The country artist, who is nominated for five ACM Awards, proposed to girlfriend Courtney Little on Sunday at a farm north of Nashville, Tennessee. She agreed!
“It’s hard to put into words how happy I am,” Swindell, 39, told PEOPLE. I’m lucky to be where I am in my work, but I’ve missed out on a lot of real-life moments. I’m happy to share everything with someone. I’m happier than ever because of her.
Swindell proposed with an oval diamond ring he fashioned with Simon Tekin at Ballantyne Jewelers in Charlotte, North Carolina, near Little’s hometown. Swindell planned carefully to get Little, 24, and the ring to the remote site.
Cole Swindell’s single Saturdays are finished.
After family approval, Swindell considered prospective locations. He considering proposing this week in Dallas before the 58th ACM Awards. Due of their relationship, he chose the property. Swindell’s “Some Habits” video shoot on the farm was their first date. Little starred.
Swindell asked a Ballantyne Jewelers staffer to fly to Nashville to hand-deliver the ring to avoid losing the diamond. Ballantyne Jewelers complied, and Swindell braved Nashville’s third Taylor Swift stadium performance traffic to pick it up in The Gulch on Sunday morning.
“It looked like she was playing acoustic pop-up shows outside of restaurants or something,” Swindell said. Lines were everywhere. I thought, “This isn’t what I expected.” I tried to get there early to get it before all that, but I got it.”
Swindell proposed on the property after consulting Little’s sister Laura, who believed it was wonderful. The duo boarded his tour bus Sunday afternoon for ACM Awards rehearsals in Dallas. Swindell informed Little they were stopping for supper to dress her.
The bus turned north toward Orlinda instead of Dallas. He wanted a beautiful sunset, but rain swamped Nashville all afternoon. Swindell thinks his fiancée assumed the bus broke down when it stopped on the gravel route.
Swindell led Little, who runs The Little Sisters Boutique with Laura, off the bus onto the gravel road as the weather cleared.
“She recognized the location,” he told PEOPLE. She likely understood. I held her hand and walked for ages. It wasn’t long.”
Swindell asked Little if she recalled the site and told her how precious it will always be.
“At that point, I couldn’t wait any longer,” he stated. “I found a little spot right there off the side of the gravel drive in the field and hit a knee.”
The singer joked that they blacked out and forgot what they said.
“We’re both trying to remember everything,” he remarked.
Swindell’s photographer hid in the field to shoot the proposal. At the video shoot, the pair returned to the farmhouse to recreate some of their earlier images.
“I put the ring on her finger, and we’ve been all smiles ever since,” he added.
Stereotype Broken is Swindell’s new deluxe album. The Amazon Prime-streamed 58th ACM Awards will feature him on Thursday.
