Scotty McCeery and Gabi Dugal Are Engaged
During a recent CMT.com Q&A, Scotty McCreery, 23, lit up like a firecracker when the topic of conversation changed from his music to his girlfriend Gabi Dugal.
"She's a rock for me and understands me like nobody else," McCreery said. "And she's really been there through thick and thin with me, and she's just awesome. I can't say enough nice things about her. She's another grounding force for me."
The two have known each other since kindergarten and have been dating for six years. Dugal has a childhood diary that says "Mrs. Gabi McCreery" circled with hearts documenting the first time they met. McCeery even wrote a chapter on their relationship in his 2016 memoir, Go Big or Go Home: The Journey Towards the Dream.
Now the happy couple looks forward to the next chapter of their lives together as husband and wife.
McCreery proposed to Dugal on Tuesday (Sept. 26) at one of their favorite places on the planet: the mountains of North Carolina near Grandfather Mountain while hiking a trail they discovered last year.
When the two arrived on top of the mountain surrounded by stunning views of lush green forests, McCreery got down on one knee and surprised Dugal with a ring he had helped design specifically for her. The couple plans to wed in 2018.
Fans will recognize Dugal in McCreery's music videos for "The Trouble with Girls," "Feelin' It" and "Five More Minutes."
Dugal is a graduate of the University of North Carolina and currently works as a pediatric cardiac nurse at Duke University Hospital.
McCreery is currently on tour through December. On Friday (Sept. 22), he performed in front of 13,000 fans in Sioux Falls, South Dakota as the surprise opening act for Garth Brooks. His latest single "Five More Minutes" is No. 34 on Billboard's Country Airplay chart.
