Since their “secret garden” wedding in 2019,Lauren Bushnell LaneandChris Lanehave welcomed two boys.
“We make a great team,” Chris toldPEOPLEin 2022, adding that parenthood, "brought us even closer when I didn’t think that was even possible." He continued, “Having a kid is a lot of work and I feel like you have to have a great partner or it’s easy to see how it would not work out — it becomes too stressful. I’ve just realized that Lauren and I are literally a perfect fit for each other.”
Lauren added, “I definitely think [parenthood] strengthened our relationship. We are 100% on the same page when it comes to how we want to parent. With the way that we’re parenting now, we’re just learning together, growing together and supporting each other.”
From their red carpet debut to their journey to parenthood, here’s everything to know about Lauren Bushnell Lane and Chris Lane’s relationship.
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Lauren and Chris first metat a radio event in Austin, Texas. “We met at aniHeart Radio award showin Austin years ago, gosh it might’ve been three years ago, and that’s when we met initially and kind of just became friends,” Lauren toldHollywood Lifein 2018.
“Then I ran into him and some of his friends in Nashville a while ago, and just kind of developed a friendship and obviously now we are more than friends,” she added.
In August 2018,Chris “randomly asked” Laurento join him and a group of friends on vacation in the Bahamas. While they were there, both had some walls up. “He talked about how he wanted to be single forever, how he didn’t know if he wanted kids. Chris decided to use our entire trip to completely scare me away,” Lauren recalled to PEOPLE.
She continued, “I think I was just very guarded and protecting myself … I think we probably both were just fighting ourselves over the whole thing.”
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After their trip, Chris and the formerBachelorcontestantkept in touch with daily phone calls— at the time, Lauren was living in Los Angeles and Chris was based in Nashville. Things eventually turned more romantic, and the couplemade their relationship publicat the 2018Country Music Association Awards. “It’s brand new. It’s been a while for me … I finally found my take back home girl,” he told PEOPLE, referencing “Take Back Home Girl,” his 2017 duet withTori Kelly.
The same day, a representative for Chris toldPEOPLE, “It’s brand new and they are enjoying spending time together.”
It didn’t take long for Lauren to become Chris' muse. When asked if his new girlfriend wasinspiring his music, Chris said, “Heck yeah! I’m definitely in a different headspace than I’ve been in a long time because of this relationship.”
The country star continued, “[She] will definitely play into the kind of songs that I write, 100 percent.”
Lauren Bushnell Instagram
After seven months of dating,Chris proposed to Laurenat a family cookout. “I knew she wouldn’t want some elaborate crazy proposal. So, I decided to keep it pretty casual. I asked her parents for different places in Portland [Oregon] I could potentially take her to,” Chris told PEOPLE. “But after a lot of thought I decided doing it at the family cookout would be the most laid-back setting and that she’d appreciate the simplicity of me proposing to her in her parents' backyard.”
For the special moment, Chris sang “Big, Big Plans,” a song he wrote for Lauren. “Even though I felt pretty confident I was going to get the ‘yes,’ I’ve never beenthatnervous. When I got to the third verse of the song and knew it was time, I pretty much blacked out,” he explained. “The next thing I knew, she said ‘yes’ and the nerves just lifted! It’s an explosion of excitement, pure joy, and love.”
Lauren told PEOPLE the proposal was “the happiest moment of my life!” She said, “Chris is the most thoughtful person. He clearly put so much time and thought into not only the song, but also making sure everyone I love most was surrounding us in that moment. Holding each other, hearing the song for the first time and then seeing him get down on one knee is a moment I’ll never forget.”
In August 2019, Lauren made two exciting announcements in one Instagram post — the couple hadadopted a puppy and bought their first house. “It’s without shock to anyone who knows me well but, we have decided to make Cooper a permanent part of our family,” she wrote alongside a photo of herself, Chris and their “foster fail” puppy Cooper. “Oh! And!! WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!”
Lauren and Chris celebrated their engagementin September 2019 with a party in Chris' hometown of Kernersville, North Carolina, at the Cuddle Creek Farm. "Got to celebrate all weekend long in Chris' hometown with our family, friends, and dogs. At one point I even looked at Chris and said ‘I wish we were just getting married tonight!’ " the bride-to-be wrote on Instagram.
Four months after Chris proposed, the couple gotmarried in a “secret garden” weddingin Nashville. “I’ve just looked forward to the day for quite some time and I’m glad that it’s finally here. I feel like I’m the luckiest guy in the world to be marrying her,” the country star told PEOPLE.
Lauren shared similar sentiments with PEOPLE, saying, “I feel like the luckiest girl. We both recognize what we have is special, and we feel very lucky.”
Lauren and Chris opened up about their romance during a cameo onListen To Your Heart, aBachelorspin-off series. “We say this all the time to each other but I’m so glad that I don’t have to go out on any more first dates. I’m so glad we found each other,“Chris said.
The formerBachelorcontestant added: “Glad we’re married and glad we found each other. It’s also fun to watch people at that stage, that was such an exciting stage at one point for us. Every stage has its exciting moments, it’s fun to watch people and say, ‘Oh I remember when we were at that stage.’ It’s fun from that perspective.”
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On Oct. 25, 2020, the couple gave each othersweet shoutoutson Instagram in honor of their 1-year anniversary. “Happy Anniversary @laurenlane I can’t believe it’s been a year!! Love you. Here’s to gettin old and grey together,” Chris wrote.
“1 year 🤍🤍,” Lauren captioned a photo from their wedding.
She continued, “I took a test and believe I was about three-and-a-half weeks at that point, so the second line was very faint. I showed Chris and he didn’t believe the test. We went to the store together and bought a digital test and it clearly read ‘pregnant.’ I think I took about 10 more still in disbelief! Because I was so early we both were shocked but cautiously optimistic!”
