Adrienne Bailon has opened up about her relationship with gospel singer Israel Houghton and how she knew he was really the one for her.

Bailon and Houghton faced lots of controversy in the earlier days of their relationship as he had just announced the split from his wife of 20 years and Bailon called off her engageemnt with her now ex months before. But it looks like it was the early days of their relationship that helped Bailon know she wanted to marry Houghton.

“He’s my best friend,” she said of Houghton, who she added was her friend for three years. “I think that makes such a big difference,” she told Hollyowod Today. “We never thought we’d end up together which allows you not to have your representative there…He got to know the real me and I love that.”

She added that since she is older she has definitely matured when it comes to her relationships.

“Being older, you kind of know what you want. I think being younger you have to date around, kind of see what you like, what you don’t. There’s different things, honestly, from different people that I’ve dated that I’m like ‘I love this quality…don’t love this quality so much’ So I’m going to be 33 this year. I know exactly what I wanted and he is everything I wanted and more.”

Houghton proposed to Bailon during a family vacation in Europe last month. Be sure to to eep up with Enstars for the latest on the couple and their wedding plans!