A Complete Timeline Of Derek Hough And Hayley Erbert's Relationship

Derek Hough and wife Hayley Erbert are one unapologetically happy couple – and we can't get enough of them. From the "Dancing with the Stars" couple (who beat the odds to stay together)'s sweet 2014 meet cute to their lavish 2023 wedding, in a world of endless devastating celebrity splits, this adorable pairing makes us believe in love again.

The two have repeatedly gushed over each other, with Erbert writing on Instagram for Thanksgiving 2024, "There is so so much to be thankful for this year but I am eternally grateful for this man and this life." And Hough hasn't been afraid to share sweet sentiments about his wife, either. When Erbert turned 30 in October 2024, he posted gorgeous photos and videos of her on Instagram with the caption: "You are my miracle. Through every challenge, your strength and grace have been nothing short of inspiring. You've given me purpose, and you've changed my life in ways I never thought possible." Aww! And, as Hough and Erbert's admirable relationship timeline proves, through some serious ups and downs, this couple has gone from strength to strength.

One of our favorite things about Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert is how their mutual love of dance brought them together. They met in 2014 when Erbert was hired as a dancer on his and sister Julianne Hough's "Move Live on Tour." But things didn't heat up romantically until summer 2015 (around the time Hough and Erbert shared an extremely public first kiss). Hough and the former "So You Think You Can Dance" star then spent more time together when she landed a gig in the "Dancing with the Stars" troupe for Season 21, which he won with Bindi Irwin. Though the couple were snapped with their fellow pro dancers at a cast Halloween party, they kept their romance under wraps for months. 

Dating rumors hit the headlines in May 2016, but Hough's sister wasn't willing to spill. "I don't know. I can't say anything about my brother, because he lives with me right now, and he would kill me," the "DWTS" judge turned host told Entertainment Tonight. But Erbert and her man made it clear they were loved-up when they were spotted together in Los Angeles that month. Then, in July 2016, they sat together at an event celebrating the release of the Tony Robbins documentary "I Am Not Your Guru."

The hot couple shied away from a public romance in the early days, but Hough teased things were getting serious in 2017. After being asked on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" if he liked the thought of settling down, he didn't mention Erbert by name but replied, "I'm kind of in a place now in my life, kind of in a transitioned, and, yeah, I see myself married with kids within the next five years."

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert knew exactly what to do — lock down together. The happy couple confirmed they were cohabitating via various home videos posted to social media, and they put their downtime to good use. The duo worked hard to create performances for "The Disney Family Singalong" while holed up together, even dressing up to keep fans (and themselves) entertained. "It was just the two of us too, so everything had to be mounted up high or put on a tripod somewhere using a GoPro. It was really fun," Hough told Awards Daily. "It was hilarious because we were just running around our house in Beauty and the Beast costumes."

During an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" that year, he opened up to guest host Twitch about how the pandemic (which drove so many couples to split) strengthened his and Erbert's relationship. "We came together, we got closer. We grew as a couple tremendously... we had a great time," he said.

Eight years after Derek Hough and Haley Erbert first met and seven years after they started dating, he popped the question. In June 2022, the happy couple confirmed their big news via a joint Instagram post that showed Hough holding Erbert in front of a neutral, floral backdrop lit by multiple candles. "It's only the beginning...the beginning of forever," they captioned the upload, adding a red heart emoji. 

Speaking to People, Hough pinpointed the moment he knew it was time to take the next step with his love. "I called her my girlfriend at some event and it felt really wrong. [It was] almost like a cheap word for how our relationship is," he said. The pro dancer added that he and Erbert had spoken a lot about their wedding plans over the years. "We didn't sit down and say, 'It's time.' It was more just we joked around saying, 'Hey, we should do this at our wedding or we should have this person at our wedding or this and that.' She'd be like, 'Babe, we're not even engaged yet,'" he said.

The couple's friends and family were thrilled about the proposal, too. "I love love, and I love my brother, and I love Hayley, so I couldn't be more happy for them," Julianne Hough told People, hinting she'd known for a while about her sibling's plans to settle down. "We all knew it was gonna happen. We just were like, 'Alright, when's it gonna be?'" she teased.

A year and two months after Derek Hough got down on one knee, he and Haley Erbert tied the knot. They made things official with a lavish California ceremony in August 2023, where the bride and groom were decked out in Marchesa and Tom Ford in front of over 100 guests. The duo's fellow "Dancing with the Stars" pro Mark Ballas served as best man and Julianne Hough was one of the bridesmaids. "The feeling of the entire day was just joy, celebration, and love. It was so special to see everybody there for us and realizing what a beautiful group of people, family and friends, we have in our lives. And, for me at least, there was such a clear sense of future. This was really just the beginning for us as a couple," the groom told Brides.

Of course, Hough and Erbert had to incorporate their passion, and the reason they met, into their big day. As Forest Blakk's "Fall Into Me" played, Erbert explained of their unique first dance, "We did it differently than most couples. Instead of getting called out onto the dance floor, we started dancing and then the doors to the barn opened, so it was the first time guests saw the space but also the first time they saw us dancing."

Tragically, just four months after Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert's fairytale wedding, they were hit with devastating medical news. "[Erbert] was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel and required an emergency craniectomy," Hough wrote on Instagram of Erbert's scary medical emergency, confirming she was in a stable condition after becoming confused following a dance performance. Thankfully, she recovered well and the newlyweds came out of the tragedy more in love than ever. "Our love has just deepened, and it's gotten stronger and better," Hough told E! News in December 2024.

In August 2024, Hough and Erbert celebrated their first wedding anniversary with a joint Instagram post featuring footage of them in wedding attire on a cliffside. "This past year has been a journey filled with so many challenges, blessings, difficulties and triumphs. Through it all, your grace and beauty have shone brightly, reminding me every day of how blessed I am to walk this path with you," Hough told his wife in the caption. "But above all, this year has been a testament to the power of love — our love. Love truly conquers all," he added.

Following the health scare, the couple were focused on the future together, as Hough spoke to E! News in September 2024 about their baby plans. "We definitely want to have a family eventually. We'll see what's in the cards, what's on the horizon," the "Dancing with the Stars" pro said. Hough also gushed over his brave wife, stating, "She's a miracle. She really is and I don't say that lightly."