“DWTS” Pro Britt Stewart and “CODA” Star Daniel Durant Are Engaged: 'It Feels Like We've Been Together Forever' (Exclusive)

After competing together on season 31, the pair fell in love off the dance floor

Dancing with the Stars pro Britt Stewart and actor Daniel Durant have double the reason to celebrate this holiday season — they’re engaged!

The couple spoke exclusively to PEOPLE about the moment Durant, who turned 34 on Christmas Eve, got down on one knee and proposed to Stewart while on a hike in Lake Arrowhead, California, with their families on Christmas Day.

Durant popped the question after they all reached the top of the mountain, where everyone — including Stewart's mom and stepdad, Jasmin and Lonnie Speed, and Durant's moms, Lori Durant and Mary Engels — shared what they were grateful for and what they were looking forward to in the new year. Going last, Durant shared how he looked forward to a future with Stewart before pulling out a ring and asking her to marry him. 

"I was the last one — and I started talking about the year, about us meeting and everything that happens in life. I just feel like there's balance. She sees me. She knows my culture, my language, and understands everything about me," Durant says, admitting that he started "welling up" in that moment.  

"We were both emotional, overwhelmed with joy and at peace knowing that this would eventually be part of our story," Stewart, 34, says, adding, "It felt like magic, but at the same time, it felt right and normal."

Related: 'DWTS' Pro Britt Stewart Reveals She's Dating Her Former Partner and 'CODA' Star Daniel Durant

Now set to be married, the couple were originally dance partners on Dancing with the Stars, coming in fifth place on season 31, which aired from September to November of 2022. They announced they were dating on Valentine’s Day of 2023, with Durant explaining to PEOPLE that their romance didn’t begin to blossom until after they were eliminated from the competition.

"I'm a really competitive person, I wanted to win this thing and so I saw that in her and we trained," Durant, a Deaf actor known for his roles in CODA and the 2015 Broadway revival of Spring Awakening, says of the beginning of their relationship.

He notes that Stewart learned American Sign Language (ASL) directly from him rather quickly as she taught him to dance. Because of this, they didn’t often need his ASL interpreter to communicate during rehearsals, which helped their relationship grow stronger.

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"When I met him and found out he was my partner on Dancing with the Stars, immediately I was like, I must learn ASL because I'm teaching him how to dance. I'm not going to use his interpreter," Stewart explains.

Although their love story didn’t begin right away, the couple agrees that they began realizing the strength of their chemistry and connection during week eight, when they performed a jazz routine to "Enjoy the Silence" by Depeche Mode. The routine featured an extended sequence of choreography danced without music.

"For me, it was the moment when our lives showed each other. I was really able to see him and his experience in Dancing with the Stars, but then just a little of his life too," Stewart says of the performance.

Related: DWTS' Britt Stewart on Being the First Black Female Pro: There's 'Power in Representation'

They eventually had conversations about what came next for them. Durant says he "couldn’t imagine not seeing" Stewart after their time spent together on the show — and that’s when he realized his feelings for her went beyond friendship. "I think, in that moment, we realized what we had felt for each other. It was more than friends and naturally we connected and started dating after that," he shares.

"It's a complete surprise that I found her," he continues, explaining why his love for her feels so comfortable. "She sees me. She knows my culture, my language and understands everything about me."

Looking back on the evolution of their relationship, Stewart adds, "It's funny, I remember us meeting. I remember us as teammates. I remember us as best friends, and then I remember us together. And now it feels like we've just been together for forever."

When it comes to their wedding day, the couple — who now live together with their two cats — only know that they want their closest family and friends to watch them exchange vows. "Looking at the wedding, we want people who know about our lives who can witness and celebrate with us and share the love that we have for everyone," Durant says. "It's about celebrating together so that's what I think our wedding will be."

Beyond that, they haven’t really thought about wedding planning. Right now, they just want to enjoy their engagement. "We also want to enjoy each step of it, and now we're just enjoying our engagement," Stewart says.

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