Preston Mitchum is about to walk down the aisle.
While attending the 35th Annual GLAAD Awards in New York, Summer Home: Martha’s Vineyard star, who got engaged to fiancé Donald Cooley in April, gave PEOPLE an exclusive update on the progress of the planning process.
“We’re still fully planning the wedding,” Mitchum, 38, said. “We want to get married in the fall of 2025, we’re still figuring out which cast we’re going to invite. So it’s full steam ahead, but luckily we’ve got some time.”
While the star of the Bravo reality TV series added that the couple has a lot to think about — including the location and who to invite — he said that when it comes down to it, there’s only one must-have at the event: an open bar.
“My fiancé and I like different spirits,” Mitchum continued, noting what drinks will be served on the wedding day. “I’m more of a brown drinker and he’s more of a Broco all the time kind of person. So whatever those combinations look like.”
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Preston Mitchum and his fiance Donald embrace.
Preston Mitchum/Instagram
Summer Home: Martha’s VineyardPreston Mitchum is engaged! Watch His Proposal To Fiance Donald Cooley (Exclusive)
Mitchum proposed to Cooley, 33, on April 9 while the two were on a European getaway. The engagement follows three years of dating after first meeting in 2019 on Jack’d, a gay dating app.
The couple confirmed the news exclusively to PEOPLE. “We, Preston and Donald, are delighted to announce our recent engagement while traveling in Madrid, Spain,” they said in a statement.
“In a world where love between black queer men is not always acknowledged or celebrated, we stand proudly together on this beautiful common road,” they continued. “Our journey is a testament to the beauty and power of love in all its forms and a commitment to always love and learn from one another. With hearts full of gratitude, we look forward to writing the next chapter of our lives together.”
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Preston Mitchum with his fiance Donald at the White House.
Preston Mitchum/Instagram
During dessert of their 10-course meal at Ramón Freixa Madrid, the Bravo star popped the question to her boyfriend. Cleverly, the reality star arranged for the two photographers to pair up as guests at the restaurant, ensuring they could capture the joyous surprise.
“He was so genuinely shocked that it had happened – he thought he suspected something!” Mitchum said. “So that made it even better.”
“We usually take two big international trips a year, and this was a good one to pop the question,” added Mitchum. “In our conversation about engagement and marriage, we already knew that we didn’t want these dates to be stereotypical or around dates that were already far away (birthdays, holidays, etc.). This made sense to me, since we were already on our usual romantic date. / to a bright excursion.”
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Source: HIS Education