Erin Napier ‘Loved’ Ben before She ‘Even Knew Him’ - They Decided to Marry a Week after Meeting

Erin and Ben Napier became like the next Chip & Joanna Gaines after their show “Home Town,” but their story is totally different. The couple’s 17 years love story was moving fast from the start. Here are all the details.

Ben and Erin Napier are a married couple who host a successful home renovation show, “Home Town.” The couple shot to fame when their incredible home renovation skills, as well as their sweet banter and easy rapport, captivated audiences.

The couple’s humility and passion for restoring small-town architecture are only a few reasons why their show has had several successful seasons, including a spin-off series “Home Town: Ben’s Worksop.” Their fast-moving yet endearing love story maybe even better than their home renovation success.

FROM MEETING OVER A YEARBOOK PROJECT TO FALLING IN LOVE

Ben and Erin were both college students at Jones County Junior College in Mississippi when they first came across each other. Erin noticed Ben first, a handsome and popular History student everyone was drawn to. Conversely, Erin was shyer, choosing to avoid popularity.

But Erin was attracted to more than Ben’s looks and popularity alone. She noticed that Ben was kind to everyone he met:

"He was kind to anyone who would allow it and open in a way that few people were. Ben was popular but not exclusive, and I think that’s why I loved him before I even knew him.”

Although Ben noticed Erin slightly later than she did, his reaction was still beautiful. When Ben first saw Erin, he spoke with a group of girls at the college cafeteria. One of the girls pointed out how much they liked Erin’s pixie haircut, and Ben turned to look, immediately getting hooked on Erin.

Soon after seeing each other, they officially met on December 7, 2004. Two days later, they went on a date, and Ben met Erin’s mother. After only six days of getting to know each other, they professed that they had fallen in love and decided to get married soon.

THE PROPOSAL THAT CONFIRMED THE LOVE

Although Ben and Erin fell in love very quickly, their relationship grew over four years of dating. When Ben decided to propose, he knew he had to create something unique. He planned to develop a proposal that would be big enough to be worthy of their incredible love story.

During the weeks leading up to the proposal, Ben created a book detailing how they met and fell in love. He traveled to Erin’s hometown the week before to ask her father, Phil, for his blessing. “Filled with the confidence of knowing what his answer would be, I breezed into his office at the hospital,” said Ben.

Ben and Erin’s father had known each other for as long as the couple had been dating. But his confidence quickly turned into a panic the closer he got to his office. Ben asked Erin’s father for permission to marry her within the coming week with a shaky voice.

"Oh yeah, I think that'd be just fine," Phil responded. So, early Friday morning, a week after getting his future father-in-law's blessing, Ben went to “Square Books,” their local book and coffee shop, to set up pictures he printed and flowers in big canning jars all over the balcony.

Later that day, he created an excuse to go to “Square Books” with Erin. Their mutual friends, who had been in on the plan, tagged along. When the couple got up to the balcony, Ben asked Erin to marry him, feeling so emotional that he had to whisper to keep from crying.

A WEDDING AS ROMANTIC AS THEIR LOVE STORY

The couple wed on November 22, 2008, in Ole Miss. A video montage from their wedding day shows Erin wearing an all-lace wedding gown with a silk waist belt. Friends and family surround the couple as they take their wedding photos, and their wedding reception is filled with them and their guests dancing.

Ben continues to celebrate his love by making a book for Erin every year, with themed covers corresponding to each anniversary gift. On their 10th wedding anniversary in 2018, Erin wrote a beautiful note for her husband that detailed some of the annoying yet lovely things about him.

WHAT BEN AND ERIN’S MARRIAGE LOOKS LIKE TODAY

The couple celebrated their 12th wedding anniversary in November 2020. Ben wrote a sweet post on Instagram to his wife:

"12 years ago. We said I do. We’ve said it every day since and will say it every day in the future. Being @erinapier’s husband is the only thing I’m really great at."

Erin also celebrated their anniversary by posting a video montage of their wedding day in 2008, to the music of "Lloyd, I'm Ready to be Heartbroken" by Camera Obscura and "By Your Side" by Blue Mountain. The romance continues beyond the anniversary, with Ben writing love notes for Erin every day.

The couple also has two children together, three-year-old Helen and six-month-old Mae. They often share heartfelt family moments on their Instagram accounts. Erin posted a photo of her lying on the couch in one of them, cuddling both her daughters.

Erin also recently shared a beautiful photo of her husband holding their first-born daughter, Helen. The caption reads, "Tonight he told her 'A man's job is to keep girls safe, to cherish and protect them.' Dangit if we didn't hit the jackpot in this house.”

In addition to warm family life, the couple also hosts their hit “HGTV” home renovation show, “Home Town,” as well as its spin-off “Home Town: Ben’s Workshop.” In an interview with “Access,” the couple shared relationship advice about staying happily together.

"You should always remember the people you were when you met; what were you so crazy about? We never give up on that,” Erin said. Ben and Erin also shared the difficulties of balancing parenthood with their successful TV shows, saying they found their footing and got there.