Selling Sunset season 5 is just about to close a deal with your Netflix queue (and it's above asking). You can bet the latest installment of the luxury real estate reality show will deliver the jaw-dropping drama and gorgeous decor straight to your door. One of the major plot lines this season? The wedding of Selling Sunset star Heather Rae Young and HGTV mainstay Tarek El Moussa. ICYMI, the property-selling power couple tied the knot on October 23, 2021.
Surrounded by family, friends, and some of Heather's Selling Sunset cast mates, the El Moussa's truly lavish nuptials took place at a meaningful spot near Santa Barbara, California.
And if all the couple milestones these two have already passed are any indication, this relationship seems built to last. In one year, Heather and Tarek started dating, hung out together with Tarek's kids, moved in together, and capped it all off with a romantic marriage proposal. But hey, when you know, you know, right?
This whirlwind romance began in July 2019, and while the journey to finding each other was a little bumpy, these newlyweds were so sure of one another when they met that they committed to being exclusive on their second date.
Here's the full timeline of Heather Rae El Moussa and Tarek El Moussa's relationship from the very beginning:
July 4, 2019: The two meet when Tarek spotted Heather on a yacht near his own.
You might even say there were fireworks when Tarek honked his horn to get Heather's attention and asked her out. At the time, the Flip or Flop host had finalized his divorce from co-host Christina Anstead a year prior and was six years out from recovering from two types of cancer, according to House Beautiful.
Heather, meanwhile, was in another relationship at the time and turned Tarek down. But she must have also been feelin' the love that day, because paparazzi spotted the two canoodling a few weeks later on July 28 on a yacht in Redondo Beach, Calif., People later reported.
"I’ll never forget the first time I saw her," Tarek recently wrote on Instagram. "It was the last thing I ever expected but I met the love of my life. The second our eyes connected and we smiled at each other I knew my life would never be the same."
July 22, 2019: The two become "official" on their second date.
While the couple didn't publicly reveal their relationship status on Instagram until August 8, both noted in their anniversary posts that they had actually decided to have "the talk" during their second date.
What other secrets had the couple been keeping? People reported in January 2020 that the two had moved in together (although splitting time between their two houses) a week after their first date, which Tarek also noted in his anniversary Instagram caption.
August 13, 2019: The couple appears in their first interview together.
Dressed up and looking very much in love, the two discussed their relationship with PeopleTV for their first joint interview. And, they couldn't stop gushing about each other (aw!).
"We really focus on having fun and living life and just enjoying each other’s company. And going out to dinner, and going boating, and… I’m talking too much because I’m excited,” Tarek said.
“He’s been very romantic, it’s been very amazing,” Heather confirmed. “All happiness and smiles.” He even bought Heather her "dream car"—a white Ferrari, she added on Instagram:
December 6, 2019: Heather poses with Tarek and his two kids, Taylor and Brayden, for a family Christmas photo.
Based on previous Instagram photos, Tarek's two kids from his marriage to Christina were already spending some QT with Heather. But any doubts of the seriousness of their relationship were squashed when Heather was part of the family's holiday photo.
"The kids welcomed me into their life from day one," the luxury real estate agent told Women's Health. "Like night one, Taylor made up a dance for me with her cousin. They started calling us 'Teather' from the very beginning. I basically met the family and then never moved out."
May 6, 2020: Tarek and Heather buy and move into a new house together.
The couple finally found a joint real estate venture when they bought a home together. Though the timing might not have been ideal for a move, the couple told People that they had been looking at houses before the COVID-19 pandemic and were able to make it work with lots of gloves and masks and a little bit of "chaos."
July 22, 2020: Tarek and Heather share #couplegoals anniversary tributes.
As they kicked off their anniversary celebrations, the couple shared a series of photos on Instagram. "From the first day I met you, to our first date and our second date when we decided to commit 100% before we barely even knew each other," the former Playboy Playmate wrote in her caption.
"But we knew what we had was special. We had that butterflies in your tummy, can’t eat, can’t stop smiling soul mate love. ❤️"
July 25, 2020: Tarek surprises Heather by proposing.
