Jef Holm was selected by The Bachelorette star Emily Maynard star as her final suitor and he proposed to her during Sunday night's eighth-season finale of the ABC reality dating show.
 
Emily selected Jef, a 27-year-old entrepreneur from Salt Lake City, UT, over Arie Luyendyk Jr., a 30-year-old race car driver from Scottsdale, AZ, during the finale and now says she's madly in love and has truly found her fairy tale ending. The pair is finally allowed to step out together in public and get on with their lives together as an engaged couple and parents to Emily's seven-year-old daughter Ricki. 

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During a Tuesday conference call with reporters, Emily and Jef talked to Reality TV World about some pressing rumors that have recently been swirling around around Emily and the couple, officially setting the record straight. To read what they had to say, click here.

Below are some additional highlight's from ABC's transcript of the rest of Emily and Jef's call -- including when Emily first met Jef's mom, whether The Bachelorette star has any interest in pursuing a TV hosting or reporting career, what the couple had to say about the possibility of airing their wedding on television down the road, and why Jef wasn't too thrilled about Arie leaving his journal in Charlotte for Emily to read.

So, I was wondering how you kept Ricki from spilling the big news to everybody, and does she know that you guys are engaged?

Emily Maynard: She doesn't know we're engaged yet.  It just happened just like we got engaged again since everybody just now found out, but I told her that it was a big surprise and that it was like a surprise party and that we don't want to ruin it for everybody, so she's a pretty good secret-keeper, I found out.

Since you both didn't get to spend the night together in the overnight suite, we were just wondering if you've gotten the chance to spend some intimate, private time together since the show has ended and how that's gone.

Emily Maynard: Well, I mean, we didn't spend the night together on the show, but we have weekends where we get to spend the whole weekend together, and we're engaged.  So, yeah, thanks.

I just wanted to know what the biggest surprises are you've learned about each other since the show's ended and you've got to spend this extra time together off camera.

Emily Maynard: I am really surprised.  Jef has a lot of really great friends that he's really close with that I didn't get to meet.  I met two of his friends at his hometown, and they're wonderful and they really accepted me, and I didn't know that about him before.

Jef Holm:  I guess mine would be that she just continues to surprise me with how good of a mom she is and now nice she is to everyone.  It wasn't really much of a surprise, but it's just shocking with how patient she is with everything.

Emily, have you had the chance to meet Jef's parents yet, and if so, Jef, how has your family been in receiving Emily?

Emily Maynard: I got to meet Jef's mom the other night, the night after [the After the Final Rose special].  It was a surprise for me.  I didn't even know she was going to be there, but she was so sweet, I mean, just amazing and couldn't have been nicer. And I got to talk to his dad on the phone and he was the same, just could not be nicer, more down to Earth.

Jef Holm:  And my family is, as Emily knows, very close, and they are absolutely in love with Emily.  They are crazy about her and they're so happy for the both of us and they're looking forward to -- my dad's looking forward to meeting Emily and Ricki, and the rest of the family's looking forward to meeting Ricki and having them join the family.  They're very excited.

What are your plans for the future as a couple, as a family and in terms of wedding plans and bringing your lives together?  And, Emily, are you interested in pursuing a career in television, whether it's reporting or hosting?

Emily Maynard: Well, first of all, Jef is going to move to Charlotte and we're just going to -- he's going to get an apartment there and kind of see where things go and just kind of live our life everyday, and he's going to kind of join in Ricki and I's schedule and figure things out. 

And obviously I am a girl, so I've been looking at wedding magazines and all that, but nothing's set in stone.  And, no, I have no interest in pursuing any kind of broadcasting career or anything in TV.  I think being the Bachelorette was a good enough experience and I'll leave on a good note.

Emily, did you feel at all that Arie might be insulted that you didn't read his journal after he traveled all the way to Charlotte?  And Jef, was it important to you that she didn't read it out of respect for your new relationship?

Emily Maynard: Well, I was really surprised that Arie came all the way to Charlotte, and I think it says a lot about who he is and how open he was to this whole experience, and I'm very grateful for that.

But I have a journal and I know I wouldn't want anyone to read it unless they shared the same feelings for me that I have for them, and I think that later on down the road, he'll be able to see that even if he can't right now. But I think he does.  And just out of respect for Jef, I didn't think that that was a good idea either, just because I don't think anything good can come of that.

