Derek Hough, 38, and Hayley Erbert, 28, are gearing up to say “I do” soon, and they posed for a bridal wear cover shoot for Brides magazine. The soon-to-be husband and wife wore a tuxedo and white wedding gown, in the main cover photo, and leaned against a wall as they gave serious looks to the camera. They also posed for snapshots while they happily danced together in slightly different attire, including a white dress shirt with a black tie, black pants, and white, black, and red shoes for Derek, and a sleeveless white gown and white shoes for Hayley.
The almost groom had his blond hair slicked back and showed off facial hair while the almost bride had her hair pulled back in a low bun for the cover photo, and wore gloves and dangling earrings with her dazzling look. She let her hair down for the dancing photo.
In addition to posing for the epic wedding-themed photos, Derek and Hayley opened up about what they’re looking forward to when it comes to their actual wedding. The couple got engaged in June 2022, after seven years of dating, and have been carefully planning the ceremony and reception of their dreams ever since. As professional dancers, they’re also ready to take on the dance floor among their guests.
“The reason why we want to plan so much and make sure that the wedding is a well-oiled machine is so that we can be relaxed, focus on each other, and be very present [during the wedding],” Derek told the outlet, when discussing the careful plans. “At the end of the day we come back to, ‘Why are we doing this? What is the reason for this?’ And the reason is for the two of us. That’s really it.”
The couple also revealed that they are both very involved in the planning process. “Hayley is taking the helm, but I’m definitely involved,” Derek said, while Hayley admitted she thinks her fiance has been involved more than most other grooms would be. “At the very beginning of it all, before we even started planning, I asked, ‘What are the things that are more important to you?’” she explained.
Some of the details they are really focusing on are the vibes of the overall day. Derek hopes they can have fireworks at the wedding and they want to make sure to choose the right music. They have also been adamant about coming up with the best vows, which they are writing themselves, and inviting those that mean the most to them.
“A rule that we’ve set is that we don’t want to catch up with people on the day of the wedding,” Hayley said. “We’re inviting people that maybe we haven’t seen in a while, but every time we get together with them, it’s like we pick up right where we left off, or they’re people that have been consistently in our lives throughout the years. We’re not going to catch up with people, we’re just gonna have a blast with people.”
Derek and Hayley also want to make sure the entire celebration is a balanced one, and being over the top luxurious isn’t really their style. “We’re fun!” Derek laughed. “What we gravitate towards isn’t always the most lavish option.” Some of the food they’re considering includes a mac and cheese bar and corn dogs for the rehearsal dinner. “We’re playing with different approaches to certain things so that the day still feels elegant and beautiful and magical, but grounded and down to earth and just approachable,” Derek added. “We want the entire day to be a blast.”