Entertainment TV 'DWTS' Pro Brandon Armstrong Is Engaged to Girlfriend Brylee Ivers: 'I'm Excited for Our Future' Dancing with the Stars pro Brandon Armstrong proposed to girlfriend Brylee Ivers on Monday By Christina Dugan Ramirez Christina Dugan Ramirez Writer-Reporter, TV People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 8, 2022 02:34 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Ambit Creative Brandon Armstrong and Brylee Ivers are engaged! On Tuesday, the Dancing with the Stars pro, 27, and his new fiancée opened up to PEOPLE about their sweet love story, the creative proposal, the custom 3.5-carat engagement ring and plans for their upcoming wedding. The couple, who started dating early last year, met through Instagram — and the timing could not have been more perfect. "I was going on a few dates and they were all lame," Armstrong, 27, said of his dating life before meeting Ivers, 23. "They were terrible. I downloaded an app that's similar to Tinder but for our Church to be funny. I was scrolling through and saw her but I was too embarrassed to message her. So, I DM'ed her on Instagram instead and she ghosted me." "I was trying to be cool," admitted Ivers, a social media manager from Utah. After exchanging messages for a month, the two finally met in person and had the ultimate first date at The Cheesecake Factory. "I was nervous," said Armstrong. "But I just remember was how easy the conversation was." The couple decided to look at engagement rings around Christmas last year — all while Armstrong was secretly planning a romantic proposal. Artem Chigvintsev Set to Return to The DWTS: Live! Tour After Month-Long Battle with Pneumonia Ambit Creative "I've been planning it for a couple months," said Armstrong, who's currently on his last leg of The Dancing with the Stars: Live! Tour. "Brylee is big on memories. So I was thinking, what if I made a movie trailer that she could keep forever? One of the first times we had a deep conversation was outside a movie theater," he said. Celebrity Engagements of 2022 Ambit Creative "It was the first time he told me he loved me," added Ivers. "I wasn't nervous about anything except her thinking it was incredible," Armstrong said of the proposal, which took place on Monday in Utah. "I wanted it to be perfect, as representative of what we've done so far, everything we stand for. I wanted it to be big and bright. But I'm not a good talker and crier. I started crying when the trailer came out and I knew I was screwed. All of our best friends and family were there and I walked her down to the front, told her I loved her and can't wait to start a family with her. I'm just so excited for our future together!" And to top it off, the custom ring from Wilson Diamonds in Utah was everything Ivers could have dreamed of. "It's perfect," she said of her new sparkler — a 3.5-carat circle diamond paired with a gold, diamond band. Ambit Creative While the duo is staying mum on their wedding day details, Armstrong said it's going to be a "fiesta" and they can't wait to celebrate with their closest friends and family. "We just want to celebrate something that's positive and happy," he said. "We want it to be classic and timeless." 16 Couples Who Found Romance in the Dancing with the Stars Ballroom Ambit Creative On Valentine's Day, Armstrong wrote a sweet tribute to his love on Instagram, detailing the many reasons he loves her. "HAPPY VALENTINES DAY BABY! These past few years have been some of the craziest of my life but without a doubt the best thing to come out of them is you! I wanna tell everyone a few reasons why," he wrote. "1. You love unconditionally! Since the first time we met I've noticed that you are loving to everyone and everything! Especially your friends and family! I'm privileged to be apart [sic] of that love now," he continued. "2. You always think the best of me and others! I admire this about you so much! Always protecting me, your friends and family!" Want to get the biggest stories from PEOPLE every weekday? Subscribe to our new podcast, PEOPLE Every Day, to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday. He concluded, "3. The time I spend with you is better than all the time I've ever spent without you! Laying around, shopping, driving around or seeing a movie. It doesn't matter as long as I'm with you I feel like I'm where I'm suppose to be! Babe there isn't enough words for me to tell you how much I love you but I promise to always try and show you! Happy Valentine's Day and I cant wait for all the rest of them my love! ❤️ As for their future together, the newly engaged couple said they're looking forward to all that's to come. "We're excited to start a family," said Armstrong. "Just being able to have a life partner is something I look forward to. My focus is Brylee."