“It was very exciting but now feels even more real seeing the ultrasound and hearing the heartbeat. We are just soaking it all in,” she added.
During an interview withRadio.com’s Kelly Ford, Chris opened up abouthis wife’s pregnancy. “It almost doesn’t feel real, but here we are … [this year has] given us a chance to kind of concentrate on this and not be exhausted from the road and all that kind of stuff … It gave us a chance to really try, and hallelujah thank the lord it worked out!” he said.
In aNew Year’s Dayblog post, Bushnell opened up abouther journey to getting pregnantand shared that “after four to five months” of trying to conceive, she began to worry. She wrote, “I couldn’t help but compare my situation with those of my friends who it happened very easily for, a lot of the time unplanned. Mentally, this was a really hard part of the journey. I’m not sure if other people have experienced this, but as a woman, I assumed there was something wrong with me. Chris would see how disappointed and worried I would get and I could tell he felt really bad.”
Lauren credited her husband for his support, writing, “And as hard as trying to conceive is on the woman, I just want to take a moment to acknowledge the impact it has on husbands as well.” She continued, “I’m so thankful for Chris. He is such an eternal optimist and I admire his faith so much – he truly was my rock through the emotional rollercoaster of it all.”
Lauren added, “I’ve never felt an immediate unconditional love like I now have for Dutton. And going through this experience with Chris has made me love and appreciate him even more … I didn’t think that was possible!”
Two weeks after the birth of their son, Lauren and Chris shared insight into theirlife as new parentswith PEOPLE.
“Watching Lauren be a mom is my favorite thing in the world,” Chris said, with Lauren adding, “we’re both so new to this and learning as we go, but we’re getting the hang of it! You have to laugh your way through. We’re just figuring it out together.”
They also discussed Dutton’s birth story. “I had to sit down for a second because I got a little woozy, but it was the most incredible thing I’ve truly ever seen with my own two eyes,” Chris said. “I know I’ve said this before, but watching Lauren be a mom is my favorite thing in the world. She is so good at it, and Dutton is lucky to have her as his mama.”
“I’m heading to the doctor tomorrow to check a couple things and discuss my anxiety that has been through the roof. Anyway- just thought I would share and maybe encourage other moms that you are not alone,” the new mom continued.
In an interview withEntertainment Tonight,Chris sharedhow his relationship with Lauren had changed his mind about what he wanted for his future. “I never wanted kids. I honestly never wanted to get married. None of that,” he said. “You meet somebody that makes you want to change your mindset and then makes you want that.”
Chris added, “The day he was born, and I haven’t told anybody this, but I cried my eyes out, because I felt like I was praying, just, ‘Lord, thank you so much for not listening to me for all those years that I said I never wanted that.’ I wouldn’t have known what I was missing out on.”
Chris is a hugeBachelorfan, and as the couple watchedClayton Echard’s season ofThe Bachelortogether, Lauren admitted that her husbandwanted to watch her runonBen Higgins' season.
She added, “He fully wants to relive it together and I’m like, ‘I mean, maybe we’ll try one day.’ But like, maybe not start to finish. Maybe, like, let’s watch one episode.”
The Lanes.Lauren Bushnell Instagram
Less than a year after the couple welcomed their son, Lauren and Chris announced thatthey were expecting again— and apparently, the pregnancy news surprised both of them. “To be quite honest, I’ve never been more shocked in my entire life because this was very much an unexpected surprise,” Lauren told PEOPLE. Chris agreed, adding, “It was very shocking!”
Lauren shared a pregnancy update on Instagram on June 8, 2022.She told her followers, “The first 13 weeks-ish [of pregnancy] were way worse this time around. I just feel like I was way sicker, I threw up a lot more often, hence the hospital visit. Thankfully now I am feeling so much better.”
The coupleannounced the sexof their little one on the way with a baseball-themed reveal on Instagram. Chrisposted a videoof himself dressed in an Atlanta Braves jersey and hitting a baseball, which then exploded with blue powder. “Dutty’s gonna have a little brother 🙏🏻,” he captioned the post.
“Life just got 8 Pounds Sweeter! Family of 4 Now!!” Chris captioned a family photo on Instagram, which featured little Dutton sporting a “big bro” t-shirt.
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“Our little man surprised us 9 days early,” Lauren wrote on Instagram. “Still laughing thinking about my water breaking (very aggressive, movie like situation) driving myself to the hospital in Chris' truck (pantsless btw) because my car was out of gas and Dutton was sleeping 😵💫.”
Lauren shareda sweet photoon Instagram from her and Chris' first Thanksgiving with two kids. In the picture, the couple posed together on their porch, with sons Dutton and Baker on their laps. “My little turkeys 🦃,” Lauren wrote inthe caption.
The mom of two also posted outtakes from their Thanksgiving photo session on her Instagram Story. In one photo, Lauren pointed to the camera, trying to direct her sons' attention. “Photos w toddlers,” she wrote over the snap.
The couple walked the red carpet together at the57th annual CMA Awardsin Nashville. Chris looked handsome in a black tuxedo, while Lauren dazzled in a vintage Zac Posen teal strapless gown.
Chris Lane, Dutton, Baker and Lauren Bushnell Lane.Lauren Lane/Instagram
Lauren Lane/Instagram
“I love her more todaythan I did the day we got married,” the country singer told PEOPLE, “and I think that will only continue to grow as our family grows.”
Chris went on to admit that he was never the guy who imagined being married or having kids.
“I’m so thankful that the good Lord did not listen to me when I said I didn’t want any of it,” he added. “I mean, look at this. We have a beautiful life.”
source: people.com