Ben and Erin Napier's Relationship Timeline

Mar. 15, 2025

When they’re not busy renovating dream homes on their hit showHome Town, Ben andErin Napierare building a beautiful life together.

“I remember seeing Erin the first week of school,” Ben told PEOPLE of their first encounter. “She was walking across the student union, and she had a pixie haircut. I didn’t know what a pixie cut was at the time, but I knew I liked it.”

“My playtime consisted of climbing a lot of trees and digging for arrowheads in the woods,” Erin toldSouthern Livingfor the magazine’sNovember cover story. “That’s not something our girls can do in town.”

From their first meeting to raising two kids, here’s everything to know about Ben and Erin Napier’s relationship.

December 2004: Erin interviews Ben for the school newspaper

Erin Napier Instagram

Erin and Ben metwhile attending Jones County Junior College in MI. “He was like a celebrity crush to me,” Erin told PEOPLE. “He was the president of every club and very popular but not exclusive. I would see someone eating alone in the cafeteria, and there was Ben, pulling up a chair beside them.”

Still, the future spouses didn’t hit it off right away. In a 2010blog post, Erin recalled one of the pair’s early interactions at McDonald’s, saying, “I was so nervous talking to him I crashed and burned.”

The two didn’t get to know each other until sheinterviewed Benfor the school yearbook. “Six days later we decided we would get married, and that was that,” she recalled.

In August 2022, Erin shared a throwback photo on Instagram and reminisced on that fatefulyearbook meeting. “Had lunch at our alma mater today, and took a picture in the spot where we met in the yearbook office,” she wrote inthe caption. “We were 19 and 21 and had no idea this is what our future would be like. Still my biggest crush.”

December 9, 2004: Ben and Erin go on their first date

Ben and Erin enjoyed their first date, dinner in the city of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, a few days after their initial yearbook meeting.

Erin later wrote about the date in ablog post. “I think an important part of why we are more crazy about each other 13 years on is because we will never let ourselves forget how it felt when we were brand new,” she shared, adding that no matter how old she and Ben get, “you’re still the same people you were who fell in love and shared a Nehi and a kiss at 4 in the morning.”

September 21, 2007: Ben proposes to Erin

Three years after meeting, Ben proposed to Erin in a bookstore in Oxford, Mississippi. She commemorated the special day in a 2018Instagram postwhere she shared a photo of Ben on one knee.

“11 years ago a boy who had saved all the money he could set aside for 3 years surprised me at @squarebooks with a diamond ring and a little leather bound book he made himself,” she wrote in the caption. “Thanks for this life and this adventure, @scotsman.co.”

November 22, 2008: Ben and Erin get married

Ben and Erinmarriedat the University of Mississippi’s Paris Yates Chapel. For the special event, Ben wore a suit and bowtie while Erin had two bridal looks: a lace gown for the ceremony and a frilly-sleeved cocktail dress for the reception.

In 2017, Ben shared a carousel of photoson Instagramto celebrate their anniversary. “9 years ago today, @erinapier made me the happiest man alive. It was the coldest November 22 in Oxford, Mississippi history,” he wrote.

In 2020, Erin shared their4-minute wedding videoon Instagram. “Found our old wedding video and got a little teary. 12 years ago today,” she wrote in the caption. “Still so thankful to be your wife, @scotsman.co.”

2008: Ben and Erin move to Laurel

L A R S E N & TA L B E R T

Ben and Erin moved to Erin’s hometown of Laurel, Mississippi, where they rented aloft Downtownand later moved into a yellow 1925 craftsman cottage.

“When we finished college weweren’t planning to come back here,” Ben told PEOPLE in December 2022. “We had talked about living in Memphis or Birmingham, maybe going to Nashville. We even discussed how magical it would be to go to New York City and live and work for a little while.”

“I think the stigma [of returning home] is that it’s a sign of giving up,” he added. " Oh, you settled. Oh, you couldn’t cut it, and you were too scared to go to the big city, so you came back.' "

But they realized that moving to the sleepy city was the right choice. “The more rebellious thing is going home,” said Erin. “When you’re young, you think the world is so much better if you could just get away from home — that the grass is always greener — but it’s just not. Everywhere has problems. You can either complain about them and leave, or you can stay and do something about it.”

2013: Erin supports Ben’s run for city council

Ben ran for city council in 2013. While he ultimatelydidn’t win the election, he ran with the full support of Erin. In May 2013, the artist posted a picture ofBen’s campaign posteron the side of a building plus a smaller sign on their blue truck below. “My #husband is the coolest dude I’ve ever met,” she wrote on Instagram.

