Madeline Salter recently got engaged to Joe McBride in a ceremony that turned out to be a big surprise for her. The cheerleader has now opened up on other details about the proposal.
Madeline Salter is now engaged to sports card investor, Joe McBride. The engagement ceremony was held on April 27, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas. For the unversed, Madeline is well-known for her dancing skills and has been featured on America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, currently streaming on Netflix. Her social media posts have also gained recognition for speaking up about various causes, such as domestic violence.
While their engagement news is leading to best wishes from everyone on social media, other details related to the ceremony have recently emerged. Keep reading to know more!
Madeline Salter recently spoke to PEOPLE on April 28, 2026 (ET), revealing how the engagement was planned. She said that she was unaware of it since she was doing a photoshoot, which was followed by a sudden surprise from Joe McBride. Notably, Madeline was told that she was going to meet a photographer, Merissa Bradford, and while everything happened as planned, Joe suddenly appeared and proposed to Madeline by going on his knees. Madeline recalled the experience by saying:
“I’m gonna be honest, I thought he was surprising me to go take me out to dinner afterwards, but nope, he was proposing. It was at my favourite hotel and with my favourite person on the planet earth, my best friend.”
Apart from revealing everything about the surprise proposal, Madeline Salter disclosed some details related to the engagement ring. Notably, it was a 14-karat yellow gold marquise-cut diamond ring, as stated by PEOPLE. Madeline said that the stone on the ring was set vertically, which was surrounded by marquise and round diamonds on the sides. The couple walked for some time in Fort Worth after the proposal.
However, the private time that they spent together was another idea to take Madeline to an after-party at Hudson House. Madeline prepared herself for the party without being informed of anything and headed out with Joe. Madeline was surprised to see her family members, friends, and colleagues waiting to celebrate the occasion. During her conversation with PEOPLE, Madeline described the entire moment as a “perfect engagement” since everyone that she knew over the years was present with her.
Madeline Salter and Joe McBride’s first meeting dates back to April 2024, according to InStyle magazine. The duo was traveling for different reasons, with Madeline going to an event with the Dallas Cowboys and Joe to a match with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The pair took the same plane and started connecting with each other during the journey. As per PEOPLE, Joe also tried to leave an impression on Madeline by appreciating the glasses that she was wearing.
The conversation did not stop between the couple as they were waiting for a train and entered the same car. They eventually became close friends after getting in touch on social media and sharing their contact numbers. Madeline and Joe spoke to each other through text messages for almost a year and later started dating. Back in April 2025, Madeline also shared an Instagram post to celebrate the first anniversary of her romance with Joe.
A heartfelt congratulations to Madeline Salter and Joe McBride.
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