Joanna and Chip Gaines Are a Match Made in Heaven! A Timeline of the TV Couple’s Relationship

Joanna Gaines and Chip Gaines are a longtime couple who is all about working hard and spending time with their five kids. The former HGTV stars have been together for nearly two decades, and a complete breakdown of their romance proves their relationship is going to stand the test of time.

Chip and Jo first met back in 2001 after they both graduated from Baylor University. The two weren’t introduced at the Texas college as Chip received his diploma in 1998, three years before Joanna, but they later crossed paths in Waco.

As the home renovation guru described to PopSugar, it was practically love at first sight for Chip. Recalling how he first laid eyes on Joanna in her father’s automotive shop where she worked, the TV personality said he knew right away that the brunette beauty was “The One” for him.

“Her dad made the mistake of putting a pic of the family behind the counter at his [automotive] shop,” he gushed to the outlet in 2018. “I knew I’d marry her one day just by the picture on the wall.” As for Joanna, the We Are the Gardeners author remembered her beau having “such a sincere smile.” She marveled, “We met in the waiting area and hit it off immediately … he was genuinely engaging.”

Following their encounter, Chip and Jo went on a first date, and from there, the rest is pretty much history. Following their 2003 nuptials, the lovebirds launched their Magnolia business, which has massively grown over the years. They also focused on creating a family, becoming the parents of their five kids: Duke, Ella, Drake, Emmie and Crew.

These days, Jo and Chip are running their widely successful empire — which includes their new TV network, the Magnolia Journal, their shops at the Silos and so much more — as well as raising their big family. Though it feels like the duo are always being pulled in a million different directions, “being good parents is Chip and Joanna’s first priority,” an insider exclusively told Closer in April 2019.

“It’s about quality time together,” the source explains, pointing out Chip and Jo “always” take advantage of time at home with their children. “Their family nights include games like cards and checkers, then bedtime stories and prayers. Everyone says they have the perfect life.”

For a complete timeline of Chip and Jo’s relationship, scroll through the gallery below!