All the Details on Andi Dorfman's Gorgeous Engagement Ring from Blaine Hart

Andi Dorfman is tying the knot!

The former Bachelorette star, 34, is engaged to boyfriend Blaine Hart, who proposed with a gorgeous diamond ring that holds a special meaning.

Dorfman, who appeared on season 10 of ABC's hit reality dating show, tells PEOPLE exclusively that she and Hart "picked out the ring together." The sparkling stunner features a diamond-encrusted band with a square cut center stone.

Her ring also has a special family connection, Dorfman says. She and Hart used the same jeweler who made an engagement ring for Dorfman's mom nearly 40 years ago.

"We actually picked out the ring together. We went to the same jeweler who made my mom's engagement ring almost 40 years ago, which was really special for me," she says.

Dorfman adds, "I love that it is more traditional with the halo and split shank but mostly I love that I look at it, and as cheesy as it sounds, it symbolizes so much love and happiness."

She continues, "I love too that Blaine visited my parents in Atlanta to ask both of them for their blessing and even called my sister to ask for hers as well. That just epitomizes the kind of man Blaine is."

Dorfman's engagement to Hart comes after she first introduced him on social media last year. Before dating Hart, Dorfman appeared on Juan Pablo Galavis' season of The Bachelor in 2014, where she eliminated herself.

She then became the Bachelorette for the show's 10th season and got engaged to winner Josh Murray later that year. The two announced their split in early 2015.

Dorfman tells PEOPLE she wanted to keep her relationship with Hart private so she could "protect" him "from the world of the public eye," explaining, "I didn't want that to play a role in our relationship."

She adds, "But it's fun for me to share it now, and it makes me feel really good to see that people are truly happy that I finally found love."

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Dorfman says her relationship with Hart "is completely different" from her past experiences.

"Not only do we love each other tremendously, but we like being with each other," she says. "We both just want to make the other happy and in turn our relationship is a lot of fun. That's the word I'd use to describe our relationship: fun."

"It's not about it being easy or hard — that's not our barometer," Dorfman adds. "I knew Blaine was different and I remember just hoping that the shoe wouldn't drop and this was the real deal and it turned out it was!"