Chip and Joanna Gaines' Relationship Timeline

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

“Match made in heavenis not the term you would use to describe us,” Joanna previously told PEOPLE. “But when we mixed our personalities together, it created a spark.”

The couple, who married in 2003, often sharesweet tributesto one another on social media, while also staying candid about the work it takes tobalance their relationship, businesses andfamily life.

​​"Jo and I both made a commitment pretty early on that the two of us arethe most important variable," Chip previously told PEOPLE. “If we can figure out how to be right as a couple, then obviously we have a lot better opportunity to be right for our kids.”

2001: Chip and Joanna first meet

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Chip almost lost his chance when he picked her up an hour and a half late, she recounted. “He didn’t apologize for being late, either. He had so much confidence. I don’t know. I can’t explain it. Only Chip could be an hour and a half late and have no one mad about it,” Joanna wrote.

As they started talking, Joanna wasn’t entirely convinced they were a match. “It wasn’t love at first sight for Chip and me. For one thing, I was typically attracted to guys who weremore on the quiet side,” Joanna wrote in an essay forMagnolia Journal. As Chip talked about all the companies he dreamed of launching and risks he was eager to take (hello, house flipping!), Joanna found herself “wondering if he was just a bit crazy,” adding that she initially figured they wouldn’t go out again.

2001: Chip and Joanna start dating

Despite her initial hesitations, the pair ultimately did go on that second date — but not until a few months later, when Chip finally called to ask her out again. “I’d made a bet with Hot John to see who couldhold out the longestbefore calling our dates back,” Chip explained in the couple’s joint memoir,The Magnolia Story.“I really wanted that fifty dollars from John! That’s the only reason I didn’t call.”

Joanna realized that she enjoyed the way he saw the world “through the lens ofuntapped potential,” she later wrote, adding that it helped her better see her own potential. ​​"This near-stranger had drawn out a side of me that I didn’t yet know existed," she continued. “My gut told me there was something there worth waiting for. Our lives have beat to this same rhythm ever since.”

2002: Chip and Joanna get engaged

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“I was able to pick out a nice round diamond and a beautiful, antique-looking platinum setting. I had a blast sitting there with Billy, designing the perfect ring. Chip just sat there, patiently observing every second of it,” Joanna wrote.

The surprises didn’t end there: the newly engaged pair went to dinner at a hotel, where their families were waiting to congratulate them. “My parents, my little sister, Chip’s parents, and his sister were all there waiting to celebrate our engagement with us,” Joanna added.

May 31, 2003: Chip and Joanna get married in Waco, Texas

2003: Chip and Joanna buy and flip their first house

Joanna Gaines Instagram

After their honeymoon, the couple got right to work, with Joanna joining in on Chip’s house-flipping venture. One of their first projects was their own home — a “dumpy” place that “smelled bad,” Joanna recalled.

“To this day, if you ask us whatour favorite housewe ever lived in we both go back to this little white 800-square-foot home,” she added, sharing a photo of the house on Instagram. “We were broke and were forced to be creative with our resources and we were proud as punch about this place. Most of what I learned creatively stemmed from this little fixer upper.”

It took some time for the two to figure out how best to collaborate. ​​"Early on we had ourfair share of fightsand figuring out where the boundaries were," said Joanna. “He’s good at the big picture, and he’s good at risk. I like the details.”

October 15, 2003: Chip and Joanna open Magnolia Market

A few months after tying the knot, the pair launched their first venture together: Magnolia Market in Waco. In order to open the space, they borrowed $5,000 and opened what would become their flagship retail store. “I was extremely gratefulfor the forty customers that came in that day to support us,” Joanna wrote on Instagram.

2005: ​​Chip and Joanna welcome their first son, Drake

In 2005, the couple welcomed their first child, son Drake, who hasmade several cameosonFixer Upperover the years.

2006-2010: Chip and Joanna continue to grow their family

“Family is themost important thingin the world,” Joanna later told PEOPLE. For Chip and Joanna, part of prioritizing their family has meant making sure their children have a life away from the spotlight. “They’re so young, and we want to give them the chance to have a normal childhood,” she said.

2011: Chip and Joanna are approached for a house-flipping show

May 23, 2013: Chip and Joanna premiereFixer Upper

Joanna Gaines and Chip Gaines.Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal

October 30, 2015: Chip and Joanna open Magnolia Market at the Silos

“We believe in the growth of our city, and we think the most potential is in the heart of it, which is downtown,” Joanna toldTexas Monthly.

2016-2017: Chip and Joanna expand the Magnolia empire

Mireya Acierto/FilmMagic

Over the course of 2016 and 2017, Chip and Joanna ramped up their entrepreneurial enterprises in almost every capacity imaginable: They launchedThe Magnolia Journal; opened a bed and breakfast and a café; published their memoir; createdpaint, rug, wallpaper and furniture lines;andcontinued to filmFixer Upperwhile raising four kids.

