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Derek Hough Marries Hayley Erbert in 'Regal' Redwood Forest Wedding with 'Epic Barn Dance Party' (Exclusive)
Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert are officially husband and wife!
The Dancing with the Stars alums tied the knot in Monterey County, California, on Saturday in front of 106 guests.
"We're in a redwood forest, but we got married right in front of this mother tree that's surrounded by all these smaller trees," Erbert tells PEOPLE. "They drop all the seeds, and it plants kind of like an army of children to protect the mother. The symbolism of it was beautiful. We're here, planting our seeds to grow our family."
The extravaganza, which Erbert, 28, planned with the help of Simply Troy Lifestyle + Events, kicked off on Thursday with a welcome party at a beautiful cliffside estate in Carmel. "It's one of the most breathtaking places," says Hough. "It's like a fairytale."
The following day, the couple held a garden rehearsal dinner with family and the wedding party, which Hough, 38, described as "a big love fest," where family members delivered speeches for the happy couple.
During their emotional nuptials, the bride and groom exchanged both personal and traditional vows, as Hough's brother-in-law officiated the ceremony. Erbert wore a custom duchess satin gown, designed by Georgina Chapman from Marchesa, which she paired with a long veil, blusher and jewelry by Ring Concierge. "It's all very just classic, timeless," says Erbert of her dress. Hough wore a suit by Tom Ford for the ceremony and Brooks Brothers for the reception. Erbert's custom diamond engagement ring and the couple's wedding bands were both by Paris Jewellers.
For her walk down the aisle, a special rendition of Richard Walters "Unconditional" (which Walters rewrote and recorded specially for the couple) played as Erbert made her entrance. "He's definitely going to cry. I know that for a fact," Erbert says. "Honestly, both of us. We're going to be a mess!"
After the couple's nuptials, guests headed to the reception which was held in a 100-year-old barn. The vibe was "regal" but "rustic" decorated with Signature chandeliers, florals by In Blume and stationary by Minted. The Jordan Kahn Music Company performed, while Theoni provided rentals for the festivities.
Plenty of the couple's famous friends including Julianne Hough, Jenna Johnson, Frieda Pinto, Amy Purdy, Maria Menounos, Shawn Johnson, Nina Dobrev, Shaun White, Robert and Kym Herjavec and Alfonso Ribeiro were in attendance to help celebrate the pair's big day.
"When we were thinking about location we asked ourselves, 'What's important to us?'" explains Hough. "Nature was the first thing. We want to be around trees and plants and Northern California kind of spoke out to us. We just want people to experience this place that we love, this nature, but also, it just feels incredibly romantic."
Guests enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and Casamigos cocktails, with dinner options including steak, salmon, and vegetarian. For dessert, the couple chose a huckleberry lavender cake by Kelly Gray Cakes and a dessert bar. Both Hough and Erbert were particularly excited for the late-night snacks which included mini corn dogs, Erbert's favorite grilled cheese and tomato soup shooters and seasoned fries. "Our food is one of the things that I'm really excited about!" she says.
The newlyweds — who got engaged in June of last year — shared their first dance to "Fall Into Me" by Forrest Blakk on an antique mirrored floor where a low-ground fog machine created a "pure magic moment." And though they both perform for a living, they agree that they wanted something simple for that special moment.
"It's so beautiful, but I'll say this. I think everybody's expecting us to do a performance and a dance whole thing," Hough told PEOPLE ahead of the wedding. "But that's the thing, if we perform, we go on stage, we dance, we do things. So for us, it feels more special for us to not perform. To be on the floor with each other, to listen to music, and just be in the moment."
At the reception, Erbert changed into a lace dress with a tulle skirt and a detachable train, which was also custom made by Marchesa.
Hough and Erbert each had six bridesmaids and groomsmen, with Hough's Dancing with the Stars costar Mark Ballas as his best man. Before the wedding, they embarked on an "epic" bachelor and bachelorette celebration.
"It was a six-day event, and it was full-blown. I mean, neon dance party, a escape room on a yacht, obstacle courses like Survivor. It was the most insanely epic thing," Hough says.
Next, the couple will honeymoon in Italy: "We've never been. I mean, I've been for a competition, but that was it. We've never experienced it properly. So it's really great because it's a place that we're going to be able to experience together for the first time," says Hough. "And we're hitting everywhere from Lake Como, Positano, Amalfi Coast, Rome, Tuscany, Florence. We're hitting it all."
As they look forward to forever, Hough is soaking in the act of sealing the deal and what it means to be a husband to Erbert.
"It's so interesting what a small sort of piece of metal can do to your whole persona and your whole outlook on everything, where all of a sudden it's sort of like, oh, I have this promise that I carry with me all the time," he says. "And to want to be a man to live up to that promise daily for that person and for yourself and for others, it's a powerful thing. It's a beautiful thing. So for me, I'm excited to continue to aspire to be that man each and every day for her, for our animals and for our future family."
For Erbert, getting to dance through life together is a dream come true.
"We went to Disney a couple of weeks ago, and there was the cutest little old couple, and they were swing dancing. There was a band playing, and I was like, that's so sweet. I want to do that when we're older," she says. "That's what I look forward to is dancing until the end of time together and loving each other until the end of time."
Adds Hough: "Let's keep this beautiful adventure going."
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PEOPLE and BRIDES are teaming up to share all the biggest moments from Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert's dream wedding day. Stay tuned to People.com and Brides.com for all the exclusive photos and details.
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