You could hear the echoes of oooh’s and ahhh’s all throughout the Pink Room in House on Leeson Street as VIP and the glam team looked at the sparkler on Laura Nolan’s hand. Matthew MacNaab popped the question a few weeks back in LA as they watched the sunset on a cliff edge, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and to his delight, Laura said yes to marrying him.
“I was so shocked and completely blown away. But over the moon, of course,” the bride-to-be beamed, as she moved her hand under the light.
We first shot this couple a few years ago after they went public with their romance following a stint together on Dancing with the Stars.
“Look at us now. How times have changed,” Matthew laughed! The partnering on the show brought them together and their relationship has blossomed since. Last year the pair decided to take a leap of faith and move to LA together, beginning a whole new chapter, which snowballed into this new phase of their life.
Now back on Irish shores ahead of the new season of DWTS where Laura will be competing as one of the longest serving pro dancers, the couple choose to celebrate their good news with us. Here, they fill us in!
Huge congratulations to you both! You must be on cloud nine?!
Matthew: Oh completely! We’re so excited and I’m buzzing that it all went well – it’s was a big relief!
Laura: It was a complete surprise. I just feel so happy. It was perfect, so special and magical.
Will you talk us through the moment?
M: I had been planning it since July and asked her on November 9th. I wanted to get the ring made by an Irish designer so I went to The Diamond Studio. I got it custom made, but Laura had dropped me more than a couple of hints so I had some idea!
L: Oh they weren’t subtle! But we had spoken about it a few times and he had asked about my preferred style. This is perfect. He did such a good job!
M: It was a good four months of planning and getting the ring made. I knew I wanted to do it in this specific spot with a golden sunset, cliffs, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We planned a weekend in San Diego and I have to say, I was really nervous. I didn’t want to mess up this one moment for her.
Was it totally out of the blue or did you have an inkling Laura?
L: Hadn’t a clue! I had no idea it’d happen this year. I was thinking maybe next, after DWTS perhaps on a holiday we’ve been planning but I didn’t expect it when it happened. We were on a trip with Matthew’s parents at the time, he had been showing my mam, he rang my dad, and everyone was involved which was so lovely and made it even more special. When he came down beside me right on the side of the cliff, I could feel his heart beating and thought it was just because we were so close to the edge. We started reminiscing over the last couple of years, how we’ve moved to LA and he proposed. I didn’t even realise he had taken out the box with the ring! It was magical.
M: But when she saw the ring she tripped.
L: I nearly fell over!
Are you going to start planning soon or would you prefer a long engagement to soak it all up?
L: When you get engaged the first thing people say is ‘When’s the big day?’ but we want to enjoy this. We’re going to start looking at venues because you have to book them about two years in advance but that’s nice time for us, we wouldn’t want anything less than two or three years. We’re just living in the moment.
And you told us earlier on set that you’re considering Italy as a wedding destination.
L: We are! But we’ll still look at Ireland too.
M: We’re really between both at the minute and want to explore our options. When it comes to Italy, Laura has spent a lot of time there, around five years. She’s fluent in Italian. That’s where she won her ballroom championships and world title.
L: It’s a special place, and also just so beautiful.
M: And the pizza is great!
L: The wine, the food, the ice-cream… what’s not to love?
M: If we were to do it here in Ireland, it’d be for the family.
L: You’ve to weigh up all your options. If we went abroad, our families could make a holiday of it which would prolong the fun. Both of our grandparents are still alive so it’s important for the two of us that they’re involved in our day.
Is it nice being back here to celebrate with your loved ones after spending the last few months in the US?
L: When something like this happens in your life, you want to be around your closest friends and family. You realise how much love you have for everyone and how much they have for you too.
How is life in America? How did you find the big move?
M: For Laura it was difficult because she got her visa before me so flew out first and we were trying to organise the apartment and stuff while apart, but once I got over there it was easier. It’s great to be able to experience something new together.
L: I had to be there for a show, it wasn’t that I just got a visa and left, obviously I’d have waited for him but I needed to be there for work. For the first two weeks I was there, I still didn’t know if or when he was going to get a visa. I felt like I was living Christina Aguilera’s life in that movie Burlesque when she first arrives in LA. It was stressful but once we got the apartment and he came over, it was great.
What was it about LA that took your fancy?
L: The opportunities! It’s the hub of entertainment and dance in the world. Matthew had lived in San Diego for two years before we met and always had the intention of going back but didn’t because he met me. So we decided to go to LA for something new and see what we could do over there. You never know who you might bump in to!
Do you think it’s a long term thing?
M: We’re very undecided.
L: We’re not very good at planning, we just go with the flow.
M: We should probably start to plan our lives better instead of just following the craic.
L: We’ll see how it goes! We have the three year visa now. We’ll definitely be over there for a good few months of the year but we’ll always make Ireland our base. The ideal thing for us right now is to have both. With our careers, anything can happen and they’re not the sort of jobs you can really plan far ahead with.
How is work over there, what is it you’re doing there Laura?
L: So we were doing a big charity dance show and I’m working in a studio there as well. There’s movie opportunities I want to chase. I’ve always wanted to pursue that but you can’t get them from over here in Ireland.
Would you be interested in the American DWTS?
