What Really Made HGTV's Erin Napier Fall In Love With Ben

Erin and Ben Napier are definitely one of the cutest couples on HGTV. The lovable duo has been renovating homes in the Laurel, Mississippi area since 2016 when their hit show "Home Town" premiered on the network. Since then, their list of happy homeowners has grown alongside the Napiers' own family. Ben and Erin are actively raising two daughters, Helen and Mae, while continuing to work on "Home Town" as normal. 

Fans know the love they share is palpable even through the screen. Ben is goofy, outgoing, and creative. The latter is a quality Erin shares as she envisions what outdated spaces could look like with a bit of new paint and decor. However, Erin also tends to be the yin to his yang, as she is more reserved and sensible than outright silly. As they say, opposites attract, and Erin has acknowledged that it's an amalgam of these special qualities that drew her to Ben.

Long before they graced our television screens, Ben and Erin fell in love on Jones College's campus, where they were both students. In an Instagram post, Erin gushed, "We met in the yearbook office. We were 19 and 21 and had no idea this is what our future would be like." But as it turns out, the HGTV star had her eye on Ben long before she interviewed him for the yearbook, confessing that she "loved him before [she] even knew him."

When it comes to Ben Napier, what you see is what you get. "Home Town" often showcases the extra mile he'll go for clients, establishing a personal connection that extends way beyond simply doing contract work. He's also known in the community for lending a helping hand whenever the need arises. It was Ben's big heart that ultimately drew Erin to him during their college days. She detailed in an Instagram post how Ben didn't fly under the radar in college. Even though she harbored a crush on him, it wasn't just Erin who noticed the undergrad; he was the first person picked for the yearbook's "most interesting people on campus" collection.

She confessed, "He was such a fun person to watch, to be around. I wanted so badly to be his friend. He was popular, president or member of nearly every organization on campus, but he wasn't exclusive." The "Home Town" star then got candid about how she struggled in elementary school, a time during which Erin wished she had someone like Ben around. 

"He made anyone he spoke to feel like they were special, he sat with the person eating alone. I ate alone a lot in elementary school, trying my best with tears in my eyes to focus on eating instead of the lonesome feeling and wishing someone would pull up the chair beside me. Because of that, I loved him before I even knew him," she shared. Naturally, nothing's changed.

Erin and Ben Napier are instantly recognizable as the hosts of HGTV's "Home Town." Still, a lesser-known fact about the fan-favorite couple is that Ben used to be a minister before focusing his attention on woodworking and renovations. According to HGTV, he was the First United Methodist Church's youth minister in the Napiers' beloved hometown of Laurel, Mississippi. A strong connection to the church runs in his family too. 

In an interview with People, Ben confirmed, "My parents are both ministers, and my mom and dad baptized my firstborn on Father's Day." Faith is still a huge part of who Ben and Erin are, even though he ultimately stepped away from preaching professionally. In an interview with the podcast "Love Beyond," the Napiers even described their work on "Home Town" and in Ben's woodshop as a form of ministry itself. 

The couple explained their desire to help others and bring light and hope to their lives is because "There is a great big world out there that's bigger than yourself. And you have the power to help somebody." Ben credits his caring nature to his faith and upbringing, while Erin is just incredibly thankful to be able to call him her husband, gushing on Instagram: "Thank you, Lord, for 15 years in a marriage that feels like home and comfort and assurance and strength and LOVE."