A source tells ET the 24-year-old singer 'wanted to respect tradition.'
Justin Bieber is all about tradition!
Before getting down on one knee to propose to Hailey Baldwin over the weekend, the 24-year-old singer reached out to his now-fiancee's father, Stephen Baldwin, for her hand in marriage, a source tells ET.
"Justin wanted to respect tradition, so a couple weeks ago, while him and Hailey were visiting New York, Justin set aside some time to talk with Stephen," the source says. "Justin and Stephen have always had a close relationship, and Justin wanted to show his future father-in-law how serious he is about his future with Hailey."
Interestingly enough, it was actually Stephen who introduced his daughter to Bieber way back in 2009, as documented in a video that has recently resurfaced online. Stephen also took Hailey to the New York City premiere of Justin's film Never Say Never in 2011, where they snapped a pic on the red carpet:
"Stephen is a minister, so Justin knew it was important to Stephen that the two have a conversation before he proposed to Hailey," the source adds. "Justin and Stephen talked about relationships, sacrifice and religion, and ultimately Stephen gave Justin his blessing to propose to Hailey. Stephen is very happy for Justin and Hailey."
TMZ was first to report the meeting between Bieber and Hailey's dad.
As ET previously reported, Justin popped the question while he and Hailey were vacationing in the Bahamas. The two confirmed they were engaged via social media on Monday, with the 21-year-old model tweeting, "Not sure what I did in life to deserve such happiness but I am so utterly grateful to God for giving me such an incredible person to share my life with! No words could ever express my gratitude."
Justin shared a much lengthier post via Instagram, accompanying it with two black-and-white pics of them cuddling close and calling Hailey the "love of my life."
"Was gonna wait a while to say anything but word travels fast," he explained. "Listen plain and simple Hailey I am soooo in love with everything about you! So committed to spending my life getting to know every single part of you loving you patiently and kindLY. I promise to lead our family with honor and integrity letting Jesus through his Holy Spirit guide us in everything we do and every decision we make. My heart is COMPLETELY and FULLY YOURS and I will ALWAYS put you first!"
Read the full message here and watch the video below to hear more on their whirlwind romance!
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