Romee Strijd Is Officially Set To Walk Down The Most Fabulous Aisle

Victoria’s Secret model Romee Strijd shared the happy news of her engagement to her longtime boyfriend on Instagram.

The 26-year-old model shared photos of the epic Swiss proposal, captioning the series with “I said YES.”

The photos show Laurens van Leeuwen on one knee in front of a shocked Strijd, who wore a white snow outfit while the two vacationed in the stunning Swiss mountains.

Strijd also shared photos of their twelve-year anniversary celebrations, not knowing can Leeuwen had been planning to mark the occasion with something even more special.

The couple had obtained a marriage license in the United States in August 2020, hoping to have a proper wedding in the near future.

Romee Strijd: From Amsterdam To New York City

Born in Zoetermeer, South Holland, Romee Strijd had no desire to become a model.

She was first approached by a modeling scout at the age of 13 while shopping with her mother in Amsterdam. Wanting to enjoy life as a regular teenager, Strijd turned the offer down.

Two years later, she changed her mind, thinking:

“I knew more about the industry and thought, why not?” 

She left school to pursue a career in modeling, signing with DNA Model Agency in 2011. However, Strijd was once again nervous about the prospect of her career and returned to her studies in the Netherlands at the age of 17.

Taking time away from the industry proved to be the push Strijd needed, and after graduating, she made the move to New York City – and has never looked back.

During her initial two-year stint as a model, the 15-year-old Strijd appeared in modeling jobs in Milan, Paris, and NYC for luxury brands such as Louis Vitton, Prada, and Burberry.

Since her return to the industry, she has appeared in six editorials for Vogue, these being the British, German, Spanish, Turkish, Japanese, and Dutch versions of the coveted magazine.

She has been on the cover of several world-renowned magazines and inspired the Vogue motherhood issue after posing for the cover while 26 weeks pregnant.

In 2014, she was given one of the biggest opportunities for any emerging model to appear in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. She officially became one of the brand’s angels the following year.

Strijd has become particularly close with fellow angels Taylor Hill and Jasmine Tookes, who were all announced as Angels at the same time.

“It’s fun because you see the relief from everybody after so much hard work. I love hanging out with [Victoria’s Secret Angels] Taylor Hill and Jasmine Tookes. We all got announced as Angels at the same time, so we’ve become close,” Strijd said of her time with the brand.

Romee Strijd and Laurens van Leeuwen

Strijd began dating Laurens van Leeuwen, son of Dutch television presenter Bert van Leeuwen in 2010.

Over the years, van Leeuwen has been a prominent figure in the model’s personal and professional life, often accompanying her to events and making regular appearances on her Youtube channel.

In May 2020, Strijd announced she was pregnant with her first child after a lengthy battle with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.

The model shared the news on Instagram, writing about how the news came as a shock after her diagnosis:

“I was so scared that I would never be able to because I got told it was harder to get babies in a natural way.. I started to research PCOS and came to the conclusion that mine was not the typical pcos.. Mine was because of my body being in fight or flight mode.. which means my body was under constant stress.”

Their daughter, Mint van Leeuwen, was born in December 2020.

About Her Engagement

The engagement came over a month after the couple celebrated their daughter’s first birthday, and van Leeuwen made sure to give his future wife something else to celebrate in the new year.

He proposed with a custom Ring Concierge piece featuring a round-cut diamond that was flanked by three stones on either side.

The founder of Ring Concierge, Nicole Wegman, also commented on the proposal, saying:

“The couple had a trip planned to Switzerland to celebrate their 12th anniversary so Laurens decided that was the perfect opportunity to surprise Romee with her dream ring,”

Van Leeuwen decided to choose a round-cut gem “because they are as timeless as it gets and are cut to maximize sparkle.” 

The accents were intended to add “a touch of sparkle without taking focus away from the center stone.”

Although the two are legally married, being engaged has opened the door to a new chapter in their lives together.