Jef Holm:  And I feel the same way.  Just when I found out that Arie left his journal there -- I've always felt secure in what Emily and I have, and so I gave her the option.  I mean, I said, "It's okay with me if you want to read it [but] I'd rather you not, just because it's not really going to help us.  It's not going to do any good for you to read it and know all those things that are in there."  So, I guess I wasn't too for it.

Just going a little bit more into the journal discussion, Jef, what exactly did you say to Arie when you talked to him on the phone? And Emily, did you know everything they had talked about in that conversation?  Did you know what was said to each other exactly?

Jef Holm:  Well, Arie and I, we've talked a few times since the show ended and we've just called each other randomly to see how the other person is doing.  And I thought he knew at first. 

I thought he knew that Emily and I were engaged, and so when I found out he showed up in Charlotte and left his journal, it was a shock to me because I thought he knew we were engaged and he went behind my back and did that kind of thing. But then I found out it wasn't communicated to him that we were engaged, and so he didn't know and he dropped off his journal. 

And after that, we talked a few times and he felt like he just wanted Emily to read those things and maybe see if the door was still open. So he and I had a conversation and I let him know that we were very happy and very much in love, and Emily did the same thing and then it kind of stopped after that.

Emily, obviously some people in the NASCAR world have been following the show, so I'm curious if Jef has gotten to meet Rick Hendrick yet, and how has your relationship been with the Hendricks? Did that relationship change going through the process of the show?

Emily Maynard: The Hendricks are just like my own family.  I love them like my mom and dad and they love me just like a daughter, and I've been very close with them for a lot of years and they've seen me go through ups and downs and they want to meet anybody who makes me happy, and Jef does. 

So, this is our first day even allowed out in public, so -- and we've been in New York doing media all day, so I'm sure that meeting will happen soon.

What's your favorite way to bond as a family with Ricki?

Emily Maynard: She's seven, so she's pretty easy.  We had a weekend where all three of us got to hang out, and they went fishing and...

Jef Holm:  We caught frogs together.

Emily Maynard:  Played soccer.

Jef Holm:  Fed goats, made obstacle courses, things seven-year-olds like to do.

Emily, I know you said you're not interested in a spinoff show, but would you two be open to the idea of having your wedding be televised at all?

Emily Maynard: I mean, I never in a million years thought I'd be the Bachelorette, so if there's one thing I've learned it's to never say never, but I also think a wedding is a private thing and it's one of those things that we just have to talk about when the time came.

Jef Holm:  I feel the exact same way.  I feel like we're really privileged to be able to go through this experience together and have it televised and have all of our memories taped. 

It's really cool -- the first time we met and the proposal and everything -- and so, I think it would be a really sweet thing to let people see it on TV, but at the same time it is a personal and a private matter. So we just -- when the time comes, we'll discuss it and we'll decide.

Jef, you were pretty open on the conference call a few weeks ago that you come from a Mormon background, but on the show they kind of hid that a little bit.  I mean, do you understand why that wasn't revealed?  It just seems like it's a big part of your life and your family.  What are your thoughts on that?

Jef Holm:  There was no intention of hiding any part of my background or any part of the way I was raised or religious beliefs or anything like that. 

My family's very private, and what my parents are doing right now is private to the family, and I didn't really want to create any media attention to what they were doing so that they could focus on what they're doing. And so that's why it was never -- Emily and I discussed things off camera, but I didn't really want to bring any attention to that.

So you both intentionally didn't talk about Mormonism when the cameras were there?

Emily Maynard: Well, no.  I mean, we talked about everything.  We never even worried about if the cameras were there or not.  I've watched The Bachelor and The Bachelorette for years, and I've never seen them discuss religion or anything like that.

My faith is very important to me as well, and I had that exact same conversation with a lot of the guys, and those weren't aired either.  So, I mean, it's The Bachelor.  It's supposed to be about light stuff and fun and things like that, and it would be impossible to show every single conversation we ever had.

Emily, I just wanted to ask you, because obviously Ricki only met Jef, which makes sense, but was there ever a time when you thought about introducing her to Arie?

