The actress, 34, and the Olympic snowboard champion, 36, got engaged in New York in late October, according to Vogue.
Shaun White proposed to the actress with a 5-carat diamond ring under an arch of white roses at the Golden Swan restaurant.
"I was shocked," Dobrev shared of the moment of surprise. "I just blocked out and watched it."
Later that evening, the couple joined friends to celebrate the milestone. White had prepared a detailed plan to take Dobrev completely by surprise. According to Vogue, he had asked the publicist to send Nina a fake invitation to a private dinner with Anna Wintour. “It made the invitation seem so believable,” Nina said.
When she arrived, the only people present were White and a photographer. "He said the right words," Dobrev added to Vogue.
Dobrev and White began dating in 2019 and moved in together at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. They made the relationship public in May 2020, through several photos of Dobrev cutting White's hair during quarantine.
In April, White hinted at a possible engagement to Dobrev during an interview with People at the Oasis Celsius Vibe House.
"We're just enjoying our time together right now. No pressure,” he said. "But I told her, 'Look, after the Olympics, I finally have the freedom to do anything. Let's enjoy ourselves and be together and support each other.'”
"But you never know. We'll see what happens," added White, who retired from racing after the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Nina Dobrev and Shaun White Relationship Story
The couple first met at an event in 2012, but didn't officially introduce themselves until 2019, when they were both giving presentations at an event in Florida hosted by motivational coach Tony Robbins.
Recalling their first post-event dinner, the three-time Olympic champion told People in January 2022, "I actually didn't know anything about it. The place was full of people. And she said, 'Let me see if I can secure a table.'”
“Nina has been so supportive and wonderful throughout this period for me. During the pandemic, she was a lifesaver — she really made that time special for me," White said.
In addition to moving in together, the couple also embarked on a home renovation project during the pandemic, painting the entire exterior of Dobrev's West Hollywood home.
