It’s a true romance. Derek Hough wanted to make his proposal to fiancée Hayley Erbert as special as possible — so he recreated their home to make the perfect intimate setting.
“Transformed and candles. Those were his two words with everything,” event planner Troy WilliamsThe author, Dancing With the Stars judge, 37, plan the proposition, exclusively told Us WeeklyThursday, June 2. “They’ve swam with whales, they’ve jumped off boats — that’s their life. And as we kept talking about it, he realized, you know, ‘Our home is the most special place for us.’”
Williams, who runs Simply Troy Lifestyle + Events told Us that the “most important thing for [Hough] was that it be a special moment” for Erbert, 27, and that they create the most romantic situation possible.
“That’s all he wanted,” the lifestyle guru explained on Wednesday. “He wanted it to be transformed in the intimacy of their home so they can start the next biggest adventure of their lives.”
Secretly pulling off such an intimate proposal for such an “adventurous couple” proved to be no easy feat. However, when the Kansas native wanted to take a trip to Yosemite to celebrate Hough’s recent birthday, an opportunity arose for Williams to turn their living room into the perfect space, with over “250 candles and 1,600 roses.”
Hayley Erbert & Derek Hough Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
“They’ve been together so long and to pull off a surprise like this in someone’s home is a very hard undertaking,” Williams revealed. “But, with one of their best friends and myself, we just kept disabling cameras at the time. It was like Mission: Impossible.”
Luckily, Erbert was “stunned” and had “no clue” Hough planned to pop the question. When the Emmy winner got down on one knee with a “stunning, oval-shaped” ring, the jewelry “fit perfectly” on the So You Think You Can Dance alum’s finger.
“It was beautiful. It was like tears of joy, like just happy excitement and love just between them it just, it made me so thrilled,” Williams said, adding that Hough “knows how to put a music list together, being the brilliant choreographer that he is, so, needless to say, I was crying in the dark.”
Chau LuiParis Jewellers who helped Hough select the perfect stone for his bride, exclusively told Us that “Derek’s love for Hayley just radiated throughout the entire process.” The jeweler added, “It was so truly important for Derek that Hayley had a diamond that was so special, rare and brilliant, just like his love for Hayley.”
The former World of Dance judge originally sparked engagement rumors on Wednesday, June 1, after he posted a sweet video collage from the couple’s vacation in Monaco, France.
“Wow, incredible to experience @f1 Monaco Grand Prix for the first time. Even better getting to experience it with my love @hayley.erbert ❤️,” the Utah native captioned the montage.
The clips show the pair putting on the PDA and enjoying a day in sun. The gymnast is keeping her left arm covered. When speaking to Use on Wednesday, Williams confirmed that the proposal had taken place before the romantic getaway, but the duo “kept it to themselves” while they were traveling.
Hough met Erbert for the first time in 2014, when Erbert joined the cast of his sister. Julianne Hough’s Move Live Tour. A year later, things were romantic for the couple.
The choreographer had previously hinted at a 2019 proposal exclusively telling Us that “you never know” what the next decade may bring.
The Hairspray!Star once again raised the possibility of marriage during his September 2021 speech Derek Hough No LimitShow, fake the proposal to the DWTSProfessional in front of an audience
During part of the performance, the couple joked about not having kids together yet, to which Erbert replied, “You gotta put a ring on it first!”
