'More to Love' bachelor Luke Conley proposes to Tali and she accepts

Luke Conley proposed marriage to Tali -- and she accepted -- during More to Love's finale broadcast last night on Fox.


Luke, a 26-year-old subcontractor and real estate investor from Santa Maria, CA, selected Tali, a 26-year-old artist and motivational speaker from Israel who currently resides in New York, NY, at The Bachelor-esque reality dating show's final elimination ceremony.

"You are such a beautiful, curvy woman.  The more time we spent with each other, it's become clear that we are from two different worlds, and if we were to get together we're going to have obstacles to overcome.  In the beginning I made a promise to love you for who you are.  And I do.  I love you with all my heart, and you have honored your promise to me to love me for who I am, as I am.  You make me a better man.  There's something I want to ask you," said Luke before getting on bended knee.

"I want you to be my wife.  Will you marry me?"

"Yes," replied Tali before the two kissed.


"I love you," said Tali.

"I love you too," replied Luke.

Prior to proposing to Tali, Luke rejected Malissa, a 26-year-old waitress from Los Angeles, CA.

"He was everything I was looking for -- his personality, the way he handles himself, his career, his family values -- just everything," opined Malissa after her ouster.

"Everything just felt so right and it wasn't.  What makes her better than me?  What's missing?... I didn't expect to fall for somebody, to love somebody.  I didn't expect it.  I didn't expect to find it here.  But I did, and I was wrong."


More to Love's finale broadcast began with Malissa and Tali visiting Luke's hometown and separately meeting his family members.  Since his parents divorced when he was a kid, Malissa and Tali first met with Luke's dad Mike, his brother Michael and grandmother.

Following a quick picnic, Tali met Luke's kin -- and he was concerned with the fact that his family consists of devout Christians while she's Jewish.

"I am a little bit worried about the questions I'm going to be asked," opined Tali.  "But I know that I don't think religion should be in the way."

While Mike thought Tali made a good first impression, religion quickly became a topic of the conversation as they ate dessert -- specifically asking what faith they would raise their kids if they did eventually have children.

"It's not something that would stop me from wanting to continue forward with Tali," Luke told his dad, attempting to direct conversation.


"Being Jewish and being Christian, there's going to be some hurtles to jump," said Mike.

"I think it's going to make us stronger," replied Tali.

The next day, Malissa met Mike, Michael and grandma after she shot some pool with Luke.  Without the hurtle of religion in the way, Mike was much more impressed with Malissa.

"I absolutely love Malissa.  Malissa fits perfectly in our family," said Mike after dinner.  "It's just a piece of the puzzle that's been missing.  I feel that she's a perfect match for Luke."

Luke and his dad then discussed the impending decision, and Mike expressed his preference for Malissa.


"Just in a few short minutes, it's like I've known her my whole life.  I didn't get that at all with Tali," said Mike.

Luke said it took him a while to get to know Tali, and he found it to be a "very endearing quality."

"Whoever you decide is going to be the one for you in your life, it needs to be someone like Malissa," Mike told his son.  "It's just something I want you to think about."

Luke knew the decision was his alone to make.

"I have to decide for myself what I'm going to do," he said.  "I appreciate my family's input, but ultimately I have to make my own decision because I'm the one that will live with the decision every day."


The next day, Luke's mom Faith paid Tali and Malissa a surprise visit at the house they were staying.

"The first thing that came in my mind was, 'Please help me!  Throw me a bone.  Something!'" said Tali.  "Help me out here so I can make a good impression."

After some conversation and coffee with Luke and Faith, mom came away impressed with Tali.

"Tali is very straight.  She has a great presence.  She's beautiful," said Faith.  "Malissa seems like a well-rounded young woman, but thinking about Malissa as a future daughter-in-law at this point to me personally seems extremely premature."

Luke then talked with his mom, and she expressed Tali was her favorite.

"I thought Tali was awesome.  A very balanced young lade," said Faith.  "I think Tali would be a good wife for anyone, and be an asset to Luke."


Luke then accompanied the two remaining bachelorettes on their final one-on-one dates.  Tali went first, as the two enjoyed a romantic dinner.

"I love you," Tali told Luke as the two kissed.

"I love you too," he replied.

"I love you so much," she continued.  "I wanted to wait, but I can't."

With the date in the books, Tali said she felt like she was "on Cloud Nine" and said while she was in love before, "it was never like this."

"Tali and I have shared a very close moment," said Luke. 


"We've showed our true feelings for each other.  The problem is I have another amazing girl who I also have strong feelings for and I'm going out with her next... I love both of these girls, but I really do feel like there is a difference between loving someone and being in love with someone. I'm going to my date with Malissa with an open heart and open mind."

The next day Luke and Malissa met for their final one-on-one date, which was also a romantic dinner.

"I do love you," Malissa told him after they kissed.

"I love you too," he replied.  "You're very special to me."

Having said that he loved both women, decision day finally arrived.  Before making his final selection, Luke picked separate rings for each of the ladies as the girls prepared for the final elimination ceremony.

"I'm just feeling the pressure of having to face this decision head on," said Luke before focusing on his upcoming engagement instead of the girl he'd be rejecting.


"I am a little worried.  It's a big step.  I feel like she's ready for this, but until you get down on that knee and ask the question, you don't know what the answer is."

Malissa arrived first, unaware that she was about to be the final girl eliminated.

"I just want you to know you're a beautiful woman and you have a fun and adventurous side that I adore.  I feel like our lives could be woven together so easily.  I do love you," he told her. 

"But my heart belongs to somebody else.  I want you to know that I never wanted to hurt you.  I feel so fortunate to have met you.  As painful as this is for me, I have to let you go."

"Everything felt so right," said Malissa.  "I just can't believe I was so wrong."

"I understand," replied Luke.


"I think I just want to go now," said Malissa.

Luke walked Malissa out and her tearful limousine ride began.  He then lamented the loss of Malissa and began to wonder if he made the right decision.

"I hope I won't regret the decision that I'm making," he said.

However Luke quickly changed his tune with the thought of proposing to Tali -- who subsequently arrived and accepted his proposal.

"I am the happiest woman on earth right now," said Tali.  "I'm the kind of girl that gave up on love, was always put down for my weight, never heard the word I love you back... I could not ask for a better ending.  Dreams do come true."






About The Author: Christopher Rocchio