Lawson Bates Is Engaged! Every Photo from His Romantic Proposal to Tiffany Espensen in Tuscany

Bringing Up Bates star Lawson Bates proposed to girlfriend Tiffany Espensen during the couple's recent trip to Italy, PEOPLE exclusively revealed Thursday.

The two started dating this February and couldn't be more excited to start their life together — scroll through to see all the photos from Bates' romantic proposal in Tuscany.

Bates, 29, told Espensen, 22, they were traveling to Italy to shoot a music video for their recent duet "Crazy Love," but he decided to use the work trip as an opportunity to surprise her with a proposal, he told PEOPLE.

"It has been a roller coaster of a few days so far, from our first stop at the Colosseum in Rome, to a Vespa ride through the Siena countryside, to a lovely evening dinner in San Gimignano, to a horse and carriage ride through Florence — all leading up to the main reason I'm here: asking Tiffany if she would spend the rest of her life by my side."

The proposal took place at the Tenuta Larnianone in Siena, a wine estate featuring multiple farmhouses, 47 acres of vineyards and 22 acres of olive groves.

"I chose to pop the question in a picturesque setting, right in the middle of a vineyard at Tenuta Larnianone, a fourth generation beautiful, family-run, Siena property with vineyards and olive groves," Bates said. "Our engagement happened right at sunset with just a few simple roses, and the serenity of the Tuscan backdrop."

Espensen admitted she did suspect something was up in the days leading up to the big moment.

"I knew something was suspicious when Lawson became awfully secretive with texts and planning with others. However, he still blew me away with this surprise!" she said. "To travel to Italy for any occasion is a dream, but especially for an engagement."

As for the ring, Bates worked with the team at Lamon Jewelers in Tennessee to customize the perfect piece for his bride-to-be.

"I was thrilled and overjoyed when she said, 'YES!'" he said. "We are so grateful God brought us both into each other's lives, and now we are overjoyed and excited to start preparing for our wedding and our future together."

The trip to Italy itself was a last-minute surprise — and Bates picked the perfect venue to tell Espensen about it.

"He broke the news to me that we would be going at a little Italian restaurant (of course!) just two days before we left," she revealed.

"This country is so gorgeous, and I have no words for how excited I am to share a life with Lawson," Espensen said. "I am so grateful for how much effort he put into this engagement, from the ring to the beautiful setting and all of the coordinated details. This will always be a wonderful memory that Lawson and I will share forever. Most importantly, we thank God that He brought us together, and we look forward to sharing a life together in marriage!"

Bates also gushed over his now-fiancée and the time they've spent together so far.

"Getting to know Tiffany — her heart, her passions, and her dreams — has been the greatest joy of my life, and we have been making so many wonderful memories together over the past year," he said.

To see more of Bates and Espensen, tune in to watch the hit UPtv series Bringing Up Bates on the Up Faith & Family streaming platform.