Derek Hough dishes on wedding plans — and the 1 person who better perform

Derek Hough is juggling a lot these days. Between headlining the Las Vegas residency “Derek Hough: No Limit” and returning as a judge on the upcoming season of “Dancing With the Stars,” the award-winning choreographer also has his hands full wedding planning with his fiancée and fellow professional dancer, Hayley Erbert.

In an interview with TODAY, Hough opened up about changes to the dance competition show, what it’s like having his future wife be a part of the Vegas residency and how the wedding planning is going.

“We have got to figure out where it is first, and then we’ll have a date,” he revealed about their upcoming nuptials.

“It is a funny story. There’s this one place which was a beautiful, beautiful place, but I was like, ‘Wow, it wasn’t that expensive, actually, considering it was such a gorgeous place,’” he said. “I was like, ‘Well, what’s the catch?’ And they’re like, ‘Oh, no catch.’ Eventually, we found out it’s $500 per plate just for food. We’re not talking about anything else — just for food — and it could actually go up to $800 a plate. So Haley and I both laughed and we’re like, ‘Wait a minute. Let’s go back on that guest list.’”

Hough shared that while they’re trying to nail down a venue, and that the aforementioned site is still in the running, they know what type of setting they want.

“It won’t be traditional that it will be like in a church or anything like that. We both love the outdoors, and we love nature, so it’ll be something with that.”

He revealed that the wedding won’t take place in 2022, but they’re open for next year. “We’re very excited about it and just thinking about it with friends and family and loved ones, we want it to be an event. We have a lot of fun things planned for it, so it’s going to be really special.”

The multifaceted performer — who frequently posts about his beloved four-legged friends on social media — would like to include them in the momentous occasion but is trying to figure out how.

“We would love for them to be a part of the special day, but I feel like we would just be too distracted and too worried about: Where are they now? What’s going on? Are they OK? Are they all right?”

Hough said while the actual wedding day might not be the best time for his pets to be on the prowl, he threw out possibly the night before if they do something special where they can incorporate them.

“The more I’m thinking about it, the more I want them to be part of it in some way.”

As for the reception, the two-time Emmy Award winner noted that there will be “lots of celebrating, lots of dancing,” but is undecided if he and Erbert — who dances alongside him during each show of his Vegas residency — want to take the night off from performing.

“It’s like, well, we’re here to just sit back and enjoy and watch and to just enjoy it,” he said. “If we want to dance, if we want to get up there, we’ll do something. But you know what? I say that, but who knows? Maybe along the line, we’re like, ‘You know what? OK, let’s bust it out.’”

One thing he is certain of is whom he would like to perform at their wedding. “Oh, she better,” he vocalized about his professional dancer sister, Julianne Hough. “There might be some kind of performance from her, potentially — let’s see.”

Hough revealed his sister has already extended her services very much with the wedding planning and will be included in some fashion.

“She’s just like, ‘Let me know. I’m going to plan, be a part of it, whatever.’ She’s on top of it. She’s a great planner. I’m sure she’ll be involved.”

The famed entertainer — who recently partnered with Walt Disney Television Alternative to produce original content — shared that he has not been approached about televising his and Erbert’s big day.

“Oh, my God, can you imagine?” he stated, laughing. “But you know what — who knows? We’re going to have like the greatest videographer and the whole thing and we will definitely want to capture it in the most beautiful way,” he said. “We might share it.”

A project that he will be involved in that will be televised is Season 31 of “Dancing with the Stars,” which premieres Monday, Sept. 19, where Hough will return as a judge.

“I’m really excited about the season just because it’s brand new territory and nobody knows what’s going to happen,” he said of the show’s move to Disney+. With no commercials, “there’s more time for storytelling, there’s more time for reality, there’s more time for performances.”

Another change to the fast-approaching season is that Alfonso Ribeiro will join Tyra Banks as co-host. “I’m very excited about him being on the show. He’s been a fan of the show from the beginning, he’s a champion, he’s been on the air, so he’s a perfect addition.”

Hough also revealed there are a few themed weeks during the upcoming season, one of them he suggested. “I can’t quite say what it is yet, but I’m very excited about it,” he disclosed. “I just know that we’re going to get into a whole bunch of fun trouble when it happens.”

The skilled dancer hasn’t competed on the hit show since 2016, after a historic six wins, but has taken his ballroom shoes to another stage — The Venetian Las Vegas for his residency, “Derek Hough: No Limit.”

“The residency has been amazing. It was always a question of like, ‘I wonder what it’s going to be like to perform in Vegas week after week?’ And the answer to that is, we’ve really loved it,” he stated.

While creating the show, Hough shared that he prided himself on creating something for people of all ages to enjoy. “I love seeing the different reactions to the different pieces from different demographics,” he said. “When I’m creating a piece like this, our show, it’s very important that it’s fast-paced, that it’s funny, that it’s heartfelt, that there’s a message in there, something that somebody can take something home with, but also that’s just fun.”

With fewer than 10 shows left at the famed theatre, Hough hasn’t ruled out returning to Sin City to do another residency.

“I love creating, I love performing for people, and I love that sharing experience, that connection with the audience, and there’s nothing like that,” he said. “And obviously, what makes it even more special is being able to dance with my fiancée every night and to have that shared experience as well. So it’s very special.”

This article was originally published on TODAY.com