Emily Maynard: Coming into the total experience, I didn't know if I was going to introduce her to anybody, but as time went on, I realized I felt so strongly for Jef.  I knew that I wasn't going to introduce her to two people.  It was either introduce her to one person or no one, so [that's] the way things went.

So you kind of decided you were going to pick Jef before you introduced him to her then?

Emily Maynard: Well, I felt really confident in what Jef and I have, and I'd fallen in love at that point. And then after seeing him and Ricki together, I just knew that I was done.

Emily, for those of us who knew Ricky, we kind of remember him as a free spirit kind of guy who sort of beat to his own drummer, and I'm curious if Jef kind of has some of the same -- I want to say qualities or personality traits that you saw in Ricky.

Emily Maynard: Absolutely.  I mean, I think I've always been attracted to that type of guy, and Ricky was absolutely one of a kind and so is Jef.  He is one of a kind, too, so in that aspect they have a lot in common.

To follow up on the earlier question, Jef, there's been talk on various sites that you dubbed in different dialogue that said your parents were away doing charity work instead of on a mission.  Did that happen, and if so, who decided to do that?

Jef Holm:  I have no idea.

So you guys said that during the time The Bachelorette was airing on TV, you guys were going off on these secret getaways.  I'm just curious where you guys went.

Emily Maynard: We went all over the place.  For the most part, we were in California.  We were in New York.  For the most part, they were in different parts of California.

It's crazy that you guys were able to stay away and not have your photo taken together or anything.  Was that sort of nerve-wracking having that on your mind?  I know you said you felt like you were FBI agents.

Jef Holm:  It was nerve-wracking sometimes.  I mean, we were just trying to keep it a secret because it's fun to let everybody watch, your family, your friends, and everybody, so it was fun for us.

I know that last night on Jimmy Kimmel, Jef, you said, "Maybe" when Kimmel asked you if Arie would be in your wedding party.  Emily, would that be awkward for you?

Emily Maynard: No.  I was just kidding.  I think Arie's great, and I was on the show as a girl -- 1 of 30 -- so I know how you bond with the other people that are going through the experience with you, and I think Arie's great, so I wouldn't have any problems with that.

Jef, you'll be moving to Charlotte to get closer to Emily and Ricki by having your own place and everything, but could you tell us how you guys will be merging your schedules together, how you'll be pursuing a dating life and engagement post the show and post cameras?

Jef Holm:  I'm really excited about it, because so far, we've just been talking on the phone and Skyping and seeing each other, obviously, during these weekend getaways. And so we're going to be continuing our relationship as an engaged couple in what I think will be a normal, ordinary way, because we'll be face to face. 

We'll be in the same city.  We'll be able to go out on dates.  I'll be able to take Ricki to soccer practice and swimming lessons and whatever she has going on and be an intricate part in her life and Emily's too.  We'll be close together and be able to plan a wedding face to face, and it will be really fun.

Emily, now that your season's done, is there anybody that you two have in mind that would be a good candidate for the next Bachelor from your season?

Emily Maynard: I mean, I think I had the best group of guys in the history of the show.  I think that a lot of the guys from my season would be great.  I think that [Sean Lowe] would be great.  I think Arie would be great.  I also think somebody new would be fun too, so there's lots of options.

What is it about Sean that would make for a good Bachelor?

Emily Maynard: I mean, why wouldn't he make a good Bachelor?  He's so sweet and just his heart's in the right place and he really does want to find somebody.

Would it be hard for you guys to watch Arie as the Bachelor if Arie ever became the star of the show?

Emily Maynard: It wouldn't be hard for me at all.  I think Arie is so funny, and I think it would be entertaining just as a viewer of the show.

Jef Holm:  I would love it.

If it came down to Sean or Arie, who do you think would be the more interesting Bachelor to watch and why?

Emily Maynard: I mean, I got to know them both very well and so did Jef just living with them, and I think they both would be so much fun to watch in different ways.  They're both very different from each other, but it's like, you can't go wrong.

Jef Holm:  It's a tossup.  I don't know if I could choose, because they're so different.

Ricki was so well-behaved on the show.  I just wanted to see how she is adjusting to Jef being a part of her life.