L: I’d be open to all opportunities! DWTS is huge over there, it’s one of the biggest shows in America. I love doing Dancing with the Stars over here too, as well. It’s so special. I can do both though, they run at different times of the year so even if something came up in the US, I can do that and then be back here for the Irish run. That would be the dream.
Can we ever see you shaking and shimmying again Matthew?
M: [Laughs] I don’t think anyone wants to see me dancing again!
L: Maybe for the first dance at the wedding! He is a great support to all my partners on the show though. Going from season to season it’s incredible to have someone who understands the whole process. Matthew knows how much time and effort it takes, he’ll offer advice to the contestants and he’s a great cheerleader!
M: I understand what they’re going through. I’ve learned a lot through osmosis.
L: Last night before going to bed I was going through our routine for Week One and he was like, I think you can do better! Which is nice to have that push. He’s been around this world for three years, watching the training, the live shows, watching clips of dances from around the world online. You learn as you look.
How do you feel about this season being back now?
L: I am buzzing! I’ve seen how it’s done on DWTS over in the US, I’ve taken part in different dance classes there too so I’ll bring that all back – I’ve so many different ideas now. It’s my fifth season. Myself and Stephen are now the longest serving professionals on the show. I was the baby at one stage and now all of a sudden I’m the most senior! I’m really hoping this could be the year that I could get to the final and maybe lift the glitter ball. It would be the best outcome but aside from that, I just want to create dances each week that I’m proud of.
And you’re partnered with Olympic athlete, Rhys McClenaghan!
L: I’m delighted! We’ve already made a deal that if he can teach me how to back flip, I’ll turn him into the best dancer he can become. He’s such an inspiration. It’s a privilege and an honour to be dancing with an Olympic gold medallist. He’s such a nice person too. Gymnastics and dance are two completely different animals however I think him understanding his body makes a difference. Sometimes I’d have to teach someone how to walk in a straight line [looks straight to Matthew and laughs] but I don’t have that now. The showmanship will definitely stand to him. I think it’s going to be a great season, the line-up is great.
Will you be out there all the time Matthew?
M: Oh yeah! I try to let others in the family have seats whenever I can because I’ve been so many times. I go whenever Laura wants me there.
L: I’d have him there every week if I could! I live just around the corner so he watches it with my parents, the neighbours come in too. I arrive back about twenty minutes after the show finishes and he’ll have food waiting for me which I’m delighted about!
M: Makeup is everywhere, her hair’s like a rock with the amount of hairspray.
L: There’s been so many nights spent with me sitting on the floor and he’ll be pulling pins out of my hair for an hour.
M: There’s hundreds of them!
What does life look like after DWTS? Are you heading back to the States or staying here for a little while?
M: I think we’re going to go back to LA around the start of April.
L: We’re going to go on a holiday after the show.
M: And to check out wedding venues. It’ll be a nice break.
L: It is so hard to find venues!
What is it you’re looking for in that space?
M: The look of it, the vibe. It doesn’t have to be big, we don’t want to have a massive wedding. The elegance of it.
L: I’ve seen a couple and loved the exterior but when it comes to the main room, the ceiling is so low. Matthew wouldn’t fit in the door! It needs to feel special.
M: In my head, as long as I nail the main life events for Laura, I’m happy. Engagement ticked off, wedding next.
L: You’re so cute!
Will you be training him for the first dance Laura?
L: This is the thing with dancers, we never know whether to give it a full performance or not. I’ve always said I’d teach him how to do a rumba. We’d probably do something slightly choreographed but more intimate. Maybe we’ll save a bigger one for like 2am!
We can’t wait to see that! Matthew, you can work from anywhere in the world, is it nice to have that freedom to move around more easily?
M: Absolutely. It’s been a busy year getting LifeSet off the ground, constantly trying to improve it. I feel like I can make a massive difference to people. It’s not just a fitness app, it’s an all-in-one to help people with their mental health as well as physical, but it’s also to help people stay consistent which is the biggest problem for anyone.
Are you good with goal setting?
M: I am! I love to write it down and have something to work towards. I love January for that reason.
What are your goals for 2025?
M: I want LifeSet to have over 10,000 active users every day, I want to book a wedding venue, become fully fluent in coding and I always like to have my own physical health goal. I also like to do one thing every year that scares me. I haven’t picked that yet. One year was cliff jumping and sky diving, another was Love Island, DWTS, last year was launching the business and moving to America.
L: We’re also starting to put things in place to buy a house. We’re obviously not in a position to do it yet, but we’re going to start putting the wheels in motion for it. I want to do as best I can in DWTS and get as far as we can in the show, same as Matthew, the wedding venue and starting to plan for it is on my goals, and you never know what might happen in the US. There’s lots going on and it’s exciting.
How do you feel going into this new chapter now together?
M: I was always the guy who was happy to be single but now it’s really nice to have a person who you can plan life with, to achieve things together. I help Laura with her goals and she helps me with mine. It’s exciting. You’re doing it all together and it doesn’t feel like you’ve the weight of the world on your shoulders.
L: I couldn’t imagine life with anyone else. It’s so exciting to move forward together, progress in life together. We’ve never left the honeymoon phase – we’re so happy together. He’s my perfect person.