September 26, 2017: Chip and Joanna announce the end ofFixer Upper

After five seasons of the dynamic duo revitalizing Waco one home at a time, they announced thatFixer Upperwould be coming to an end.

November 5, 2017: Chip and Joanna launch a home line at Target

As the pair continued to expand their home improvement empire, theylaunched their Target collaboration, Hearth & Hand with Magnolia, ahead of the 2017 holiday season.

After previously hinting that they hoped to expand their family — with Joanna even saying that she wanted twins — the couple revealed that they wereexpecting againin 2018.

“And then there were 5.. The Gaines crew is now 1 stronger! 10 beautiful toes and 10 beautiful fingers all accounted for, and big momma is doing great! #blessedBeyondBelief,” Chip wrote.

August 9, 2019: Chip surprises Joanna with a puppy

Continuing his tradition ofsurprising his family with new pets, Chipbrought home a puppyat the end of summer 2019.

“Chip told me he hadn’t surprised us in a while with a new animal and that it was long overdue… we now have more dogs than children 😂 #englishmastiff,” Joanna announced on Instagram.

The pup joined the Gaines crew’s ever-expanding menagerie, which then included six dogs as well as a number of cats, cows, horses, chickens and goats.

August 4, 2020: Chip and Joanna confirm aFixer Upperreboot

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Fixer Upperfans rejoiced at the news that the Gaineses would be returning to the small screen withFixer Upper: Welcome Hometwo years after the original show ended. The reboot was slated to air on the couple’sMagnolia Network— a rebrand of DIY Network, in partnership with Discovery Channel. The network was initially slated to launch in October 2020 but waspushed back several timesdue to the pandemic.

“The day we wrapped our final episode of ​Fixer Upper,​ we really believed it was a chapter closed,” Chip and Joanna said of the series. “We knew we needed a break anda moment to catch our breath. But we also knew we weren’t done dreaming about ways to make old things new again.”

Welcome Homeeventually premiered on Discovery+ on Jan. 29, 2021.

May 31, 2021: Chip and Joanna celebrate 18 years of marriage

Chip and Joanna aren’t shy aboutposting sweet tributesto each other on social media, whether it’s to celebrate an anniversary or an everyday moment. To mark 18 years since saying “I do,” Joanna posted a slideshow of photos and videos with her husband and their kids on a tropical getaway.

“18 years. Thankful to be on this adventure with you—happy anniversary @chipgaines ❤️,” she captioned the post.

January 5, 2022: Chip and Joanna debut Magnolia Network

The couple kicked off 2022 with the long-awaitedlaunch of Magnolia Network, their joint venture with Discovery+. The network is the cable home toFixer Upper: Welcome Home, as well as an enormous and ever-expanding slate of original food, home and lifestyle content, includingMagnolia Table,Restoration Road withClint Harp, Family Dinner, The Johnnyswim Show, Mind for DesignandZoë Bakes.

“I think comfortable for us can bea little dangerous,” Joanna once told PEOPLE. “The second Chip gets content, he gets really restless. It’s not about, ‘Let’s get here and then we’ll be happy.’ We like the idea of having to wrestle a little bit and figure things out. That’s where we thrive the most.”

May 18, 2022: Chip and Joanna begin renovations on a 100-year-old castle in Waco

In May, Chip and Joanna announced theirplans to renovate a nineteenth-century castlein their hometown — which they had been trying to purchase for 20 years.

“For nearly two decades, Chip watched and waited, persistently putting in offers whenever the castle was relisted — each one passed over for someone else, while very few improvements appeared to be made,” Joanna wrote in 2019.

They also revealed that the project would air in a special eight-episode series titledFixer Upper: Welcome Home - The Castlein September.

August 2022: Joanna opens up about her marriage to Chip

Joanna wrote a personal essay for the fall 2022 issue ofMagnolia Journaland spoke about her relationship with Chip and theobstacles they’ve had to overcome together.

“In our 20 years of marriage, Chip and I have experienced a little bit of all of it,” Joanna said. “Losing a loved one. Shifts in friendships. Bills we couldn’t pay. Moments where our hearts were broken. Times when all hope felt lost and circumstances were out of our control. When all I could think to do was lay face down on the floor in surrender.”

October 14, 2022: Joanna reveals her favorite wedding day memory

“I just remember, when we got there, I saw how good the food looked and I asked my mom, ‘No matter what, will you just put some food in a container and put it in the car?’ " the designer recalled.

“So we did our thing, we did our dance, we did all the things that you’re supposed to do at a wedding. And all I kept saying is, I can’t wait to be in that car with Chip headed to our honeymoon. And the second that door shut, I was like, ‘Thank God, this is why I’m here. I just wanna be with you and I wanna eat.’ "

Joanna went on to say it’s easy to lose sight of what’s most important during a busy event. “Weddings are kind of scripted and you’re doing a lot,” she said. “You can forget why you’re really there. And for me, I was really there because I wanted to be with Chip. It will always be my favorite memory — when that limo door shut and we just ate like kids with our hands. It was Beef Wellington, mashed potatoes and two different kinds of cake.”

