Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton Are as In Love as Ever! Relive the 'Happy Anywhere' Couple's Sweet Love Story
Blake Shelton remains Gwen Stefani's biggest cheerleader.
Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani are such a rock-solid couple that it seems like they've been together forever—but the pairing did seem pretty unlikely from the outset, something Shelton, 46, and Stefani, 53, have openly acknowledged.
"An Okie boy and a California girl look on paper like an unlikely match, but what matters is she's a great human being," Shelton told PEOPLE. "She is the most understanding, kind-hearted person I've ever met and I learn something from her every day."
Stefani, for her part, feels better with Shelton than she ever has before. She gushed to Stellar magazine in March 2021, "Blake is the greatest guy. I look back over the past few years and look at pictures of when I first started kissing Blake, and I look the best I've ever looked in my life in those photos. Love must look good on me. I feel like that does show through—it really does."
Keep reading to reminisce about how Shelton and Stefani's love story unfolded.
Related: Blake Shelton's Net Worth and How Much He Made on The Voice
When did Blake fall in love with Gwen?
Shelton and Stefani first bonded over their own respective divorces.
In a sitdown with Billboard in July 2016, Shelton spoke vaguely about his split from Lambert as well as about his relationship with Stefani. He told the magazine that if you listen closely to the lyrics, "You can learn some facts of my divorce. Maybe not specifics, but you can get a general idea about it. It is my divorce record, but maybe even more than that, it's my happy, falling-in-love record too."
He added that when Stefani joined The Voice he hadn't gotten to know her too well, but that when she heard about his divorce that moment changed both of their lives.
"I won't forget that day," he said. "I looked over at Gwen—who I didn't really know—and she had these huge tears in her eyes. I thought, 'Wow, she feels super bad for me!'"
"I thought it was going to be another one of those things-are-going-to-be-OK talks," he continued. "She didn't tell me much, because we didn't know each other at the time, but she said, 'I'm going through something very similar to what you're going through. I understand. And I hate it.'" Shelton said their mutual shoulders to cry on led to their friendship, then quickly to a crush, then romance.
"Next thing I know, I wake up and she's all I care about, and I'm -wondering if she feels the same about me," he said. "Gwen saved my life. Who else on Earth could understand going through a high-profile divorce from another musician? You can't even imagine the similarities in our divorces."
Related: Read Blake Shelton's Farewell to The Voice
How did Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani meet?
Shelton and Stefani met on the set of The Voice.
What is the age difference between Blake and Gwen?
Stefani is 53 and Shelton is 46, making the "Slow Clap" singer seven years older than her husband.
How long were Blake and Gwen together before they got married?
Shelton and Stefani dated for about just under six years before they got married.
Related: Gwen Stefani's Unexpected Retirement Gift for His Exit From The Voice
When did Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani get married?
Stefani and Shelton tied the knot on July 3, 2021.
"Shefani" got hitched on July 3, 2021, at Shelton’s Oklahoma ranch, in a chapel that he reportedly had built on the property, especially for his bride. Carson Daly officiated the wedding, with 40 guests attending the nuptials.
Photos from the wedding show guests (including Stefani's parents) on the property and at the chapel, all of which were decorated with gorgeous flowers for the big event. Days earlier, TMZ reported that the pair got their marriage license in Shelton's home state.
Why did Blake Shelton not invite Adam Levine to his wedding?
Shelton joked that Adam Levine wasn't invited to his and Stefani's wedding because Levine joked on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, "I don't support their marriage. She's so cool, he's not ... I'll go to the wedding, and I'll object. I will probably not be invited, now that I'm saying this on live television, but I'll be there, somehow."
Shelton then joked on the same show later, "That's the reason we didn't invite to him to the wedding, is that interview he did on your show."
Who is Blake Shelton's wife?
Shelton is married to Stefani. He was previously married twice.
Shelton married his first wife, Kaynette Williams (also known as Kaynette Gern). They split shortly after he met Miranda Lambert while performing a duet of "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma" in 2005.
“I was a married guy, you know, standing up there going, ‘Man, this shouldn’t be happening,’” Shelton recalled on Behind the Music. “Looking back on that, I was falling in love with her right there onstage.”
Shelton and Lambert went on to date for six years and married in May 2011. They split in 2015, sending the country music community reeling—and he found love with Stefani just months later.
Related: Gwen Stefani Reveals the Country Song She Wants to Duet With Blake Shelton
Who is Gwen Stefani married to now?
Stefani is happily married to Shelton today.
Who was Gwen Stefani's first love?
