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Why RHOC’s Gretchen Rossi and Slade Smiley Haven’t Gotten Married — But Wear Wedding Rings (Exclusive)

No rush to wed! Gretchen Rossi revealed why she and fiancé Slade Smiley haven’t tied the knot yet even though they still wear wedding rings.

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The Real Housewives of Orange County alum, 42, proposed to Smiley, 47, in April 2013. Eight years later, the former reality star exclusively told Us Weekly that there are “no wedding updates” as of now.

“We got very preoccupied trying to have a baby, obviously, and that’s a very expensive process going through IVF for that many years,” she said while promoting her partnership with LifeVac. “It’s interesting because I would love to be married to Slate. I actually call him my husband.”

Why RHOCs Gretchen Rossi Slade Wear Wedding Rings But Arent Married
Slade Smiley and Gretchen Rossi. Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock

The Michigan native, who shares 22-month-old daughter Skylar with Smiley, noted, “I wear a ring like he’s my husband. He wears a ring. We call each other husband and wife. It’s just, we don’t have a legal paper that says it.”

Rossi explained that after being together almost 12 years — the pair dated for four years before getting engaged —  they “don’t have to get married.”

She would, however, be open to having a big celebration with friends and family one day.

Related: RHOC’s Gretchen Rossi and Slade Smiley’s Relationship Timeline

“I would want to do it more for just, like, having the pictures and having, like, the big party, you know what I mean? Rather than feeling like, ‘Oh, we have to, like, be married to be committed to each other,’” the “Knot Too Taboo” podcast cohost told Us. “I mean, we just have such a beautiful, wonderful relationship and we’re — knock on wood — so madly in love [and] we fall more in love with each other every day.”

Rossi added that having their daughter has brought the pair “closer together,” but she hasn’t completely ruled out walking down the aisle. Successful non-married couples in Hollywood, however, have made her question whether it’s the right move for her family.

“Who knows, maybe we’ll get married one day or maybe we’ll be like Kurt [Russell] and Goldie [Hawn] and never get married,” she said. “I mean, obviously they’re onto something, right? They’ve been together for so many years. And then you see all these other Hollywood couples that finally get together and get married and then it, like, falls apart.”

Related: Longest Celebrity Engagements

Rossi is keeping herself busy as a mom as she toys with the idea of being a bride someday. That’s why the Gretchen Christine creator has teamed up with LifeVac, which is a device used to protect against choking, to make parenting a little safer. “50 to 70 percent of the time, the Heimlich maneuver does not work even when performed by a professional,” Rossi said. “That’s really scary. And having this kind of backup resource at our fingertips can literally save a life.”

With reporting by Christina Garibaldi

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