Ed Sheeran Announces Engagement to Cherry Seaborn

On Saturday morning, Ed Sheeran officially announced his engagement to long-time girlfriend Cherry Seaborn, confirming that he popped the question “just before new year.”

Sheeran made the announcement with an Instagram post, sharing a grainy Polaroid of himself kissing Seaborn. “Got myself a fiancé just before new year,” he wrote. “We are very happy and in love, and our cats are chuffed as well.”

Fans weren’t surprised by the announcement, but they were emotional. Social media flooded with photos of the couple together, as people have traced their relationship through social media as well as Sheeran’s music.

Sheeran and Seaborn were childhood friends and high school classmates. Their relationship has been closely followed by Sheeran’s huge die-hard fan base, who love the romanticized story of the singer finding the girl of his dreams. Before Seaborn, Sheeran had several highly-publicized relationships.

Sheeran dated singer Nina Nesbitt in the early days of his fame. She appeared in the music video for his song “Drunk,” and the lyrics to “Photograph” are reportedly about her. By the same token, Nesbitt’s album Peroxide is reportedly all about Sheeran. They split in 2012.

Sheeran dated Athina Andrelos from January of 2014 to February of 2015. She was reportedly the subject of the song that remains Sheeran’s biggest hit, “Thinking Out Loud.”

Sheeran and Seaborn got together in July of 2015, and have been beloved by fans ever since. Sheeran explained to PEOPLE last March that he reconnected with her at his friend Taylor Swift‘s Fourth of July party that year, just shortly after learning that she was also in the north eastern U.S.

“I’ve known Cherry since I was 11,” he said. “She worked on Wall Street in New York, and I had like six shows [around New York in 2015]. It was around then, and we reconnected. I went on tour again, and then I went to Taylor’s 4th of July party. I was texting [Seaborn], and she was like, ‘I’m in Rhode Island at a 4th of July party,’ and I was like, ‘So am I.’ I kinda said to Taylor, ‘Can I invite one of my old schoolmates?’ The rest is history.”

Sheeran fans eagerly await news of a time and place for the big wedding.