‘DWTS’: Why Cheryl Burke First Thought Matthew Lawrence’s Proposal Was a Breakup
Dancing With the Stars champ Cheryl Burke tied the knot with Boy Meets World star Matthew Lawrence in May 2019. Introduced by Lawrence’s brother Joey when he was was a contestant on the ABC competition in 2006, the couple split after dating for a year, then reunited almost a decade later.
When the time came for Lawrence to pop the question, Burke initially thought he was ending their relationship.
Cheryl Burke was on alert for a ring
Reconnecting in December 2016, the couple quickly picked up where they left off in their romance. By the time Burke’s birthday rolled around over a year after their reconciliation, she started expecting Lawrence to propose.
“I kind of had a feeling that if he was going to do it, he was going to do it right now,” Burke told People of the party the night before her May 3 birthday in 2018. “Nothing happened. Then it was midnight and I thought, it’s my birthday, technically, and I was like, ‘For sure it’s gonna happen now!’ Nothing happened.”
Burke received several gifts over the next few days, yet nothing from her Boy Meets World beau.
“We went to the Montage in Laguna [Beach] just for the weekend… and every two seconds there were being flowers delivered,” the DWTS pro recalled in 2018. “And I thought, ‘For sure [it’s] Matt, this is Matt, nope, this is Matt.’ It wasn’t. I was like, ‘This guy didn’t even get me a card.’ He didn’t even say, ‘Love, Matt. Happy birthday!’”
‘DWTS’ star mistook a love letter for her walking papers
While prepping for a night out during their romantic weekend, Burke revealed that Lawrence was “rushing me out of the shower” and acting a bit unlike himself.
“The fact that he was like, ‘Hurry up’ [was out of character],” Burke remembered of Lawrence’s behavior. “[He said], ‘You need to come out right now.’”
Though Burke walked out to music playing, she initially thought Lawrence was preparing a breakup message when he presented her with a note.
“I come out and this beautiful song plays,” she said. “There was just a letter there. I thought, ‘Oh no, is this like a breakup letter? Or, like, what is happening?’ He goes, ‘Just read it.’”
Matthew Lawrence asked Cheryl Burke for forever
It took mere moments for Burke to discover that Lawrence was proposing a new beginning rather than an ending.
“I open it, [it’s] fine print — my eyes are pretty bad — he’s like, ‘Just read it,’” the pro dancer revealed. “So I bring it up to my nose, and it says, ‘Love you always and forever.’ And I turned around, he was on one knee and we were just very emotional.”
The DWTS star knew she was ready to take the next step with Lawrence, and didn’t waste any time saying ‘yes’.
“We want to get married and have kids and in order for that to happen — it’s like when two adults make a decision — it’s a commitment and so let’s move forward,” Burke explained. “Let’s not just stay in one place for the rest of our lives.”
The pair tied the knot in May 2019 at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar Hotel in San Diego.
“I’ll never forget walking into the reception tent and everybody was lined up, clapping for us,” Lawrence said. “It was like it was in slow motion. That is a moment I will never forget.”
