'Selling Tampa' Star Sharelle Rosado Engaged to Chad 'Ocho Cinco' Johnson: It 'Was Absolutely Beautiful'

"This is the next step of our beautiful journey together," Sharelle Rosado tells PEOPLE exclusively after the retired NFL player got down on one knee in front of friends and family on Saturday

Sharelle Rosado and Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson Engagement. Photo Credit – Erick Robinson
Photo: Erick Robinson

Sharelle Rosado and Chad "Ocho Cinco" Johnson are heading to the altar!

The Selling Tampa alum, 35, and the retired NFL player, 44, got engaged on Saturday evening, PEOPLE can exclusively confirm.

While the pair have been publicly referring to one another as their "fiancé" for some time, Johnson never gave Rosado a ring. So he made it official when he got down on one knee in front of family and friends in Miami, presenting his soon-to-be bride with a gorgeous oval cut, 7 1/2 carat engagement ring.

The athlete and former Dancing with the Stars competitor surprised his longtime love, with whom he welcomed a baby girl, Serenity, in January 2022, by inviting her to what he said was an early birthday party (he turns 45 on Monday). In reality, 20 guests were hiding to witness the special moment and celebrate the couple after Rosado said "yes."

"I'm honestly shocked! I'm at a loss for words. This was absolutely beautiful and to see my family and friends here to celebrate our love, that really did it for me," Rosado tells PEOPLE exclusively after the proposal.

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Chad Johnson and Sharelle Rosado
Chad Johnson Instagram

Noting that she was "very" surprised to see Johnson get down on one knee, Rosado says, "Chad must have kept this completely a secret because I had no idea!"

"He is definitely not a planner, so for him to pull this off for me is so amazing," she adds. "Just the thought he put into this and having our family and friends here to witness says a lot."

Sharelle Rosado and Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson Engagement. Photo Credit – Erick Robinson
Erick Robinson

Rosado also tells PEOPLE that her engagement to Johnson "is the next step of our beautiful journey together," and explains, "I'm so emotional because when we first started dating, he used to always tell me, 'I'm going to make you my wife.' "

"Although in my heart I knew we were always meant to be, now that it's official, it's even more special than I could have ever dreamed," she continues.

Sharelle Rosado and Chad Johnson seen attending Selling Tampa premiere party on December 16, 2021 in Tampa, Florida
Jose Devillegas/Getty

Looking ahead, the happy couple already has some ideas in mind for their future nuptials, including a destination.

"We are already talking about possibly getting married in the Bahamas and having the Valley Boys Junkanoo close us out," Rosado details. "It's a special spot for us, we celebrated our daughter's first birthday in the Bahamas as a family over the holidays."

Sharelle Rosado and Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson Engagement. Photo Credit – Erick Robinson
Erick Robinson

The luxury realtor and Army veteran is the former star of Selling Tampa.

Netflix's Selling Sunset spinoff premiered in December 2021 and followed the agents at Allure Realty, Rosado's all-Black, all-female real estate firm in Florida.

The couple revealed they were expecting their first child together exclusively to PEOPLE in August 2021. Rosado learned about her pregnancy news while she was in the middle of shooting the show.

"It was shocking. I think I was crying and laughing at the same time," she told PEOPLE at the time. Their daughter is Johnson's eighth child and Rosado's fourth. "I always wanted a big family," she said, "so I think with this last one, she's just the perfect number to finish it off."

Johnson, who was formerly a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals, shared the news of his daughter's arrival with a photo of himself in a hospital gown cutting the umbilical cord. "Just delivered Serenity 'Hurricane' Paula Johnson 👣," he wrote last year.

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