See All the Photos from Tim Tebow and Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters' Gorgeous South Africa Wedding

After meeting in 2018, Tim Tebow and fiancée Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters tied the knot on January 20 in an intimate sunset ceremony at La Paris Estate in Cape Town, South Africa.

His connection with Nel-Peters “was instant,” Tebow, 32, told PEOPLE. “I knew that she was a very special person. And after the initial attraction, we realized that we both share the same faith, which was so important to me.”

Nel-Peters, 24, wore a custom gown from David's Bridal after trying on approximately 50 designs of different fits and silhouettes.

Nel-Peters —Miss Universe 2017 — “ended up sticking with" a “clean, sleek and elegant” off-the-shoulder fit-and-flare style that complemented the overall “traditional and timeless” vibe of the wedding.

Tebow — a former NFL star — wore a tuxedo designed by Gert Johan Coetzee for the wedding.

Tebow's groomsmen matched his classic tux look, wearing black suits by Indochino with white shirts and bowties.

“I’ve been waiting my entire life for someone special, who I can spend the rest of my life with. I was waiting for the right person to come along. And now I’m marrying Demi. I can’t wait to see what our future holds. All of my dreams have come true. It was 100 percent worth the wait," Tebow told PEOPLE.

Nel-Peters told PEOPLE in last week’s issue, “Tim is my biggest support system. In the two years we’ve known each other, we’ve found such a deep love.”

Tebow proposed to Nel-Peters with a jaw-dropping 7.25-carat solitaire ring.

Tebow purchased the diamond sparkler a month before proposing, from a broker who flew into Jacksonville with several different gems for him to choose from.

“Being in the fashion industry and being a girl who has dreamed about this day since I was three, I had this planned out a long time ago,” Nel-Peters told PEOPLE of her bridal look. “[I wanted] a little bit of the Royal family inspiration. I mostly [was] looking around Pinterest. I also kept in mind what Tim would like in a wedding dress.”

“We’re both very traditional,” Nel-Peters told PEOPLE. “We wanted to look back at the wedding and see that it was intimate, elegant, and traditional.”

A special surprise came in the form of dessert, as the couple hadn’t seen the wedding cake before the reception.

“I’m an easy bride,” said Nel-Peters. “We just trusted our wedding planner.”

The menu for the reception included both American and South African cuisine, including steak, mussels, assorted cheeses and pasta.

The couple chose their favorite salad that includes baby spinach, bacon, berries, cucumbers, vinegar and olive oil.

When it came time for the reception, Tebow expected to see his wife in the same design. But Nel-Peters decided to surprise him with another custom gown created for her by the David's Bridal team.

“The second dress is more modern, sensual and fun,” she said of the Chantilly lace and crystal-embellished column with a plunging V-neckline, worn with a walking-length two-tier veil. “It’s something I could enjoy myself in. I hope it is everything Tim imagined it to be as well!”