'The Bachelor' Shocker: Jake Chooses Vienna in Finale

March 1, 2010— -- "The Bachelor" star Jake Pavelka followed his heart on the show's shocking season finale, giving the final rose and an engagement ring to Vienna Girardi.

"I love you," he said, as he proposed. "Vienna, will you accept this final rose?"

Pavelka, a 32-year-old pilot from Denton, Texas, chose Girardi over fellow finalist Tenley Molzahn.

Molzahn said she was "more than positive" that her new life with Pavelka was about to begin, but he told her that while he loved her, ultimately "something just doesn't feel right." The two embraced and shed tears before Pavelka walked her out.

"You can't force it," he said. "It has to just naturally be there."

During the finale, Pavelka said he could see both Girardi and Molzahn as his future wife and selected engagement rings for each woman.

"You're not supposed to be in love with two women at the same time," he said, citing his emotional connection with Molzahn -- "the girl with the heart of gold" -- and calling the physical chemistry with Girardi "lightning hot."

"I just want to make sure that I can live with the decision I make today," he said after making his decision. "I know in my heart that it's the right one. There's one woman that has my heart a little bit more than the other."

Watch an exclusive interview with Jake and Vienna tomorrow on "Good Morning America" at 7 a.m. ET

Both women professed their love for Pavelka during their final dates and presented him with gifts to signify their feelings.

"I'm head over heels in love," Girardi said. "I know we're going to be together, and we're going to last forever."

"I feel like I've fallen more in love with him," Molzhan said. "Jake is the guy I want to marry."

But during his date with Molzahn, Pavelka said "the physical chemistry is sometimes not as hot as the emotional."

"I'm pretty hurt that Jake doesn't think that we have physical chemistry," Molzahn said.

After she was sent home, she said she thought Pavelka would realize he had made a mistake, but was happy she had been able to open herself up to love.

Vienna and Tenley Vy for Jake's Heart in 'Bachelor' Finale

Girardi stirred up controversy among her fellow contestants and the show's fans throughout the season.

Many of the women expressed concerns about the 23-year-old marketing represenative, calling her immature and a source of drama in the house, but she defended herself by saying she was simply being honest, and being herself.

"She came here to meet me, not to make friends," Pavelka said. "And she made lots of enemies doing that."

The two finalists met Pavelka's parents and siblings during the finale, which was shot on the island of Saint Lucia. The previous week, Pavelka had sent home swimsuit model Gia Allemand.

Molzahn, 25, scored "a lot of points" with the Pavelka family, according to Jake's father Jim.

"I think Tenley would be a great fit in our family," he said. "I think that I've probably met my future daughter-in-law."

Pavelka's mother Sallie called the two "the perfect couple."

Worried that she wouldn't live up to the family's expectations, Girardi said she was nervous about meeting them the next day. Pavelka's sisters said they found her to be confrontational and abrasive when she spoke about her tense relationship with the other women in the house.

"The girls hated me from the beginning," Girardi said. "I'm brutally honest."

For Pavelka's mom, that was "a red flag."

"It bothers me a little bit that she couldn't get along with the other girls," she told her son, adding that she worried about the kind of relationship Girardi would have with her sisters-in-law.

But after the Pavelka women spent more time with Girardi, they all said they could tell how in love she was and felt guilty for judging her based on their first impression.

"I could spend the next 80 years with [Jake] and be so happy to do that," Girardi said. "When we're together, it's just us. He brings out the best in me. I could not see my life without Jake."

Dramatic Season on 'The Bachelor'

"I'm no longer concerned," Sallie Pavelka said. "I think she really does love him and care about him. I think that she would make a very good wife for him."

That came as a relief to Pavelka, who said "I can picture Vienna as my wife."

Girardi wasn't the only source of drama during this season of "The Bachelor," which was filled with unexpected departures, emotional twists and one surprising scandal.

Contestant Rozlyn Papa was asked to leave the show when rumors surfaced that she was having an affair with one of the show's producers. She denies the affair with the staffer, who was let go, but a number of contestants said during "The Women Tell All" special that they witnessed the two together.

And fan favorite Ali Fedotowsky, who repeatedly clashed with Girardi, left the show unexpectedly when she had to choose between her job and Pavelka.

On the finale, Girardi said that "this is the life I've always wanted, this is the guy I've always wanted, this is the fairytale I thought I'd never have."

As "The Bachelor" and his fiancee plan their life together, Pavelka isn't done with the spotlight just yet. He'll be appearing as a contestant on the upcoming season of "Dancing With the Stars."