During their romantic, anniversary Catalina Island getaway, Tarek proposed and Heather said yes. He gave her a giant bunch of her fave flowers (5,000 of 'em) as well as a diamond after getting down on one knee.
Tarek says it's a “special place” for them, and they “love to be on the boat together," per People. He surprised Heather by popping the question on the beach, and she said yes. It's safe to say Catalina is extra special now.
Speaking of the diamond, Tarak chose an eight-carat, colorless, emerald-cut diamond engagement ring. "The diamond is perfect all the way around, just like Heather," he told People. "I also picked this ring because 8 is a lucky number."
July 30, 2020: Heather shares all the romantic details of their engagement.
Amid their post-engagement bliss, both Heather and Tarek couldn't stop gushing about each other. And, they shared more details from their picture-perfect proposal.
She wrote in an Instagram caption: "I couldn’t see anything as I was walked down to the beach. There were cabanas lined up covering everything. I was rushed around the corner to what I thought would be a dinner on the sand. But when I walked around the corner Tarek was standing there looking so handsome in his tux."
"I was confused for the first 15 seconds as I walked down the gorgeous candle & flower aisle wondering what the heck is going on," she continued. "Then I thought OMG is he proposing??? No way!!!! But in my head I talked Myself out of it thinking well I bet it’s earrings!!! I didn’t want to get my hopes up."
Tarek posted the same mid-proposal pic, reflecting on how far the couple's relationship had come in the caption. "If you told me 13 months ago I would be engaged today I would have called you crazy," he wrote.
"You just can’t predict what’s going to happen. One moment you are sitting there and the next your life is completely different. The second I saw @heatherraeyoung I knew my life would never be the same. She’s not only become my best friend but she’s also incredible to Tay and Bray."
August 2020: Heather starts shopping for wedding dresses.
And the hunt for the perfect 'I do' look began! Heather shared all about shopping and crowdsourced ideas from her followers on Instagram: "So I tried on wedding dresses on Monday with my beautiful mama. What a special day it was. I couldn’t stop smiling," she wrote.
"I was envisioning myself walking down the aisle towards @therealtarekelmoussa and thinking what would he love me in. When he sees me I want him to say Wow she’s mine! 😊"
November 2020: Heather and Tarek sample wedding cakes.
The couple has double the decisions to make because they planned to serve a plant-based and a traditional confection at their wedding. They filmed the taste test for HGTV.
"I have been SO excited about wedding cake tasting because I love sweet stuff. We plan to have 2 cakes, one plant based and one normal. And I put @therealtarekelmoussa through a tasting quiz.... which 3 were vegan?!?"
The final verdict? "I’m leaning towards chocolate peanut butter!!! 💍♾👏🏼"
Dec. 9, 2020: Heather tries on rehearsal dinner dresses with Selling Sunset co-star Chrishell Stause.
It didn't take long for her to figure out Tarek was the one, but saying yes to the dress is a process. Heather and Chrishell visited Galia Lahav Haute Couture, where Heather tried on an embellished, short white dress. Chrishell also donned a short, white dress with feathers and extra rhinestones.
So far, that puts Heather's dress count at two.
February 1, 2021: Heather shares a sneak peek from her engagement shoot.
Heather shared an adorable video from The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Southern California twirling with Tarek. She wrote: "Forever and ever and ever ❤️💍
What an incredible engagement shoot!! It was a very long day but my fiancé was such a trooper. My sweet love @therealtarekelmoussa I can’t wait to make it official!! It’s getting closer and closer!! Let the countdown begin!!! 2021 wedding!!"
February 5, 2021: Heather upgrades her engagement ring.
It's still the same emerald cut, eight-carat sparkler, but now it's surrounded by a mini army of diamonds on the band. "I never planned my ‘dream wedding’ but I saved rings I loved for the past 10 years," she shared on Instagram stories.
Heather and Tarek worked together on the design update with the original jeweler, Benny Hayoun.
February 9, 2021: Heather gets Tarek's name inked on her butt.
Heather tapped tattoo artist Sean Arnold’s studio for her "special Valentine’s Day present," PageSix reported.
