How Luke Combs Proposed to His Wife Was Chaotic and Sweet
Two sick cats forced the country singer to change his plans at the last minute.
Sometimes the best proposals are the ones that don't go as planned, though the best proposals do not typically involve sick cats.
When country star Luke Combs prepared to propose to his now wife Nicole Hocking back in 2018, he had planned something very cute involving the couple's two cats. But as Combs and Hocking shared on a 2020 episode of the podcast Couple Things with former Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson and her husband Andrew East, the day went awry.
Combs and Hocking were about to move into their new house outside of Nashville, so Combs ordered collars for their pets with the new address on them. He "Beautiful Crazy" singer intended to put the engagement ring on the collar of Hocking's cat, Buck, but unfortunately the felines weren't cooperating on move in day.
The couple had to spend the day at Combs' manager's house until the new house was ready, and on the car ride there, one cat peed and the other threw up. On the car ride to the new house, both cats peed again — meaning their grand entrance into their new home was immediately followed by giving two cats a bath.
Luke Combs had to rethink his proposal plans to Nicole Hocking
Hocking and Combs explained on the podcast that he'd envisioned Buck jumping onto Hocking's lap and Hocking immediately seeing the ring. Unfortunately, the cats "don't travel well," Combs said, and they were both hyperventilating.
"She doesn't know why I'm getting upset," he recalled. "She thinks I'm mad at the cat."
Combs had already told Hocking's parents about the proposal and they were flying in the next day, so he had no choice but to continue with his plan as best he could.
"At that point, I pretty much just told her what I was gonna do," he said.
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"After I gave them their baths and everything, he was like, 'I got these collars for the cats with the new address on it, and I also got you this,' and then he pulls it out, gets down on one knee, does the whole thing," Hocking said. "I blacked out. I don't remember this. I was just like, 'My ears are hot! What's going on?'"
"That's what she said: 'My ears are hot.'" Combs added.
Of course, she eventually managed to say yes, and Combs and Hocking were married August 1, 2020 in an intimate ceremony in Florida, amidst the threat of Hurricane Isaias. They have since welcomed two sons: Tex, born in 2022, and Beau, born in 2023.
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Luke Combs won big at the 2024 People's Choice Country Awards
Combs was one of many stars who performed at NBC's Opry 100: A Live Celebration in March in honor of the Grand Ole Opry's 100th anniversary, wowing the crowd with a cover of George Jones' "The Grand Tour." He also took home some major awards at the People's Choice Country Awards in 2024. He won The Album of 2024 for Fathers & Son, The Male Artist of 2024, and The Male Song of 2024 for "Ain't No Love in Oklahoma."