Stefani's first love was her No Doubt bandmate Tony Kanal, about whom she wrote the band's breakout hit "Don't Speak," as well as "Ex-Girlfriend." He also inspired her solo hit "Cool," which was about their post-split friendship.
Who was Gwen married to before Blake?
Before tying the knot with Shelton, Stefani was married to Gavin Rossdale, the frontman of Bush. She and Rossdale share three sons together. They began dating in 1995 and were married from 2002 to 2016.
Related: Blake Shelton Celebrates Gwen Stefani's Grand Ole Opry Debut Performance
Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton Relationship Timeline
November 2014: Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton take their first selfie together
While Stefani filmed her first season of The Voice in November 2014, she shared a selfie with Shelton writing, "[Heart] him @blakeshelton @nbcthevoice gx." At the time, they were each married: Her to Gavin Rossdale, him to Miranda Lambert, and they were purely platonic friends and rival coaches.
December 2014: Gwen Stefani sits on Blake Shelton's lap
The pair, who were still married to their now-exes at the time, had a great time filming The Voice.
July 2015: Blake Shelton files for divorce from Miranda Lambert
After nearly a decade as a couple and four years of marriage, Shelton filed for divorce from Lambert. They said in a joint statement, "This is not the future we envisioned and it is with heavy hearts that we move forward separately. We are real people, with real lives, with real family, friends and colleagues. Therefore, we kindly ask for privacy and compassion concerning this very personal matter."
August 2015: Gwen Stefani files for divorce from Gavin Rossdale
A month after Shelton and Lambert called it quits, Stefani filed for divorce from Rossdale, to whom she was married for 13 years and with whom she shares three sons: Kingston, Zuma and Apollo.
Stefani told Harper's Bazaar that her marriage to Rossdale had actually been unraveling since Feb. 9, 2015, and that when Shelton told her and the rest of The Voice coaches of his split from Lambert on July 7, 2015, she freaked out. "There I was with my big secret, right? And that's when Blake was like, 'Everybody, before we go out there, I want to let everyone know that by the time this airs, I will be divorced.'" Stefani said she felt "exposed somehow, you know? But it was like being handed this gift of a friend who was going through the exact same thing at the exact same time."
Related: See Gwen Stefani's Most Stunning Red Carpet Looks Through the Years
October 2015: Rumors of a romance between Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani start brewing
Shelton and Stefani duet to Drake's "Hotline Bling" on The Tonight Show, and their chemistry didn't go unnoticed.
Whispers of Shelton and Stefani getting cozy grew to a dull roar in October 2015 after they were spotted holding hands at a Maroon 5 Halloween party. Check out Stefani's cool, creepy cowgirl costume!
Related: Miranda, Blake, and Gwen: A Sad Emotional Triangle at The CMAs or Just PR Gold?
November 2015: Blake Shelton confirms he and Gwen Stefani are dating
That was quick! Just days after Stefani and Shelton were photographed getting cozy, Shelton's rep confirmed that they were, in fact, an item. When asked about their romance a day earlier, though, Stefani refused to answer beyond saying that Shelton is "hot."
December 2015: Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton go public
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
The couple make their first public appearance together at a Green Bay Packers vs. Arizona Cardinals game in Phoenix on Dec. 27, 2015.
January 2016: Blake Shelton gets Gwen Stefani a horse
Shelton wasted no time getting Stefani her first big ticket gift: A horse named Halo!
"I got her a horse and I got myself a horse at the same time. Gwen, she loves riding and she loves horses," Shelton told Entertainment Tonight of the pet present. "It's actually so funny that people are so shocked by that, but if you can name me one girl on the planet that doesn't love horses or just thinks that they are beautiful."
February 2016: Blake Shelton acts as Gwen Stefani's muse for the first time
Stefani released her song "Make Me Like You," inspired by Shelton, on Feb. 12, 2016.
During an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Stefani admitted that she "thought it would be a good idea not to talk about Blake" but couldn't help herself.
February 2016: Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani make their red carpet debut
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
The couple have their unofficial coming out party on the red carpet for the Vanity Fair Oscar party.
May 2016: Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani release their first duet
Shelton and Stefani released "Go Ahead and Break My Heart" from Shelton's first post-divorce album, If I'm Honest. He later told Billboard that the song began when he sent some incomplete voice memos of the tune to Stefani to get her thoughts on it. She in turn wrote a verse about her own experiences, and the magic was made.
"She wrote a verse that was brutally honest and didn't really go with my verse," he said. "I was writing about her, and she made it about us. I was so taken aback by it. F--k, she's awesome." The pair went on to perform the song at the Billboard Music Awards that month.
