Inside Katie Bates' Engagement To Travis Clark

The Bringing Up Bates family has another wedding to plan, as Katie Bates got engaged to beau Travis Clark. The big proposal comes after the two had courted for about a year.

Katie is the 11th child in the Bates family. Parents Gil and Kelly have 19 kids in total — nine boys and 10 girls. This tidbit about the family's size has led to frequent comparisons between the Bates crew and the Duggar family of 19 Kids and Counting, as well as Counting On. In fact, the two families have been quite close over the years, with the Bates family appearing on the Duggar's show in its early seasons.

Us Weekly officially revealed Katie and Travis' courtship in March 2020. The two initially connected in June 2019 through mutual friends and met for the first time in-person a month later. The relationship was a long-distance one since Travis lives in New Jersey and Katie is located in Tennessee. Despite that, they were smitten with one another and built their relationship through chaperoned trips to one another's homes (and plenty of FaceTime dates). After a few months, they decided it was time to make it more formal with a courtship.

Now, Katie Bates and Travis Clark have taken another big step in their relationship by getting engaged (via Us Weekly). Travis proposed while the couple was in Key West, Fla., and he had planned out a dream proposal. He popped the question on April 7, 2021, and Katie noted that it would forever be a special day for them.

Travis set the scene in a gazebo on an ocean pier. He had a sign that asked if she would marry him and he had added candles and a large, red heart made of red roses to incorporate a touch of romance. Both sets of parents were there and Travis played the guitar as he sang a song he wrote just for her. "It was absolutely magical, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with my best friend!" Katie told Us Weekly.

The engagement day went even better than Travis had envisioned, he admitted, and he gave credit to all of the friends and family who helped make it happen. "Seeing Katie's reaction was the highlight of the evening! Her smile was worth it all!" he detailed.

As Bringing Up Bates fans know, Katie's been a bridesmaid a number of times before. She was a bridesmaid for the oldest Bates sibling, Zach, as well as for sisters Carlin Tori, and Josie. Now, she gets to plan her own wedding as the bride and the show's viewers cannot wait to learn more.