Michelle Young and Jack Leius Are Engaged — With Proposal Straight Out Of A Rom-Com!
Michelle Young, best known for her journey on The Bachelorette, is officially engaged to Jack Leius and the way he popped the question is pure movie magic!
The 31-year-old reality star thought she was heading to Centennial Lakes in Edina, Minnesota, on October 24 to film a commercial for one of her favorite brands. Michelle, who had memorized her “lines” and signed a “contract,” was completely fooled by Jack’s intricate setup.
What Michelle didn’t know was that her fiancé, who’s the VP of sales at Covert Edge Athletics, had orchestrated the entire shoot with the help of her management team. From a fake script to a staged set, everything was designed to pull off the ultimate surprise.
“I completely froze when I saw Jack standing in the middle of this beautiful flower arch of white roses. I was fooled so badly that for a moment I thought the joke was that Jack was one of the male models that I would be working with at the shoot,” Michelle wrote.
The flowers, arranged by Artful Events & Design, framed the picturesque moment. But it wasn’t until Jack pulled out a ring and dropped to one knee that Michelle finally understood what was happening.
“I tried to say yes several times but was in shock that no words really came out. There were a lot of happy tears and of course I said YES!” Michelle said.
The stunning engagement ring? A custom-designed 3.56-carat emerald-cut diamond crafted by Wedding Day Diamonds.
Jack admits the surprise was a test of his acting skills. “The biggest worry for me was that her intuition really does catch on to everything. There were so many moments we crossed that we thought she might catch on,” he said.
The surprises didn’t end there. Following the emotional proposal, Jack whisked Michelle to a celebratory party with their family and close friends. Even after the party, Michelle was so convinced by the fake shoot she asked her management team if she still needed to film!
The couple’s love story began a little over a year ago, thanks to a mutual friend. After a magical first date, they spent nearly every moment of the next four days together and decided to make their relationship official. Michelle went public with their romance on Instagram in October 2023, and they later made their red-carpet debut as a couple at Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist’s wedding from The Golden Bachelor.
Reflecting on her relationship, Michelle says she was drawn to Jack’s kind nature and unwavering character. In her words: “When you’re asked those cheesy types of questions about ‘who comes to mind when you hear the words trustworthy, genuine, considerate, I’ve noticed he’s the person who first comes to mind — not just for me but for so many others who have crossed paths with him. I think that speaks volumes about his character.”
Michelle even recalls the moment she knew she was in love. “I was sitting at the dinner table with my family (he was not present) and got choked up while telling them how ‘I’ve never met anyone who calms my nervous system,’” she stated.
Now, the couple is diving into wedding planning and envisioning a big celebration to include all the people who matter most. “We both have so many people close to us that we want on our special day, so definitely a big enough wedding to include them,” Michelle said of what their wedding would be like.
