Lainey Wilson reflected on the moment she said “yes” to her now fiancé, Devlin “Duck” Hodges, and offered new details about how their engagement unfolded. She also opened up about how Hodges continues to be a source of inspiration for her music.
While celebrating her recent chart-topping hits (“Wildflowers And Wild Horses” and “4X4XU”) at a double No. 1 party at Bradley’s Barn, the country superstar spoke at a press conference where she shared details about her recent engagement, discussed whether wedding planning has started, and revealed how her fiancé, Devlin “Duck” Hodges, inspires her music.
Lainey Wilson Recalls The Moment She Got Engaged To Devlin “Duck” Hodges
When asked about the day Devlin proposed, Lainey Wilson shared all the details of the unforgettable moment and how it unfolded. “I’ll spill the tea,” Wilson said with a smile. “So I had talked myself into thinking he was going to do it that day, and then I called my sister. I said, ‘I think he’s going to propose to me today.’ And she was like, ‘I got to go.’” However, Wilson admitted that she quickly started second-guessing herself. “I talked myself out of it because I thought, man, I’m sure I would be upset if I had talked myself into this, and it don’t happen.”
Wilson explained that they had been wanting to visit the George Jones $5.95 million Estate in Franklin, Tennessee, for a while, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity. “His buddy had it listed for sale. And we were at the Super Bowl the weekend before, and he was like, ‘Hey, we need to go next week to go see the George Jones Estate.’” She mentioned that they had made plans to visit the Estate with her manager, Mandelyn Monchick, and songwriting buddy Jon Decious, making it seem like just a casual outing.
“We were just going to go check it out. And that way we could just say, we’ve been to the George Jones Estate,” Wilson continued. “And then as we pull up, I realized that there were different plans. So he had it all set up. He had the candles and the picture frames, and it could not have been more perfect.”
Talks Her Massive Engagement Ring
Lainey Wilson also opened up about her massive engagement ring, which was designed by Hodges alongside Hollie Winter Fine Jewelry. The ring was a product of several rings that Wilson has been sending the former Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback since they first started dating.
“Honestly, as a joke, right when we first started dating, because we knew pretty much immediately we were like, ‘okay, we’re going to be in each other’s lives.’ It just felt that natural. And as a joke, I had texted him some big rings. Being like, ‘this is what I like.’ He was like, ‘oh Lord, I better start saving now.’ Well, so we’ve been together for four years and what he did is he went in and designed it and kind of put some of those rings together that I sent him,” Wilson said before admitting, “I would have said yes if it was just a tiny little thing.” She then joked, “But he messed up.”
Wedding Plans
The couple have been engaged now for nearly two months, and Wilson confessed that she and her fiancé “haven’t even started planning” their wedding yet but intend to “really sit down and make that a priority” soon. As for the big day itself, Lainey Wilson shared that it will probably be “something very, very simple.”
During a recent appearance on The Kelleigh Bannen Show, Wilson also revealed whether she would be wearing a dress or her signature bell-bottoms at their wedding. “I’m going to wear a dress,” she revealed. “I hadn’t done the whole dress shopping. We haven’t even picked a date or anything like that. We got some time, but I figured, you know what? I hadn’t worn a dress for him yet, and I guess that would be the day to do it.”
How Devlin “Duck” Hodges Inspires Lainey Wilson’s Music
As the couple gears up to start planning their wedding, Lainey Wilson has found inspiration to write music—especially love songs—about her soon-to-be husband, Devlin, who is now both a licensed real estate agent and a duck hunter.
“It’s a wild thing for me. I didn’t know I had that side there for a while, but it’s an exciting side to discover. I found me somebody who is my biggest cheerleader, my best friend, somebody who is in my corner no matter what, and he’s one of my biggest champions, and I can bounce things off of him,” Wilson told Music Mayhem and other media outlets at the event.
She continued, “He knows just enough about the music business to not drive me insane. It’s nice to be able to go home to somebody who really doesn’t have a dog in the race, and I can separate these worlds because this is my world, but it is important to be able to go home and turn it off, and he makes it real easy to write love songs. I can’t believe I’m saying that. Hopefully he’s not in here because he’s going to be the big head, but he’s a good person.”
Hodges has already inspired several songs that Wilson has released, including her chart-topping hit “4X4XU” and the Whirlwind album cut, “Counting Chickens.”
How Did Lainey Wilson And Devlin Hodges Meet?
Lainey Wilson and Devlin Hodges first crossed paths in Nashville in 2021, introduced by mutual friends. Their first date took place at a bar called Silverado Dance Hall & Saloon, which has since closed. “We went to this old place called Silverados, and it had free beer and wine from 5 to 10 p.m., I was like, ‘This boy likes to ball on a budget too. This is gonna work out.’” Wilson told People. At the start of their romance, Hodges was playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the “4x4xU” singer was just starting to make waves in Country music.
After quietly dating for over two years, the couple officially made their relationship public in May of 2023, when they stepped onto the red carpet together at the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards (2023 ACM Awards). Since then the couple has moved in together, got engaged, walked several more red carpets and have publicly supported each other on numerous occasion, as well as are preparing to get married.
