John Michael Montgomery's Son Walker Montgomery Is Engaged to Tigirlily Gold's Krista Slaubaugh (Exclusive)

Country creator Walker Montgomery is engaged!

Walker, boy of John Michael Montgomery, projected to Tigirlily Gold's Krista Slaubaugh connected Monday, May 26, astatine a crystalline pond surrounded by nan lush Blue Ridge Mountain forests successful North Carolina. 

"I was overwhelmed successful nan champion way," says Krista, who is 1 half of her state euphony duo alongside her older sister, Kendra Slaubaugh.

She tells PEOPLE, "You hold for that infinitesimal your full life, and I conscionable wanted to retrieve and soak it successful arsenic overmuch arsenic possible."

Walker planned a astonishment getaway for nan couple, driving from Nashville and pulling into nan "foggy and romantic" Old Edwards Inn and Spa successful Highlands, North Carolina, precocious connected May 25. Krista didn't deliberation thing of Walker booking a massage for her nan pursuing time and telling her to beryllium fresh "by 4 [p.m.]."

That evening, Walker drove his woman of astir 2 years to an "absolutely beautiful" and "cute small cottage-looking house," which is known arsenic "The Farm." Together, they walked down a chromatic way wrapped astir nan spot that revealed a mini pond featuring a fountain spraying droplets upward, which cascaded backmost down and sent gentle ripples crossed nan water's sparkling surface.

Walker was "a small nervous" because he wanted everything to spell "perfectly," particularly because he'd been readying nan typical infinitesimal for "months." Since their arrival, he'd been "praying it didn’t rain," but location was immoderate downfall earlier successful nan day, causing him and Krista to "nearly autumn over." "But we were holding connected tight to each other," Krista noted.

It was erstwhile nan brace stopped connected nan pond's mini dock that Krista began putting nan pieces together. Between Walker's "very nice" words and his "huge bouquet of flowers," Krista "knew what was astir to happen." Her "stomach started to tighten" and she admittedly "did achromatic retired for a bit" erstwhile Walker took her by some hands earlier dropping down connected 1 knee.

"He said, 'Krista, I want you to beryllium my wife. Will you wed me?' " nan "Shoot Tequila" vocalist recalls. "I said 'yes' and instantly leaned down to buss him. He past stood up and slid nan ringing onto my finger."

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Krista's "perfect" engagement ringing from The Diamond Gallery successful Lexington, Kentucky, features an elongated, radiant-cut gem connected a golden band.

"It’s elegant but still is modern and feels for illustration me," Krista says. "With nan golden band, it’s a ringing that 40 years later I will still emotion conscionable arsenic much. Also, it’s truthful shiny!! He did GREAT."

After Krista accepted Walker's proposal, she remembers nan chap state creator asking her, "You said 'yes' right?" They "both started laughing and crying."

"Obviously, location were immoderate happy tears, but aft nan connection I felt specified excitement and joy," she says. "We had known for a while now that we wanted to walk our lives together, truthful nan main emotion was joyousness and excitement. I couldn’t person imagined it much perfect."

Walker adds, "Almost instantly afterwards nan sun started sparkling down connected nan dock by nan pond that we were opinionated on. It was perfect!"

The couple, who moreover had communal set members astatine 1 point, met successful autumn 2023 erstwhile Walker had a performance successful Kansas City, Missouri. At nan time, nan "I Love nan Way You Love Me" vocalist deed connected Krista "in nan astir indirect measurement possible."

"There was a group of ladies location that asked him during his meet-and-greet if he knew Tigirlily Gold, and he said, 'Ya. Tell nan gangly 1 I’m successful emotion pinch her.' (I’m nan gangly 1 to clarify)," Krista recalls. "This connection sewage to my mom’s friend, my mom, and past to me. I slid into his DMs beautiful soon aft and said, 'How’s Kansas City lately?' "

"I was beautiful obsessed from nan very opening to opportunity nan least," Walker says. "I’d ne'er met personification truthful beautiful and elegant."

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A fewer weeks later, Walker and Krista went connected their first date. Walker remembers laughing "so much" and instantly knowing he'd "found thing typical successful her." By Valentine's Day, Krista knew Walker was "the one."

"I had ne'er felt truthful understood and safe by different person, and he had written maine a statement that made maine happy cry," she says. "It each clicked successful that instant. This man was going to beryllium my husband."