Lea Michele Says It's 'Really Special' Planning a Wedding at the Same Time as Darren Criss (original) (raw)

Lea Michele knows who to turn to when she needs to vent about wedding planning.

Michele said she and longtime friend and former Glee costar Darren Criss have bonded over their nuptials while touring together for the duo’s LM/DC show.

“If you would have told me during Glee like, ‘Hey, in a couple years you guys are going to both be on a tour together, both getting engaged at the same time, both planning your weddings at the same time’ — it’s so special,” she told PEOPLE at a Zola launch party in New York City.

Michele, who got engaged to Zandy Reichin April 2018, said she is grateful to have Criss to bounce ideas off of as he’s in the midst of planning his own wedding with fiancé Mia Swier.

“Just having someone that we can talk to and be like, ‘What are you doing for this?’ and ‘What are your thoughts on that?’ It was really special,” she said. “But also as friends to be in this very important moment of our life together. [It’s] less about giving tips about planning, just sort of being able to look at someone that you love and be like, ‘Oh wow, you know what this feels like right now.'”

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“This is a really special time, and he’s in that time as well, and I’ve known him and his fiancée for many years now, so it’s great,” she added.

When it comes to her big day, Michele joked that Criss “better” perform. “I’m performing at his wedding!” Michele, 32, told Brides.

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But while Michele is remaining tight-lipped about the details of her wedding, she previously revealed that she has already found her dream dress (it was the first one she tried on!). The actress told PEOPLE that walking red carpets helped prepare her for finding the perfect gown.

“I was fortunate that having dressed up for events for a very long time now, I do know what works for my body,” she said. “I do know that I don’t look well in a form-fitted dress — my stomach’s always been my trouble area so I always stay away from that. It doesn’t work for me. I also don’t look good in things with tons of material because I’m only 5’2. So I knew those things going into the process which were incredibly helpful.”

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Michele announced her engagement on Instagram in late April, posting a photo of herself with her ring-bearing hand on her face. “Yes,” she wrote in the caption, including a diamond ring emoji.

RELATED VIDEO: Lea Michele Announces BFF Jonathan Groff Will Be Her ‘Maid of Honor’ for Wedding to Zandy Reich

She later revealed during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen that Reich, her boyfriend of over a year, surprised her with the proposal while they were in the Hamptons. Reich gave Michele a four-carat diamond ring personally designed for the bride-to-be with Leor Yerushalmi and The Jewelers of Las Vegas.

“It was a super private proposal,” a friend of the actress told PEOPLE just days after Reich popped the question. “Their relationship has been very private, but they’re so happy. It was so romantic and she’s just so excited and feels so lucky. He’s a really nice guy. Lea is extremely happy.”