The groom-to-be didn’t know that McNeely was on the Netflix reality series until his second date with her

Alexander Lewis and Iyanna McNeely. Photo: Jason Kaczorowski Photography

Wedding bells are ringing again for Iyanna McNeely!

The Love Is Blind star, 30, recently got engaged to Alexander Lewis. Now, she is opening up about her private relationship and the couple’s hopes for a potential destination wedding.

“We’re still in the process of planning, but are considering a Mexico City or Portugal destination wedding, or Chicago where it all began,” McNeely exclusively tells PEOPLE.

The bride-to-be was previously married to Jarrette Jones, whom she met on the second season of Love Is Blind. The couple had a rocky start after Jones proposed to another woman, Mallory Zapata. After getting rejected, he popped the question to McNeely, and they got married in the show’s finale.

Shortly after McNeely accused Jones of cheating on her during their “unhappy” marriage, the two announced their split in August 2022, citing that their lives were “going in different directions.” In September 2022, McNeely officially filed for a divorce, which was finalized that November.

Iyanna McNeely and Alexander Lewis.Jason Kaczorowski Photography

It wasn’t until Lewis’ second date with McNeely that he learned of her Love Is Blind history.

“He had never seen the show, so it was pretty embarrassing telling him that not only was I on it but I also got married and divorced from it,” McNeely says.

The Netflix star continues: “He took it in stride, and the relationship has been such smooth sailing. We genuinely enjoy each other’s company and are wildly complementary. We’re very excited to take this next step together.”

While McNeely didn’t blindly meet Lewis, 31, through a pod wall, they did connect from behind a screen.

“We met on a dating app in early fall 2023,” she says. “I was initially attracted to Alex’s presumed intelligence — he’s a corporate attorney and Yale Law grad. Turns out he actually is a smarty pants with a great sense of humor. Alex was initially attracted to my smile but quickly learned I also had a great sense of humor and energy.”

Alexander Lewis and Iyanna McNeely.Jason Kaczorowski Photography

She adds: “Our first date was a three-hour walk along Lake Shore with hot chocolate.”

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About a year later, Lewis got down on one knee and proposed with an oval-cut diamond with a yellow gold diamond band from the Michael M collection. The recent engagement took place at The Rookery, a historic building in Chicago, following a date night watching Joffrey Ballet’s The Nutcracker at the Civic Opera House.

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“He rented the building, hired a violinist and hired a photographer [Jason Kaczorowski] to capture the moment and take engagement portraits after,” McNeely recalls. “It was a beautiful private engagement. After the initial shock, I cried such happy tears. We followed with dinner at Mako, one of our favorite omakase restaurants.”

McNeely announced her engagement on Instagram on Dec. 17, writing, “A weekend of surprises, wonder, and happy cries. ✨ Something sparkly, something special, someone forever. ✨.”