Lauren Alaina and Cameron “Cam” Arnold’s love story is a country music fairy tale!
Luke Bryan may not have known it, but it turns out he actually had a hand in Alaina finding the man, who she now calls her fiancé.
How Did Lauren Alaina Meet Her Boyfriend Cam Arnold?
Alaina, who will perform on the Chevy Riverfront Stage at CMA Fest in Nashville, Tenn., on Thursday (June 8) afternoon, chatted with ET Online‘s Kevin Frazier, Nischelle Turner, and Rachel Smith ahead of her upcoming music city performance. During the brief conversation, the 28-year-old “Getting Good” singer revisited the night she first locked eyes with Arnold.
“We met in Mexico at the [all-inclusive concert vacation] Crash My Playa that Luke Bryan has every year. Luke Bryan brought us together,” Alaina recalled the night she met ‘the one.’ “He’s friends with Luke’s niece and her husband, so he was backstage, and we were at the taco stand, and apparently I ate my tacos really fast, and he was like, ‘Nobody’s gonna take those tacos away from you!’”
“First thing he ever said to me. And that was when I knew,” she added.
After making small talk over Alaina’s meal, the Georgia-born Season 10 American Idol front-runner says the two swapped digits. And though, at the time, she was interested in Arnold, she had no idea he was already taken with her.
“I gave him my number, but he came home and told his best friend, ‘I met the woman I’m gonna marry,’” Lauren Alaina explains. “And I did not leave Mexico feeling that way, but he was right. I’m gonna marry him.”
“He is very funny. And hot!” She added of the Auburn University graduate, confirming that she is just as smitten over him now as he is with her.
Lauren Alaina Announced Her Engagement At Grand Ole Opry
Although the two lovebirds made their relationship official, they didn’t go public with their romance until November of 2022, when Alaina broke the news of her engagement during a special Grand Ole Opry concert.
“I was welcomed into this family, and it was a dream of mine as long as I can remember,” she told the audience, referencing her 2022 Opry induction ceremony. “I didn’t think this year could get any better, [but Friday] I got asked into another family!”
“Everybody, this is my fiancé,” Alaina added. “I told him he had to come out here, and we had to get a picture. So, we’re doing it because this is the circle, and I’m going to hold my hand up and do the thing. Make some noise for my future husband, everybody!”
Lauren Alaina also shared the exciting engagement news with her Instagram followers, incorporating a few photos that marked the special occasion.
“BRIDE be dang’d, y’all. My best friend, @arnold.cam, asked me to marry him, and I announced it at my favorite place in the world, @opry,” she captioned. “I didn’t know happiness and excitement like this existed. I can’t wait to be Mrs. Cameron Scott Arnold. 💍 #Laurnold 📸: @hannahkikphoto.”
Knee-Deep In Wedding Planning
In 2023, the pair rang in the new year with an engagement party before Arnold whisked Alaina away to Germany to surprise his side of the family – a lengthy two-week vacation that included a stop in Paris, that Alaina documented on TikTok. Fast-forward to today, and the bride-to-be is knee-deep in wedding planning. But she has her mom to help her with all of the details.
“I’m getting my dress made, and my mom and I went to New York, and we tried on all these dresses,” Alaina says. “It was so sweet. One of my favorite memories ever, and my mom is thriving with this wedding.”
New EP, Unlocked
Alaina’s wedding plans aren’t the only thing keeping her busy. On Friday (June 9), she will drop her new EP, Unlocked, her first project from her new label Big Loud. The 6-track offering features recent releases “A Walk In The Bar” and “Hangovers” as well as the next duet, “Thicc As Thieves,” featuring Lainey Wilson.
“This project is so important to me,” Alaina shares. “I’m getting married, I’ve got this new label. I feel like I’ve unlocked myself completely. I feel at home and at peace in my life.”
Alaina also says she’ll be “playing all the new music” from her EP during her CMA Fest performance, which takes place as part of the festival’s 50th anniversary. The longest-running country music festival in the world runs from June 8-June 11. In the fall, Alaina will take the road with Pentatonix for their North American tour.