Newlywed life for Heather Rae El Moussa almost started off on the wrong foot.
Just minutes before walking down the aisle to meet groom Tarek El Moussa, the Selling Sunset star thought her shoes were going to fall off. "I had a little panic moment," Heather recalled to E! News in an exclusive interview. "Tarek was wondering if I was coming out or not."
But when she finally turned the corner and laid eyes on the Flip or Flop star, any cold feet disappeared. Now, exactly one year after saying "I do" in Santa Barbara, Calif., the couple is celebrating their anniversary and looking forward to what's to come.
"We actually decided to combine our first anniversary with the babymoon," pregnant Heather shared. "It's very rare that we get some days off of filming and we decided to stay local and enjoy the beauty of where we live here. We're going out on our boat together to just relax and be on the ocean."
While Tarek is known for showering his wife with thoughtful gifts for big milestones, he's staying mum on what this weekend could hold. At the same time, the dad to Taylor, 12, and Brayden, 7, with ex Christina Hall is quick to sing Heather's praises.
"She's a machine, a rockstar!" he told E! News. "She's juggling homework and school and trips and travel and then on top of that, she's helping me fix up and flip houses. And then of course she's filming Selling Sunset and selling $14 million penthouses. I would say she's a machine."
While conquering the world of real estate on Sunset Blvd. has its thrills, perhaps it's the family time in Orange County, Calif., that is most rewarding for Heather.
When the kids are home, Tarek and Heather's evenings are filled with sports, homework and activities.
"We make sure we're always present," he said. "On the nights we have the kids, we always eat dinner together. We always play games together. We do bedtime together every single night too."
Perhaps it's only fitting that in a few short months, Heather will welcome a child of her own. While the real estate agent was previously open about her fertility journey including her decision to freeze some of her eggs, Heather said her pregnancy has been filled with positive surprises.
"Tarek has been very supportive with everything from the very beginning, telling me how beautiful I am pregnant and just being a support system," she said. "We were actually planning on implanting one of our embryos in October. And then we had a very happy surprise come earlier than we expected."
The biggest surprise for Tarek and Heather may just be finding each other, a moment Heather chalks up to fate.
Before meeting in 2019 when traveling on separate boats, Heather questioned what her future would look like. Today, she has some priceless advice for women hoping to find their special someone. "So many girls think that as they near their late 20s or early 30s, that they give up hope on finding their soulmate." the 35-year-old said. "But you have to be open to love and be open to unexpected situations. I want to tell women to not settle and not give in just because they want to be with someone."
See more of the couple when The Flipping El Moussas premieres on HGTV in 2023.