The month before, Erin posted a photo of herselflaying on Ben’s poster, captioning the Instagram post with, “My #husband’s #beard is 3 feet long,” and, “#votebigben.”

Ben was a church minister and Erin was working as a wedding invitation designer in Laurel while they finished up the renovation on their home. After their work on the craftsman was complete, the couple shared their story withSouthern Weddingsin 2014, which changed the course of their lives.

December 3, 2016: Ben and Erin open Laurel Mercantile Co.

The couple took over ownership and reopened Laurel Mercantile Co., a local shop that had been previously closed. The shore opened its doors after Erin sharedmany updateson thebuilding’s renovation.

On the day before opening, Erin posteda pictureof herself and Ben, plus friends and family, in front of the store.

January 2018: Erin gives birth to her and Ben’s first child

In theInstagram caption, she wrote simply “Helen” with a red heart emoji.

October 18, 2018: Erin and Ben discuss Erin’s health issues

The Napiers opened up aboutErin’s health problems, which she struggled with for a decade. “It was a really sad and scary and confusing ten years,” Erin told PEOPLE.

The painful episodes started when she was 19 and, as she explained, “In the beginning, it would be 24 hours of terrible stomach pain and a low-grade fever, and then it would disappear.” Later on, the pain would last days or even a week.

“We went through everything, from doctors thinking it might be something really bad like cancer to saying it was in Erin’s head,” Ben recalled. Then in 2014, Erin underwent an emergency exploratory surgery that revealed her organs were fused together. Erin had a perforated appendix and the organ had been bursting and healing itself repeatedly for years.

Doctors were able to remove the tissue and her appendix, but Erin was told having children “wasn’t likely,” which made the surprise news of her pregnancy that much more exciting.

Brooke Davis-Jefcoat

“We were like, ‘Ooh, this is going to be tough, but we can do it,’ " said Erin. “We don’t remember anything, but I’m glad somebody was filming all of it.”

“32 weeks. I know it’s weird,” Erin wrote inthe caption. “Helen hid the same way right up until the day she was born. 🙃.”

May 9, 2021: Ben calls Erin his “better half” on Mother’s Day

Ben Napier Instagram

May 28, 2021: Ben and Erin welcome their second child

“While we are excited to have another daughter to love, we are more excited to see the bond she and Helen will have. They’re already so in love with each other!” the couple told PEOPLE.

Erin also shared the news onInstagram, writing “Mae” with a heart emoji alongside three photos from the little one’s first few days.

June 5, 2021: Erin shares a sweet message to Ben after daughter Mae’s birth

Erinpraised her husbandonInstagramfor being so supportive since the birth of their second daughter.

“If he’s not scooping me up off the sofa as I’m still recovering from surgery, he’s mixing a bottle or taking Helen swimming,” Erin wrote alongside a photo of Ben feeding Mae a bottle.

“And I have kissed him every time he’s in arm’s reach because I know exactly how lucky we all are. 😍,” the mom of two said. “A reminder for those with spouses: tell them often — ‘thank you for everything you do for us.’ and MEAN IT.”

July 21, 2021: Erin says she “loves parenting” with Ben

Erin shareda photoon Instagram of Ben holding Helen on his shoulders while on a walk.

“I love parenting with you,” shecaptionedthe sweet photo.

December 22, 2021: Ben and Erin talk about renovating their country house

“We are doing a house for ourselves! That is something very different,” Erin said of the personal project.

“It’s sort of a hideaway for us, a place out near family land where we can go and let the girls run on the weekends,” explained Ben.

The couple will continue to live in their current home but Erin said space was an issue during quarantine. “We have this tiny little yard in town for the girls to play in, but [Ben and I] grew up in the country, climbing trees and staying outside and not coming home until we were absolutely filthy at the end of the day. And we want that for the girls.”

Ben gave a shout-out to the stars of the movie and the crew inthe caption, adding, “It was fun pretending to be an actor for a week.”

August 30, 2022: Ben celebrates Erin’s birthday with a wedding throwback photo

Ben markedErin’s 37th birthdayon Instagram with a carousel of photos, including one from their wedding day.

September 24, 2022: Erin posts a sweet tribute to Ben for his birthday

To celebrateBen’s 39th birthday, Erin shared a slideshow of photos, including pictures of Ben in his workshop and one of him hugging Helen. “Happy birthday to our fast driving, hard working, thoughtful, generous @scotsman.co. You love everyone in your circle so well,“she wrotein the Instagram post.

