Derek Hough and fiancée Hayley Erbert, who have been engaged for just under a year, talked about planning their dream wedding on their upcoming A Symphony of Dance tour, which kicks off in the fall.
Despite preparing to perform in 50 different cities between September and December, the happy couple don’t let their attention be diverted from organizing the perfect party to tie the knot after eight years of dating.
During an in-depth discussion about their upcoming big day, the Dancing with the Stars alum, 38, and his longtime love, 28, admitted Brides that they have learned that there is so much more to planning than providing inspiration, photos and matching the same aesthetic.
In response to the question to share the first word “that comes to mind” about their “trip planning” so far, Hough said “surprisingly” while his bride-to-be hilariously “stubbornly” joked.
“I really stand on my feet,” she explained, noting that she tries not to be swayed by other people’s opinions or various suggestions. “I do what I want … I do what we want.”
While reflecting on their desire to finalize every detail, he insisted that they don’t want to get caught up in a “production” and that the wedding should be “a well-oiled machine” so they can “relax, focus on can concentrate on each other, and be very present.’
Here comes the bride! Derek Hough and fiancé Hayley Erbert, who have been engaged for just under a year, opened up about planning their dream wedding on their upcoming A Symphony of Dance tour, which kicks off in the fall
The best is yet to come: Despite preparing to perform in 50 different cities between September and December, the happy couple don’t let their attention be distracted from planning the perfect party to tie the knot after eight years of dating.
Wedding bells: During an in-depth discussion about their upcoming big day, the Dancing with the Stars alum, 38, and his longtime love, 28, admitted to Brides that they learned so much more in planning than providing inspiration, photos and come up with an aesthetic
He also said that they regularly remind each other that they are doing this “for the two of us.”
“Hayley is taking over, but I’m definitely involved,” Hough noted.
She then recalled him saying that good lighting and fireworks were the “most important” things to him when they first started planning.
Meanwhile, Erbert has prioritized the ceremony and wanted to write their own wedding vows from the start.
As for their guest list, Erbert said that “one rule we’ve established is we don’t want to overtake people on the day of the wedding.”
“We invite people we may not have seen in a while, but every time we get together with them, it’s like we’re picking up where we left off, or they’re people who’ve been in our lives constantly over the years. We’re not going to overtake people, we’re just going to have a blast with people,” she continued.
The Hairspray Live! actor also told readers that they are a “fun” couple and don’t always “attract” to “the lavish option.”
For example, the Utah native described a mac and cheese bar as more their style than a formal filet mignon dinner.
And corn dogs will definitely be served at the rehearsal dinner
Still planning the big day: In response to being asked to share the first word that comes to mind about their “trip planning” so far, Hough said “surprisingly” while his bride-to-be hilariously “stubborn said
“I really stand on my feet,” she explained, noting that she tries not to be swayed by other people’s opinions or various suggestions. ‘I do what I want… I do what we want’
Exciting: As he reflected on their desire to finalize every detail, he insisted they don’t want to get caught up in a “production” and want the wedding to be “a well-oiled machine” so they can be “relaxed, be able to focus on each other, and be very present’
“Hayley is taking over, but I’m definitely involved,” Hough noted
“We play around with different approaches to certain things so that the day still feels elegant, beautiful and magical, but grounded and down to earth and just approachable,” he told the outlet. “We want the whole day to be great.”
“I just want everyone to feel our love,” Hayley continued. “I want them to be able to say, ‘Oh, these two are so in love.’ It’s so obvious why they’re doing this now.’
To keep them gracious, he said, they trade expectations for appreciation.
“If we just have expectations, we’re going to be 100 percent let down because nothing is ever going to be perfect,” said Julianne Hough’s older brother. “We always find a moment to appreciate what’s going on. We can always find them. But when we live in expectation, we are actually setting ourselves up for disappointment.’
Hough also admitted that the “sticker shock” was a “very eye-popping experience.”
“When you start adding it all up, it’s pretty wild,” he said.
She then said that she stands her ground at the time and is “stubborn” to make sure they don’t have to live up to “other people’s expectations.”
Despite both having careers as professional dancers, they teased their first dance because husband and wife won’t be too over the top.
“We perform for a living, so we just want this dance to be for us,” Erbert explains. “We don’t want to perform for anyone else.”
Priorities at a glance: The Hairspray Live! actor also told readers that they are a “fun” couple and don’t always “attract” to “the lavish option”
“I just want everyone to feel our love,” Hayley continued. “I want them to be able to say, ‘Oh, these two are so in love.’ It’s so obvious why they’re doing this now’
No pressure: Despite both having careers as professional dancers, they teased their first dance because husband and wife won’t be too over the top
Hough said he just wants them to “feel good and comfortable” during the dance without having to “be perfect.”
“That’s much less important to me than just looking into her eyes as we rock back and forth. I really want to feel present in that moment,” he said.
In general, she says they always “try to find joy and gratitude in every second of the day” and that “something beautiful and good always happens, even when crazy things happen.”
“Ultimately, what matters is what this represents, the symbolism of it all,” Hough concluded. “And what it symbolizes, of course, is those two: Derek and Hayley.”
While appearing on the cover of Brides, Hough looked dapper in a black tuxedo and bow tie while his bride-to-be modeled three very different bridal looks.
The first showed her in an off-the-shoulder billowing ball gown with gloves and her brunette locks in a sleek updo, while the rest depicted her in a ruffled semi-sheer dress.
The beauty’s final look featured an extremely long back and open-toed heels.