June 2016: Blake Shelton celebrates his birthday with Gwen Stefani
Check out those festive shades!
Related: Gwen Stefani on Celebrating Blake Shelton, Her Signature Red Lip and Returning to The Voice
September 2016: The Voice honchos voice their approval
Executive producer of The Voice, Mark Burnett, gave his blessing to Stefani and Shelton, telling PEOPLE in September 2016, "I had no idea by coming to work on a fun music show they would find the loves of their life, and the light exploded and they are happier than you can imagine. We are all thrilled to be their friends and see the happiness."
Stefani also opened up to Cosmopolitan about her relationship with Shelton and how it was portrayed on The Voice.
"We were laughing our heads off when we saw the blind auditions," she said. "I love NBC, but they for sure edited stuff to look like we were flirting. They chose to run with that story before anything was even real. I hardly knew him. But it was like it was in the air—happening before it happened."
November 2016: Gwen Stefani dedicates part of her her Glamour Women of the Year Award speech to Blake Shelton
In somewhat of an ironic move, Stefani thanked her boyfriend for her Glamour Woman of the Year honor, crediting him with "kissing [her] back to life" after her divorce.
February 2017: Gwen Stefani can't stop gushing about Blake Shelton
During a sitdown on The Tonight Show, Stefani admitted she'd rather keep the conversation about her boyfriend "because he's so awesome."
May 2017: Gwen Stefani supports Blake Shelton at the Billboard Music Awards
Stefani celebrated Shelton's win with this sweet moment.
October 2017: Adam Levine is in awe (and a little disgusted) by Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani's mushiness
Shelton's erstwhile The Voice bromance partner, Adam Levine, told Howard Stern that Stefani and Shelton's love is deep, real and a little annoying, describing the pair as "so in love it's disgusting."
"It's so funny. They found each other at really interesting times in their lives. It's really beautiful," he said. "Because it's in the public eye, a lot of people want to have their own bullsh--t opinions about it. But I'm, like, there. I see it every day. I have a pretty unique perspective on it, and it's real, man."
November 2017: Blake Shelton is controversially named Sexiest Man Alive, but Gwen Stefani stands by the choice—and they drop another duet
Shelton was named PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive in November 2017, which not everyone in the world agreed with ... but Stefani sure did, and she later admitted that she actually had to talk him into accepting the honor. "He doesn’t even like to do a photoshoot," she said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. "You can never convince him to do it. So he just called me like, 'They want me to do this.’ And I was like, 'You should totally do it! You're so sexy!'"
The same month that Shelton's sex appeal was celebrated, Stefani released "You Make It Feel Like Christmas," which features some contributions from Shelton.
Related: Tune in to 7 of Blake Shelton's Greatest Songs
December 2017: Blake Shelton joins Gwen Stefani for her Christmas special
The cute couple performed "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" for her holiday special.
April 2018: Gwen Stefani downplays engagement rumors
During another interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Stefani doesn't deny that she and Shelton would like to eventually get married—and DeGeneres urges them to tie the knot.
June 2018: Blake Shelton visits Gwen Stefani at her Las Vegas residency
Stefani shared a sweet snapshot of Shelton backstage at her Just a Girl Las Vegas residency in June 2018, accompanied by her three sons.
May 2019: Ellen DeGeneres urges Blake Shelton to put a ring on it
After lying relatively low, Shelton was a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and got a pre-engagement gift from the comedienne: A clock featuring his and Stefani's faces. DeGeneres joked that the last time she gave a gift like this, the couple—Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez —got engaged. Shelton's reaction was his trademark wit: "So you're saying there's a chance she's going to ask me to marry her? You see how I flipped it around and put it on her?"
September 2019: Gwen Stefani says Blake Shelton is already a good dad
Aww! When Hoda Kotb asked Stefani if Shelton would be a good dad someday, her response is heartwarming: "He is a good dad, actually. He's been helping me out a lot!" She also described him as a "magical person" and said she was "obsessed" with him and watching past interviews he's done from before they started dating.
December 2019: Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani release their third duet, "Nobody But You"
The romantic ballad prompted more marriage rumors for the couple, not that they minded. Shelton told Entertainment Tonight, "I love the rumors. Those rumors are great. Anybody that thinks that I'm married to Gwen already, I love it. My God! Who wouldn't want to be married to Gwen Stefani?"
Take a close look in the music video: Shelton's face is actually emblazoned on Stefani's checkered Vans!