Erin shared a photo of herself, Ben and actorVictor Rasuksinging in front of a Christmas tree. “Less than a month till our Christmas movie #AChristmasOpenHouse drops on @discoveryplus,” she wrote in theInstagram caption.

The designer’s carousel post included a cute snap of the couple posing with a Santa statue and a romantic photo of the two looking into each other’s eyes.

November 16, 2022: Erin and Ben open up about parenting at their “weekend getaway”

Erin and Ben revealed they’d completed anine-month renovationon a 1930 Tudor-style home in November 2022. “This is our quote, unquote weekend getaway,” Ben told PEOPLE of the country property, where the couple spend quality time with their daughters Helen and Mae.

Ben explained that their older daughter “has always known she wanted to be a country girl,” adding that the new property is “somewhere the girls can run wild and get filthy.”

“We know this is fleeting,” Erin said of raising two little girls. “I feel like we are in the middle of living the best years of our life. I’m very aware of it, and I want to keep it somehow.”

November 22, 2022: Erin celebrates her and Ben’s 14th wedding anniversary

“14 years ago today I got a new last name and my parents got another son. I am thankful every single day that God saw fit to make us a family,” Erin wrote, tagging Ben.

December 11, 2022: Ben reminisces about his first date with Erin

Ben and Erin went on their first date on Dec. 9, 2004.

“By Saturday, December 11, I knew I wanted to marry her, but I was scared to say those words and scare her off. So, I waited 2 more days till Monday, December 13, because that’s more reasonable,” Ben captioned a throwback image of Erin and Helen onInstagram.

He continued: “This picture is from December 10, 2018, our first love week as parents. Being a daddy with @erinapier is the best thing to come out of all of this.”

March 2023: Ben recovers from shoulder surgery with the help of Erin

Benunderwent shoulder surgery to have his “rotator cuff repaired,” a “bone spur shaved off” and “cartilage trimmed.” And according to Erin, who posted a photo on Instagram of her husband recovering on the couch, Ben had the “best nurse in the biz” caring for him.

April 25, 2023: Ben and Erin celebrate 100 episodes ofHome Town

The couplemarked the 100th episode ofHome Townwith a huge party.

“Hundreds of faces. Every homeowner from 7 seasons, our crew and producers and @hgtv were there and it felt like a second wedding for us,” Erin wrote on Instagram. “To be in a very crowded room and know every single face and have clear memories of them all is overwhelming, and I realized how important it is to so many people’s livelihoods that God saw fit to put @scotsman.co and I together when we were 19 and 21 years old.”

She concluded: “We are so deeply honored that we get to be part of Home Town and in your living rooms every week. Only 2.5% of shows make 100 episodes. Ben pointed out this makes him basically the Tom Selleck to our Blue Bloods.”

June 18, 2023: Erin celebrates Ben on Father’s Day

Gary Gershoff/Getty

In an Instagram post on Father’s Day, Erin shared what “truly great dads do” for their families.

“They fix things, broken necklaces, broken barbies, broken hearts,” she wrote. “They teach their daughters what to expect from the men they’ll someday love and what’s unacceptable, too. They love their wives so well, with such faithfulness, their children see it and understand what marriage is meant to be. They carry the heavy things so we don’t have to.”

Erin went on to call Ben the “finest daddy” that “God could come up with.”

November 22, 2023: Erin and Ben celebrate 15 years of marriage

Erin Napier/Instagram

In honor of their marriage milestone, Erin penned asweet post about Benon Instagram.

“I sometimes think of all the people in the world, and how the earth is just this tiny dusty speck in the universe. And somehow, we managed to find each other,” she wrote alongside two photos from the couple’s wedding day. “Thank you, Lord, for 15 years in a marriage that feels like home and comfort and assurance and strength and LOVE.”

December 8, 2024: Erin recalls meeting Ben two decades prior

Ben Napier and Erin Napier.Erin Napier Instagram

Erin and Ben haveknown each other for 20 years— and it all started with a college yearbook photoshoot. According to Erin, the photos showed Ben standing in a lake while posing with a puppy in his arms and a pipe in his mouth.

“Afterward, in the yearbook room while we were editing photos, he came and sat beside me soaking wet from the lake,” she wrote onInstagram. “My heart filled. Once we were alone, he leaned in closer to me — he smelled so nice — and I noticed how exactly straight his teeth were.”

Erin continued: “My heart raced now because he tilted his head as if he would kiss me and I wanted him so badly. He grinned and said, ‘You were gonna let me kiss you.’ I denied it. He leaned back in his chair and we finished the interview and he said, ‘I’m going to change clothes and then let’s go for a drive.’ ”

source: people.com