December 21, 2022: Joanna reveals she had to cancel her second date with Chip in 2001 due to back surgery

Joanna shared onInstagramthat she injured her back cheerleading in high school. The “basket toss turned back injury,” has resulted in two surgeries for the interior designer.

“I had my first microdisectomy in 2001 and had to cancel my second date with Chip Carter Gaines and then had the same procedure on another disc two weeks ago,” Joanna captioned an image of herself in a hospital bed. “I’ve always joked that my back likes to act up at the most inconvenient times.”

February 15, 2023: Chip celebrates his and Joanna’s 20th anniversary with a message on the Magnolia Silos

In an adorableInstagram post, Joanna showed off a larger-than-life note her husband made to celebrate their anniversary. She included a picture of the silos at their Waco shopping complex, Magnolia Market, which featured a message in green written on the side. “20 years, JoJo! 4eva 2 go,” the note read, with “Chip” written underneath.

The anniversary message comes just one day after Joanna shared a cute Instagram Reel poking fun at how often she and Chip call each other “babe.” In her video montage, posted on Valentine’s Day, the couple call each other the pet name in scenes fromFixer Upper: Welcome HomeandFixer Upper: The Castle.

“Babe, this is embarrassing @chipgaines…” Joanna joked in the caption.

March 23, 2023: Joanna reveals she knew she’d marry Chip on their first date

Joanna was smitten with Chip “right off the bat,” she said in an interview for a special edition of PEOPLE.

“I was always attracted to quiet guys, to the guy that you didn’t know what he was thinking. When Chip and I went on our first date, he didn’t stop talking!” theMagnolia Tableauthor shared. “In my mind I was like, ‘Okay, this isn’t going to work.’ Then I heard this voice say, ‘This is who you’re going to marry.’ Call it God, call it whatever.”

April 26, 2023: Chip and Joanna attend the White House State Dinner

STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

The couple wereguests at the White House State Dinner, where PresidentJoe Bidenand First LadyJill Bidenhosted South Korean PresidentYoon Suk Yeoland First Lady Kim Keon Hee.

“What an honor it was to be a part of tonight’s State Dinner to celebrate the 70 year alliance between the United States of America and my mother’s home country of South Korea,” Joanna captioned a carousel of images on Instagram. “Coming off the heels of our incredible trip to Seoul, this evening was another reminder of just how proud I am to be a Korean American🇺🇸🇰🇷❤️.”

May 31, 2023: Chip and Joanna celebrate 20 years of marriage

In honor of their marriage milestone, Chip penned a sweet post about Joanna onInstagram.

“20 years with the most incredible, most powerful, most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. You’ve given me the most beautiful life and I’m so grateful to God for you @joannagaines,” he captioned a photo of his wife. “20 years ago today, you made me the happiest man on earth. Thank you for everything Jo.”

October 12, 2023: Chip and Joanna launch a podcast network

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The couple launchedBlind Nil Audio— a podcast network under their production company, Blind Nil Media. According to a press release, the network will “feature inspiring and empowering content that will inform, entertain and catalyze new ways of thinking to expand perspectives and bring people together.”

November 20, 2023: Chip says he and Joanna are “evolving into each other” after 20 years of marriage

Courtesy Magnolia Network

During an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Chip and Joanna spoke openly about their 20-year marriage and how they’ve changed as a couple.

“I would say, as we’re getting older, I’m shifting and I’m more like Chip, and Chip is more like me,” Joanna said. Chip added: “Jo and I are in this beautiful moment.We’re evolving into each other. It’s the second part of our marriage.”

Between sending their eldest son to college and launching several new projects, including opening a boutique hotel in Waco, the couple have experienced a lot of “hard” change in recent years.

“I hope that it’s just the beginning,” Chip said. “I hope that we get to look back in 20 years from now and feel just as confident that we were meant to be. We really feel like we are in some ways just getting started.”

March 5, 2024: Chip and Joanna announce new showFixer Upper: The Lakehouse

Courtesy of Magnolia Network

Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse, asix-episode limited series, stars Chip and Joanna as they renovate a mid-century modern lake house in Waco, Texas.

“WhenFixer Upperpremiered ten years ago, we couldn’t have imagined the journey we had ahead of us,” the couple said in a statement. “Though a lot has changed and evolved in the decade between then and now, our love for home is still at the heart of everything we do. We feel honored that we get to continue pouring into the stories of these homes across Waco.”

June 17, 2024: Joanna says renovating homes with Chip “never gets old”

“Home is the best place on Earth. And so the fact that we’re still doing the very thing that we started with — thatnever gets old,” she said of renovating homes with Chip.

December 29, 2024: Joanna shares video footage from Chip’s 50th birthday party

Chip and Joanna Gaines in 2024.Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal/Getty

Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal/Getty

“I’m the luckiest girl in the world. How grateful I am to journey through this life with you @chipgaines. Here’s to 50 more!” Joanna wrote onInstagramalongside clips from Chip’s big birthday bash.

source: people.com