March 2020: Gwen Stefani and her kids join Blake Shelton at one of his shows
Stefani and her sons supported Shelton at his Los Angeles concert before the coronavirus pandemic shut down public gatherings.
April 2020: Gwen Stefani gives Blake Shelton a quarantine haircut
Stefani took matters into her own hands when Shelton's hair got unruly during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Shelton said Stefani bided her time baking bread and he worked in their garden, joking, "We're pretty self-sufficient out here."
July 2020: Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani release their fourth duet, "Happy Anywhere"
Though "Happy Anywhere" didn't come out until July 2020, Shelton revealed to PEOPLE that he and Stefani actually recorded it before "Nobody But You." "We were waiting for the right time to release it, and I knew that time was now," he explained. "We're all still socially distancing, so there's no better time to be happy anywhere with the person or people you love. It doesn't matter where in the world you are—as long as you're with them, you're happy." The music video was recorded at the couple's home and captured their quarantine moments.
He added of spending lockdown with Stefani, "The simple pleasure of being together in one place for an extended period of time has been a real gift."
The couple also took to performing drive-in concerts together to entertain the masses while safely social distancing.
August and October 2020: They're not married yet ... but they are engaged!
When Dua Lipa interviewed Stefani in August 2020, she referred to Shelton as the "Hollaback Girl" singer's "husband." Stefani sweetly corrected Lipa, noting, "Um…well, he’s not my husband...But that sounded cool when you said it!"
The day of The Voice season 19's premiere, Stefani appeared on the TODAY show. When Hoda Kotb asked when the wedding was, Stefani said, "Oh, that’s a really good question...Well, the good news is that we still like each other a lot. That’s good. I don’t know. We’ll see what happens, you know what I’m saying?"
The couple made their engagement Instagram official Tuesday, Oct. 27, with a celebratory post from Stefani sharing a photo of her ring alongside her new fiancé. Her caption read, "yes please!" Shelton also shared a sweet post, with the caption, "Hey @gwenstefani thanks for saving my 2020... And the rest of my life. I love you. I heard a YES!" A source close to Stefani confirmed to PEOPLE that the two got engaged "over the weekend in Oklahoma," with insiders also revealing something super-sweet: "Blake told her boys that he wanted to propose and asked their permission. Her family very much approves of him. He's an amazing partner and a great extra dad to the boys. Gwen is ecstatic. The proposal was a surprise."
June 2021: Gwen Stefani celebrates her bridal shower
Stefani shared photos on her Instagram Stories from her bridal shower, sipping wine and opening a sweet gift from her parents: Her "something old" for her and Shelton's big day was a card from "The Mass on the Day of Marriage" from her parents' wedding day in 1966.
July 2021: Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani are married!
It's about time! On July 3, 2021, Shelton and Stefani reportedly tied the knot in an intimate ceremony at their Oklahoma ranch surrounded by close family and friends. According to TMZ, the pair planned a weekend full of fun activities and sent their private plane to California to pick up Stefani's family for the festivities.
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Stefani and Shelton previously provided details about their big day.
"We're keeping it very simple. Really simple. I think the guest list will not have a lot of musicians," Stefani told Seth Meyers in April 2021. "It'll be like my mom and my dad. It's literally going to be just family. We are looking forward to that, though. It's going to be fun! We're going to make it really fun, but it's not going to be a big [event]. It's not like the queen and king are getting married or something like that."
Shelton, meanwhile, revealed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon what their first dance as husband and wife would be (and no, it's not one of their many duets).
"It's 'If You Leave' from the Pretty In Pink soundtrack. We talked about this," Shelton gushed. "We both love the song. We're both fans of the '80s, why not? Don't you think that would be a great one, though? We've literally talked about that."
December 2022: Blake and Gwen celebrate their first Christmas as married couple
Just five months after they said "I do", Gwen shared this loved up photo with the caption, "@blakeshelton #youmakeitfeellikechristmas gx"
June 2022: Blake celebrates Father's Day
Stefani has made it no secret that Blake Shelton has really helped out with her three kids from her previous marriage. She showed her appreciation with a sweet Instagram post for Father's Day 2022.
October 2022: The couple celebrates two years post-engagement
Stefani marked the two-year anniversary of her engagement to Blake Shelton with an Instagram photo of her bling ring in front of the couple kissing.
November 2022: Gwen is still thankful for Blake
For Thanksgiving 2022, Stefani shared a pic of the couple in camo with the caption, "who am i thankful for this year? def this 1 ?? @blakeshelton" to which Carson Daly cheekily commented, "Why? (Love you)"
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