Initially, Heather was going to keep it private. "It’s very meaningful because I’m doing it for my fiancé," she said in the video. "It’s something that’s just for us, so you might not see it. But this guy right here is going to hook me up."
Heather shared a photo of the new ink, which reads "Yes Sir, Mr. El Moussa," before deleting her post.
Feb. 23, 2021: Heather explains why she deleted the tattoo pic.
Just hours after she posted the picture, Heather deleted it from her social media. Weeks late, she explained to Us Weekly that she received so much backlash that she decided to take it down.
"It was completely taken out of context, and the whole meaning of it was blown way out of proportion," she said. "And so, obviously you saw, I took it down. We woke up the next morning, and it was, like, so much negativity surrounded by something that was meant for my fiancé and meant with so much love."
Heather also noted that deleting the pic only got more people talking about it, even though it was an attempt to move on. "We took it down, which then stirred up more controversy," she told the publication. "But, you know, I don’t like negativity. I don’t like negativity on my page. I don’t like to read negativity. It really upsets me. And so, I’d rather just take it down and move on from that."
Heather also shared more about what her and Tarek's nicknames mean and how they use them at home. "It’s something cute we do around the house," she said. "It’s like, you know, Daddy’s the boss and Heather’s the boss. And so, he’ll say something... and then I’m like, 'Yes, sir, Mr. El Moussa.' And he’ll say, 'Yes, ma’am, Ms. El Moussa.'"
"I know that they say names are the kiss of death for tattoos, but it’s [going to be] my last name too, right?" she added.
And apparently, Tarek is considering getting a similar tattoo with Heather’s name.
"We actually talked about that," she said. "He’s like, 'I’m going to get your name.' And I’m like, 'Okay, well, what name are you going to get?' I don’t know if he will, to be honest. But, you know, maybe he’ll get it in the same spot. I don’t know."
Feb. 24, 2021: Heather talks about being a stepmom.
Since getting engaged to Tarek, Heather has also taken on the role of stepmom to his two children with his ex-wife Christina, Taylor, 10, and Brayden, 5.
"The hardest thing is I’m raising humans, and I’ve never raised a human before," she told Us Weekly. "I never had the time to prepare to be a stepmom. Most moms, you know, they have the time they’re carrying the baby. They’re prepped to be a mom. I never had that prep time. I was just thrown into it completely."
She also added that it can be "a lot to juggle and a lot to manage"—but she’s "doing a pretty rock star job."
She also added that the best thing about being a stepmom is watching the kids grow and change in front of her eyes. "We’re just such a tight family now, and it’s so special to watch them grow," she told the publication. "I’ve never seen children grow up in front of my eyes.
"Every week, we get them back [from their mom], and I get to see them changing. It’s so cute. I’ve never experienced this before and it’s so special," she continued. Heather also credits Tarek with being super supportive and creating an environment of open communication with Christina.
"We coparent very well, and we communicate very well… either through text or in person," Heather said. "We help each other out when we need it. If we need to borrow something, we let each other borrow things."
And in case you were wondering, Heather also added that she "get[s] along great" with Christina and called her a "great mom."
April 24, 2021: Heather and Tarek celebrate with an engagement party.
Heather wore a white jumpsuit and Tarek donned a tux for the momentous occasion. Heather's The Oppenheim Group co-workers and fellow Selling Sunset stars attended the special event.
The duo kept the festivities intimate, gathering with close friends and family only. "Last night was perfect. You could say I’m ready to #flipherlastname," Tarek captioned a video clip snuggled up with Heather at the party. Btw, Heather is planning to change her last name to El Moussa after the wedding, per People.
Heather shared another happy clip: "The most special night with the most special man... I can’t stop smiling ❤️."
Their chosen venue, Louie's by the Bay, is not far from where Tarek and Heather met on July 4, 2019.
October 23, 2021: Heather and Tarek finally say "I do!"
The couple officially tied the knot on the grounds of a stunning hotel near Santa Barbara, California. "We're best friends, we're true soulmates, and our love is so rare and so special," Heather told People. "It's the love I've always dreamed of my whole life."
