Melissa Rycroft Announces She's Engaged to Tye Strickland

June 30, 2009 — -- "Good Morning America" special contributor Melissa Rycroft, who famously had her heart broken on "The Bachelor," has found her happily ever after. And, instead of a rose, this time it was a ring.

Rycroft, 26, announced live on "GMA" today that she and boyfriend Tye Strickland became engaged this weekend in Texas.

"Sometimes, the stars align," the "Dancing With the Stars" alum told "GMA" anchors Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts," "and the clouds part and everything works out the way it should."

The engagement took place in private, she said, and then "we went and met up with our parents and friends."

The couple met three years ago at a mutual friend's party and had dated on and off before reconnecting after Rycroft's appearance on "The Bachelor."

In March, "The Bachelor" Jason Mesnick stunned viewers when he ended his relationship with Rycroft and rekindling his relationship with the first runner-up on the show.

Mesnick proposed to Rycroft during the finale of the reality love competition. During a reunion special that followed the finale, Mesnick initially sang the praises of Rycroft, a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.

"She is incredible, sweet, beautiful and everybody's been watching and I lived it," a somber Mesnick said in an audienceless studio surrounded by candles. But, he said, "Since this all ended, things have been different."

Then, he told Rycroft that his heart truly belonged to department store buyer and runner-up Molly Malaney and that he was ending their courtship.

Rycroft bounced back and went on to appear on "Dancing With the Stars," where she finished third.