Full wedding planning mode! Derek Hough and fiancée Hayley Erbert are in the midst of figuring out their nuptial details — and cannot wait to finally walk down the aisle.
“It’s going good. It’s wonderful [and we’re] so excited,” the Dancing With the Stars judge, 37, exclusively told Us Weekly on Wednesday, April 19, of their “three-day” wedding event, while promoting his partnership with Excedrin’s Head Care Club.
Hough — who proposed to the 28-year-old pro dancer in June 2022 after more than six years together — revealed that picking a venue was one of the first decisions they agreed upon.
“For me, nature is one of the must-haves. I think being in the green [and] in the lush forest and gardens and fields [was] like top of the list,” the World of Dance alum told Us. “And once we found that, now we’re sort of, [like], ’OK, do we want a live band or a DJ?’ [and] ‘What’s the color scheme?’ I, honestly, I was like, ‘Wow, there’s a lot that goes into this.'”
He continued: “I have to say I’m pretty involved, more than most [grooms], is what I hear from the wedding planner and everybody, but I guess that’s just [the] creative part of me that I like to be sort of involved with that stuff.”
Hough, who teased that the “beautiful” celebration will take place later this year, revealed that at least one DWTS pal received an invitation: Mark Ballas.
“He’s my best man,” the Utah native gushed on Wednesday. “He’s actually beautiful with words, so I’m sure [his speech will be epic.]”
Ballas, 36, and Hough have been longtime friends, even starting their ballroom training together in London when they were teenagers. The pair also formed their own band with Hough’s sister Julianne Hough before they ultimately joined the cast of DWTS. (The trio have all since retired from the dancing competition, with Julianne, 34, set to return to the ballroom for season 32 as cohost alongside Alfonso Ribeiro.)
While the Alexander Jean crooner, who is married to musician BC Jean, will no doubt impress Derek and Erbert on their big day, the Hairspray Live! star is admittedly wary about one thing about the occasion.
“I guess I’m nervous about my vows,” Derek confessed to Us. “I say that, but then at the end of the day, I’m actually not. I think I feel pretty good about it all. You know, I think the thing I’m most nervous about is just making sure that I want everything to feel effortless.”
He added: “I wanna make sure that we’re healthy, that we’re clear-minded, we feel good [and] we feel strong because it’s gonna be an event over a couple days. So, we wanna make sure that we feel really strong and healthy so we can really enjoy it and really be present [because] the worst thing that could happen for us … is [that] it happens and we’re like, ‘Did that just happen? I don’t [remember.]’ I want to elongate as much as I can the whole three days.”
While Derek and the So You Think You Can Dance alum’s wedding will be packed with activities throughout the occasion, their first dance won’t the big production fans might envision it to be considering their movement-based careers.
“My first dance is gonna be a little bit different than what people expect because it’s not gonna be a performance,” he revealed to Us. “It’s gonna be a moment where it’s just about her and I together, just in our own world and not performing [or] for other people. This is just for us, but later in the night there might be a little performance or something, who knows?”
As Derek and Erbert hope their wedding day goes smoothly, they are taking steps to make sure they are feeling up to celebrate without any migraines putting a damper on the celebration.
“We were thinking about the actual wedding and we’re thinking about all these different things we could put in party favors [for our guests], and we’re, like, ‘Actually some of these [Head Care Club] products actually would be pretty good to put into those things,” the six-time mirrorball champ said, noting that adding the Excedrin products to their goody bags will help their guests “replenish” and stay “hydrated” throughout the weekend. “They’re gonna need a lot of stamina,” Derek added.
Excedrin’s newest product line, Head Care, helps support individuals’ head health and comfort with various supplements that promote healthy neurological systems, hydration and relaxation. Derek and the Kansas native also collaborated with the wellness brand to create a series of movement routines designed to get blood pumping and stimulate mindfulness.
“That’s what I love about this, it’s a holistic approach [and] not just sort of waiting for the migraine or waiting for the headache, but it’s the spaces in between and what we can do to be proactive to help our overall health,” he told Us.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
