has leaned reflective and grounded rather than performative, which seems to match the intimate way their engagement actually unfolded overseas.
Between the secret proposal, the boat ride celebration, and the flood of love from friends and family, this milestone reads like a couple who genuinely built their foundation before ever going public with a ring.
Congratulations are clearly in order for Jason Tartick and Kathryn Hurley, who proved that sometimes the best love stories start with a good dog and end up somewhere much bigger.
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