Season 8 of ABC's "The Bachelorette" is set to debut on May 14, and star Emily Maynard is ready for love! But could Emily use a little advice from Bachelorettes of seasons past? Here's a look at some of the classiest ladies from the long-running romance franchise, all of whom Emily can look to for inspiration.
Trista Rehn
The very first "Bachelorette" is still the one by which all others are measured. Fresh off the heartbreak of Season 1 "Bachelor" Alex Michel's dumping, Trista Rehn was a woman on a mission when she starred as "The Bachelorette" back in 2003. She found her soulmate in hunky fireman, Ryan Sutter, and the couple tied the knot in a $4 million televised wedding. Eight years and two kids later, Trista has some advice for the new Bachelorette" star. Trista told She Knows that Emily should "Stay in the moment as much as possible and take time to smell ALL the roses. If you don't feel it, you can't force it."
She also gave Emily a piece of advice regarding the show's controversial fantasy suite, saying, "For me, the fantasy suite was much more important for saying goodbye to the cameras and really getting a feel for what the relationship would be like away from the show."
Advice to Emily: "Don't worry about the chatty Cathys who have their own opinions about what happens behind closed doors."
Jennifer Schefft
There's nothing like a "Bachelorette" who knows what she wants. That meant no one for Jen Schefft, the star of the third season of the show back in 2005. At the end of her "Bachelorette" reign, Schefft decided that neither of her final two guys -- Jerry Ferris and John Paul Merritt -- were her Prince Charming. She rejected both men's proposals and went on to pen a book, "Better Single Than Sorry: A No-Regrets Guide to Loving Yourself and Never Settling." But while audiences were disappointed that she ended her season still a single lady, Scheftt followed her heart. It eventually took her away from reality TV and into the arms of Joe Waterman, whom she married in 2009.
Advice to Emily: You can't always hurry love.
DeAnna Pappas
Emily and the Season 4 "Bachelorette" have a lot on common -- as in Brad Womack. Womack didn't pick DeAnna Pappas or his other final two girl, Jenni Croft, at the end of his first "Bachelor" season, and while at the time DeAnna felt betrayed, she later admitted she understood how he felt. When she became "The Bachelorette," DeAnna picked pro snowboarder Jesse Csincsak as her final man, but the couple's engagement soon ended. DeAnna later admitted to Wetpaint, "I let producers guide my heart." But this classy lady learned a big lesson from the experience. On the ABC News special, "Inside the Bachelor: Stories Behind the Rose," Pappas later said, "Looking back I wish I would have done what Brad did. I probably shouldn't have chosen anyone."
Advice to Emily: Stick to your guns and don't feel pressured.
"The Bachelorette" Season 14 premieres on May 14 on ABC.
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