Tarek added, "I'm just excited to live this life with her. We've got the two babies, we have a family, and we have a very bright future." Oh, and the bride and groom shared tons of shots from the big day on their IGs (of course!):
Right after the ceremony, the pair took off on a honeymoon of epic proportions. They first landed in the Maldives before heading to Dubai for a relaxing vacation as newlyweds. Heather shared plenty of snaps from their vacay—including a close-up of her ring:
And an ah-dorable video, which shows Heather and Tarek getting caught in the rain while swimming together.
She even posted a snippet from her vows: "Things will not always be perfect, but perfect is boring. Imperfections are a beautiful thing. I will always love you for everything you are, I will never judge you or hold things against you. 🤍," Heather wrote in a recent IG caption.
December 7,2021: Tarek and Heather walk their first red carpet as a married couple.
The newlyweds made their first public appearance post-wedding at the 47th Annual People's Choice Awards at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. "Last night was a dream 🤍 no literally, I’ve always dreamt of being at an award show as iconic as the @peopleschoice Awards 💗," Heather shared on Instagram the next day. "It was so special to be just rows away from the stage clapping for some of the most inspiring women. Empowered women empower women 💅🏻 and it’s something that my younger self would be so proud of so CHEERS to a dream come true kinda night 🥂"
February 14, 2022: The couple celebrate their first Valentine's Day as husband and wife.
To commemorate their first married V-Day, Heather and Tarek shared sweet posts (and even more wedding pics—it's the perfect excuse, no?).
"When I think of my life I break it down in chapters. Some chapters have been better than others. But everything in my story has happened for a reason," Heather captioned an Instagram carousel of her and Tarek through the years. "This chapter of my life has been the very best. Truly magical🤍 When I finally found my person, partner, best friend & soulmate I felt this sense of calm and completion. I want to put us in a safety bubble because when you find it you want to protect it forever."
"@therealtarekelmoussa I love being your wife. I love laughing with you, exploring the world with you, snuggling with you, spending family time with you and the kids, kissing you I truly can’t get enough," she continued in her post. "Obsessed with you my sweet man. One lifetime won’t be enough time with you but I love every second we spend together.
Happy Valentine’s Day handsome, you deserve the world ❤️."
For Tarek's part, he shared an equally romantic photo series of the couple with a heartfelt caption. "They say time flies when you are in love and I must say that holds true for me. Today celebrates our third Valentine’s Day as a couple and what a wild ride it’s been. Three years ago we were strangers meeting for the first time on a boat and today we are married and working on having a baby:) this girl changed my life and for the first time in my life I feel like I’m actually 'living'. I’m happy, healthy, loved, protected, and thriving all because of my beautiful bride," Tarek wrote. "Never ever give up on you and what you want in your life. You deserve the best so fight like hell to get it for yourself and your family. I fought like hell to find heather and I’m so glad I did:)❤️ bunny I love you to the moon and back and it will be me and you forever! I hope you all have the best V- day..."
February 27, 2022: Heather and Tarek start building a mountain home together.
"Standing in the exact spot where our new mountain home is being built 🥰 Can’t wait to look back on this once its all done!!" Heather captioned a photo of her, Tarek, and Tarek's two kids, Taylor and Brayden, standing in the snow. "Let’s hope this one is a little smoother than our beach house 🙈 But hey we are used to this so here we go…"
The real estate agent then asked her Instagram followers if it would be fun to share the design and planning process with them, and many of her fans seemed into getting an inside look at her and Tarek's latest property pursuit.
March 1, 2022: The couple open up about having a baby.
In an Instagram video, Heather shared a "little fertility update" with her followers. "Tarek and I have four embryos that are saved right now, three are the same gender and they’re all very strong. The fourth one is not as strong so we probably won’t ending [sic] using that one but we’re really happy with the results and I’m so relieved 🙏🏻," she wrote. "Now it’s just all about the right timing. I’m a little nervous even though I’m helping raise two kids and I adore them more than anything it’s nerve racking carrying your own so any of my mommies out there who have any advice please comment everything and anything below 🥰."
