Lauren Alaina's big day has some big shoes to fill.
The "Road Less Traveled" singer credits her Opry invitation and later induction as the "best days of my life," which means that her wedding to fiancé Cam Arnold is going to have to be ready to compete for the coveted title.
"In fact, that day, I made a joke that my wedding was going to have to be pretty good, so we're working on it. Our wedding day's got some serious living up to do. Maybe Dolly Parton can make a video," Alaina tells PEOPLE — only half-joking, referring to the video Parton made for her induction ceremony.
The American Idol alum was welcomed into one of country music's most revered clubs in February 2022, and "Trisha [Yearwood] and Garth [Brooks] showed up!" adds Alaina. "It was life-changing. It was my biggest goal for myself and my life. So, to have achieved that? It's like everything else now is just icing on the cake."
Speaking of cake, Alaina shares she actually has yet to choose the food for her wedding. Fear not, though, she's very excited about the opportunity.
"I'm going to thrive on the food days. I'm going to act like I can't make a decision, so I get to go back up 15 times," she quips.
And, beyond still figuring out the food, Alaina concedes that she and Arnold are in "full planning mode." The couple has a venue, a date (which they're keeping secret, for now) and Alaina even has the dress.
"Those are the things I've done, which all feel pretty big," she says. "But I got a wedding planner so that I would know what a wedding is. Bruce Pittman. He's wonderful, I thank God for him because I don't have to worry. I'll have to be the woman in the white dress, that's about all I know!"
In a September 2020 interview with PEOPLE, Alaina said she was committed to waiting until her next relationship was serious to share it with fans.
"I'm going to be 100 percent sure that it's going to work out before I go broadcast anything," she said at the time. "I've been joking that I'll be pretty much walking down the aisle before I'm going to tell people about him!"
Arnold, who is a partner in a Nashville-based insurance firm, is more of a private person, notes Alaina, but the two complement each other perfectly.
"I didn't want anyone in the industry at all. And boy, I got everything I could have ever wanted," she of her fiancé.
"He's a good teammate. He's my best friend in the whole wide world. He wears a suit for work every day, and I'm not sure that he had any idea who I was when he met me. And I'm still not sure he fully does know who I am!" Alaina adds, joking. "I'm just kidding. But he's very normal. He's from Georgia like me. He's just awesome."
In the meantime, between wedding planning and cake-tasting, the "Doin' Fine" singer is gearing up for a "big year," filled with her "long engagement," and complete with upcoming music from her new record deal.
"I signed with Big Loud. I've made quite a few big changes in my life in the last year. It's been so much fun to rebrand myself," Alaina says. "I haven't shared it yet with the world, but I'm very excited. It's going to be a little bit of a different sound for me than in the past. I think it's by far going to be the best music I've ever done."
.jpg "Lauren Alaina Dishes on Wedding Planning: 'Maybe Dolly Parton Can Make a Video'")
