James Kennedy revealed it was an "out of body experience" watching his proposal to fiancée Raquel Leviss air on Vanderpump Rules. The 29-year-old reality star originally popped the question in Palm Springs, California, back in May, with the rest of the Bravo cast just around the corner to celebrate after Raquel said yes. James previously noted that the idea to propose in a Coachella-themed party on the actual festival grounds came to him when he realized the annual festival wasn't going to occur that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since Coachella seems to be the place where he and Raquel share several special moments, the idea was a costly no-brainer.
James and Raquel's relationship wasn't always as magical as the fireworks display after she said yes. Fans of the show have watched the couple struggle with James' sobriety and temper. James was introduced to Bravo viewers during the third season as former cast member Kristen Doute's boyfriend. James started to mature and become a better man once he met Raquel at a New Year's Eve party where he was performing. Throughout the past five seasons, James has been accused of cheating on Raquel with multiple women, all of which he denies. Regardless of what has been thrown at the couple, Raquel continued to stand by her man's side.
Now that the full proposal has aired on national television, James told Screen Rant it was quite "emotional" to watch back. "Not everybody gets to have this beautiful footage and be able to do such an epic proposal, so I'm just very happy that my vision came together." James said the fiancé lifestyle has been "beautiful" and he "couldn't be happier." The Bravo star admitted he and Raquel are still in a honeymoon phase that he hopes will last a lifetime. "I'm just so in love with Raquel, it's crazy," James said. "Obviously, with filming the show and all of the edits, you see it for what it is, but the way the proposal episode was touched my heart. I got millions of message of people saying how beautiful it was." James also believes the credit fellow co-star and best friend Tom Sandoval is getting is well-deserved as he "couldn't have pulled it off without him." That said, though the episode made it seem like Tom was putting his engagement ideas into James' big day, the reality star noted that the entire proposal was his engagement dreams, and Tom just helped him set it up.
Moving forward, James and Raquel are not in any rush to walk down the aisle because they want to continue enjoying the fiancé lifestyle for a bit. "We haven't done anything yet. We're just basking in the love and enjoying each other right now," James said. When the couple does start wedding planning, James admitted that his future bride inspires him whenever she thinks of "beautiful ideas" for their big day.
If only fans could have been a fly on the wall as James and Raquel watched their engagement back on national television. Though the couple haven't really gotten into the weeds of wedding planning yet, Raquel is sure to be one of the most beautiful brides. Until then, there are still questions surrounding if James will allow his big day to air on Vanderpump Rules, and if pasta will be on the menu.
Vanderpump Rules airs Tuesdays at 9pm on Bravo.
Source: James Kennedy/Instagram