In a follow-up post on March 3, Heather shared a clip from her interview on The Doctors with Dr. Andrew Ordon and her fertility physician, Dr. Gayane Ambartsumyan. "I’m not going to lie, there were a lot of ups and downs in my fertility journey - I cried, I felt joy, emotions but at the end of the day it’s really about mindset and keeping the stress low and the support system you have around you," she captioned the video. "I wanted to share this in hopes that it could help someone else out there who’s going through something similar 💗..."
Later, in an April 2022 post, Heather shared more insight on her and Tarek's decision to grow their family. "Ever since I started sharing my fertility journey with you guys, Probably one of the #1 questions I get asked is 'what made you change your mind about having your own kids?'," she wrote alongside a photo of her, Taylor, and Brayden taken at the couple's wedding. "Well… my love for Taylor and Brayden is almost indescribable, it helped me realize that I am capable of being an incredible mom and that I can really do this! Raising humans is hard, I have so much respect for the men and women who raise such amazing little ones 💕 I just love being a bonus mom and I couldn't imagine my life not having and creating something with my husband!"
"Plus seeing @therealtarekelmoussa as a daddy is just the most incredible thing. He's so loving and devoted to them and such a great dad that I envisioned us having our own," she continued in the caption. "Tarek will move mountains to do everything in his power to be at every school event, every game, he shows up for me when I need help with the kids even after a long day of work and filming and stress, he never questions anything, will drop everything for me and them! I can’t wait to add to our family when the time is right 🥰🙏🏼."
April 11, 2022: Heather and Tarek get matching tattoos.
The couple is keeping the celebration going with some new ink. Heather shared two black and white photos on Instagram of her and Tarek's arms with matching forearm tattoos of their wedding date "10.23.2021." For Tarek, the wedding date tattoo joins two existing tattoos commemorating his children's birthdays in the same style. The couple also now has matching wrist tattoos that say "HEM" (Heather El Moussa) and "TEM" (Tarek El Moussa).
"I got my first tattoo almost 25 years ago and it was so bad a promised myself I’d never get another! Yesterday….I broke my promise😬," he captioned a series of Instagram photos showing their tattoos. "This time, it’s not an all black crooked tribal on my back🤣🤣🤣, it’s something extremely meaningful. And because it’s meaningful, it feels different and I’ll always love it!
"It started out as just @heatherraeyoung and I getting our wedding date. Last minute, before we got there, I decided I also really wanted the kids birthdays and her initials!" he continued in the post. "So now, I have 3 special dates and Heather’s initials on my left arm. We also left some spots open for future kid/kids, yes I said it❤️."
Fellow Selling Sunset cast mates Chrishell Stause and Emma Hernan commented "🥺🥺🥰👏♥️" and "😍😍😍😍😍" on Heather's post respectively, while Amanza Smith wrote, "Love ❤️."
April 17, 2022: They celebrate their first Easter as a married couple.
First holidays are big moments for newlyweds, and Heather and Tarek are no exception. They spent the holiday with Tarek's children amid a backyard picnic celebration at his parents' house.
"Hope everyone had an amazing Easter 🤍 ...Feeling so grateful that we got to spend the weekend with family. 🥰 Family is so important to me and @therealtarekelmoussa... everyone on tareks side of the family and mine get along so well, and love each other so so much that it makes our holidays extra special 💕," Heather captioned a slideshow of their Easter festivities. "...I think we may have added a new tradition with the bunnies!! The kids loved it so much they just lit up when I saw them and it was a really special thing we did."
Tarek also shared a series of photos from the special day with a caption recapping the day's events: "We had such a fun Easter!! We crashed my moms house which is also my childhood home with the family! It brings back so many amazing memories from a different life❤️ We started off the day by surprising the kids with real life bunny petting! After the bunnies, we had to help the kids find 200 eggs in the backyard, we went swimming, played games, and ate so much I can’t eat again until 2023!"
Cheers to the happy couple and the forever home they found in each other!
Alexis Jones is an assistant editor at Women's Health where she writes across several verticals on WomensHealthmag.com, including life, health, sex and love, relationships and fitness, while also contributing to the print magazine. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Syracuse University, lives in Brooklyn, and proudly detests avocados.
