Lifestyle Style Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley's Daughter Alexa Ray Joel Is Engaged — See Her (Huge!) Ring "So I was completely taken off-guard, dumbstruck, and shell-shocked," Alexa Ray Joel wrote on Instagram of her surprise engagement to boyfriend Ryan Gleason By Lindsay Kimble Lindsay Kimble Lindsay Kimble is the Executive Editor, News at PEOPLE. She have been working at PEOPLE for seven years. Her work has previously appeared in POPSUGAR, Us Weekly and Entertainment Weekly. People Editorial Guidelines Published on January 1, 2018 09:15PM EST Alexa Ray Joel is starting off 2018 with a stunning new accessory: an engagement ring! The 32-year-old singer-songwriter is engaged to boyfriend Ryan Gleason, the happy couple revealed on Instagram, Monday. Joel — the daughter of Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley — showed off her new emerald cut engagement ring while posing on the beach in a bikini with her new fiancé. Alexa Ray Joel/Instagram “So I was completely taken off-guard, dumbstruck, and shell-shocked- and FOR ONCE in my life, I had absolutely no words, and I couldn’t speak,” wrote Joel. “I just kept staring at this ridiculously exquisite ring — and he was just hysterically laughing at me!!!” Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Sprint In another photo from the exciting moment, Joel recounted the proposal, writing, “He said to me: ‘Before I met you, my world was in black and white. You colored it in between the lines.’ It was the most beautiful thing anybody’s ever said to me. How could I possibly say no to that?!?!” Joel and Gleason also each posted a photo of the sparkler, with the latter gushing, “Luckiest guy in the world!!!!” The star just celebrated her birthday a few days prior, on Dec. 29. RELATED VIDEO: Christie Brinkley, 63, Is Back in Her Bikini for Sports Illustrated – With Her Daughters! Back in July, Brinkley gushed to Entertainment Tonight of her daughter’s now-fiancé, saying, “I totally approve. Nicest guy, real sweetheart.” “He just gets her, and I see him sort of looking at her in that special way. It’s sweet.”