Mary Lou Retton's Daughter McKenna Kelley Shares Gorgeous Engagement Photos! (Exclusive)

"We got connected when I saw he was single and I slid in his DMs," Kelley says of how she met her fiancé Braden Doughty

Mary Lou Retton's daughter McKenna Kelley looks stunning in her engagement photos!

The gymnast, 26, who is the second of Retton's four daughters, said yes to her boyfriend Braden Doughty's Feb. 1 proposal — and they both say the special day in San Antonio, Texas, could not have gone any better.

"The proposal was absolutely perfect," Kelley tells PEOPLE. "It was at a resort overlooking Braden's favorite golf course. However, I wasn't surprised, because of all of my own digging!"

Kelley says there were signs that Doughty was going to propose that evening. "I saw that my best friend, who’s from California, was in town, and I even ran into his family at a local boutique."

"My entire family was there, including most of his," she says. "It was the most magical day."

Related: Mary Lou Retton Celebrates After Daughter McKenna Chooses a Wedding Dress: ‘She Said Yes’

Doughty, 26, says, "I had had the ring for three months, she was getting antsy. I had frequented the resort often for the golf course, and had seen pictures of proposals done there and really liked it. I got 'marry me' in big light up letters, and had rose petals laid out in a heart."

He adds, "McKenna came walking up the sidewalk with her sister, while our families and friends were on the balcony above watching everything go down. The staff at La Cantera Resort and Golf Course was very helpful in planning and making everything go smoothly."

The couple first met while they were both students at LSU.

"We both were athletes at LSU — he played baseball and I was a gymnast," says Kelley. "I had always admired his outspoken faith. I even remember saying 'I want to marry a guy like that!' Post-graduation and adult life later, and here we are!"

Kelley is also happy to admit that she's the one who reached out to Doughty first.

"We got connected when I saw he was single and I slid in his DMs," she says.

Related: Mary Lou Retton's 4 Children: All About Shayla, McKenna, Skyla and Emma

Kelley tells PEOPLE their first date helped the couple get to know one another quickly.

"It was actually a road trip," she says. "I was flying back from coaching a gymnastics camp and my connection was in Houston. He was driving from Louisiana to Texas to see me for the first time, so he stopped at the Houston airport to pick me up and we continued the drive. We had only texted, called and FaceTimed prior, so this was quite the leap for a 'first date.' "

Doughty adds, "At the end of our weekend, I brought up the conversation of where I wanted this to go ... I asked her to be my girlfriend. She was terrified! But said yes."

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Now Doughty and Kelley are in the midst of planning their big day, which will happen this fall.

"Planning is so fun," says Kelley. "It's definitely stressful because of all of the little things and moving parts, but that’s the nature of wedding planning."

She continues, "The hardest part for me was picking colors. I was super indecisive. I'm thankful for my mother-in-law’s sense of style and opinions!"

For Kelley, planning actually began the moment she said yes to Doughty's proposal.

"I’m a go-getter and was able to pretty much get everything planned in six weeks, so we had our venue the day after the engagement. I knew what I wanted and was able to snag the last fall Saturday available. It felt meant to be," she says.

She also notes the overall vibe will be "timeless and classic," and there will be gold accents and lots of florals. "Braden will be wearing a hunter green suit. But that’s all I can say!"

In the meantime, she's just happy she found the man of her dreams to spend her life with.

"It took my heart a second to let its guard down and fall for Braden, but I knew a guy like him was a once in a lifetime chance," she says. "My heart has never been more safe and cherished."

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