Emily Maynard: Well, thank you.  It hasn't been that long ago since we left Curacao, so I've been easing her into everything very slowly, and right now -- just for secret's sake -- she knew that Jef was our friend and lots of fun and all of that, because I didn't want her running around telling everybody.

But now that the secret's out, we can get back to our normal schedule.  I am excited about spending more time with the three of us.

Have you talked about what kind of wedding you'd like, what your kind of dream wedding style would be like -- a big wedding, a backyard wedding, an island wedding, things like that?

Emily Maynard: I mean, I'm a girl, so I've been planning it since I was six.  I'm not a huge wedding type of girl.  I would be happy just with a backyard, low-key, casual wedding, everybody wears jeans, whatever.  I don't even care.  To me it's not about the wedding and the flowers and all that.  It's more about the person I love and family and just celebrating that.

Jef Holm:  I just say yes to what she wants to plan.  I think the same thing.  I want our family to be really close, just like my family has been growing up and hers has been, and that's the most important thing, our families being together and our friends, and whatever we decide to do will be magical.  I promise you that.

I know you guys were talking about going to Africa.  Could you go into a little bit more detail about what you guys are going to do there, and is Ricki going to go with you guys as well?

Jef Holm:  Ricki is not coming with us.  Basically what we're going to do is one of the first conversations that Emily and I ever had was after the whole Bachelorette thing. She wanted to get away and maybe do some humanitarian work in Africa or go just to kind of unwind and get away from everything. 

And it just so happened that my company, People Water, what we do is sell bottled water and build wells all over the world, and so our next project was already scheduled to be in Africa.  And so I thought it was cool that since this whole thing is over and Emily and I are engaged, I thought it would be fun for her to come and help out and get involved.

And it was cool, because right when she found out she was coming with us, she went out and got tons of toys and games for all the kids in the villages that we'll be visiting, and so she's awesome.  She's just jumping in and wants to help as many people as she can.

Emily, I'm wondering if you have a vision for your wedding dress yet or if there is a specific designer you're interested in working with.

Emily Maynard: Honestly, I don't even -- I mean, I care what it looks like, but I just feel like it's one of those things that when you put it on, you know, and I haven't started that yet. But I know as soon as I put on the dress that's meant for me, I'll know it.

Jef, did your parents watch the show although they were away on a mission?

Jef Holm:  Yeah, they did.  They watched every episode and they would call me with insights right afterwards.  They loved it.

Jef, I wanted to ask you about the proposal, because it was obviously a beautiful speech.  I mean, was it sort of improvised or did you think about it a lot beforehand?  How did you come up with it?

Jef Holm:  Some of it was premeditated because I knew in Curacao that I wanted to propose to her, and so I began working on what I was going to say, and I wanted to make sure it was special and meaningful and incorporated things that I knew about her and had learned about her and experiences that we went through throughout our journey. 

And so, some of it was just random and on the spot but most of it was premeditated.  I stayed up the entire night before practicing, scared to death.

Emily, you said that you weren't sure if you wanted to get engaged, so what was it that changed your mind?

Emily Maynard: Well, obviously I didn't come onto The Bachelorette looking for a boyfriend.  That would be a waste of time, I think, but I also didn't want to be the girl that gets engaged 15 times, two of them being on TV, before she gets married.

And it wasn't until I really got to know Jef and fell in love with him and saw him with my daughter and the proposal speech didn't hurt, either.  It was some of the nicest things somebody's ever said to me, and I knew in my heart that I had all the confidence in the world.

Jef, you had mentioned how your parents had watched the show episode by episode, and Emily, I know you're going to tell Ricki eventually that you're engaged, but how are you going to explain being on The Bachelorette. Would you ever allow her to watch it when she gets older and how do you envision that conversation going down?

Emily Maynard: It won't go down until she is way older, like 30, maybe.  No, I really am proud of the way I handled myself on The Bachelorette, and I'd be proud to show her when she's older and it's appropriate, because I think that even the mistakes I made, I learned from them and I don't expect perfection from her.  So I think it'll be good for her to see me make mistakes and fall and pick myself back up and keep on trying.

Above are some additional highlight's from ABC's transcript of the rest of Emily and Jef's call. To read what the happy couple had to say to Reality TV World, click here.


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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