Floyd popped the question to Frei in her hometown of Boston on Saturday, Dec. 21

The Young and the Restless star Conner Floyd is engaged!

On Saturday, Dec. 21, the soap opera star, 32, popped the question to his longtime girlfriend, esthetician and skincare expert Carly Frei, in her hometown of Boston.

Floyd — who joined the cast of The Young and the Restless in November 2021 as Phillip Chancellor IV, or Chance, the grandson of Jess Walton’s character Jill Abbott — tells PEOPLE exclusively that he got down on one knee as the pair were visiting the Boston Commons. They celebrated with loved ones at a party after the special moment.

“We are huge family people, so having both of our families together was important,” Floyd says. “Carly is from Boston so the city has such a special place in her heart and being there with all our loved ones I know meant so much to her.”

“Thank God it snowed, too!” he jokes.

Despite the cold, the wintry Boston weather made for the perfect picturesque backdrop for their proposal photos.

“The Boston Commons was covered with snow and the perfect venue for the proposal,” Floyd adds. “It was a struggle to get her to walk through the park in 25-degree weather, but we made it happen.”

One photo taken after the special moment shows Frei placing her hand against Floyd’s face, showing off her pear-cut diamond ring featuring a split gold band.

“I’ll never forget the face she made after dropping to a knee, and then surprising her with a massive party with our friends and families,” the star says, noting that he and Frei are both grateful to everyone who helped them plan the “magical day.”

According to Floyd, he made sure that Frei’s family, as well as his own parents and sister — who flew in from Austin, Texas, for the afterparty celebrating their engagement — were all present for the special occasion.

“Carly is the love of my life,” he says. “She means the world to me, and I really wanted to make this special for her.”

A number of Floyd’s Young and the Restless costars shared their well-wishes after the newly engaged couple jointly posted one of their engagement photos on Instagram.

Michael Mealor, who stars as Kyle Abbott on the long-running soap, simply wrote, “Woo!! Congratulations!!” underneath the post, while Mark Grossman, who plays Adam Newman, commented: “Congrats you two!!”

The couple first began dating several years ago and made their relationship social media-official in 2020. Frei previously revealed in an Instagram post that the two first met on Valentine’s Day.

“Carly is my best girl,” Floyd tells PEOPLE. “She’s done so much for me, and I wanted this to be a day that we remember forever. I have truly been blessed in life to have a such a special person like Carly by my side.”

“She’s my best friend and I’d literally do anything for her,” he adds.