HGTV's Ben & Erin Napier Look Totally Unrecognizable In Videos From Their Wedding Day

Not all couples are destined to work together (like HGTV's famously divorced duo, and former "Flip or Flop" co-stars, Tarek El Moussa and Christina Hall), but "Home Town's" Ben and Erin Napier are great partners in every way possible. The Laurel, Mississippi couple's love is palpable onscreen, and they continue to be smitten with each other even after all these years together. However, a lot has changed for Ben and Erin since their 2008 wedding, and we're not just talking about the couple's impressive career trajectory. For their 16th wedding anniversary, in 2024, Ben shared a throwback video from the big day on Instagram where we got a glimpse at their first dance, the tossing of the bouquet, Ben putting the wedding garter on Erin's leg, and the newlyweds taking off in a Corvette after the reception. 

However, the most shocking detail of the video is just how different the Napiers look. Erin, in particular, has had quite the hair transformation over the years and her bridal look consisted of a much more voluminous, curly and coiffed bob than her current iconic 'do. Meanwhile, Ben sported a partial beard — a stark contrast from his fuller beard nowadays. Not to mention, this was long before Ben decided to go on a major weight loss journey. "That definitely doesn't even look like you," one fan wrote in the comments section of Ben's post. Meanwhile, another remarked on the couple's significant relationship milestone, enthusing, "Happy anniversary to one of my fav couples. One of the reasons I love your show so much is because your love for each other definitely shows through." 

Ben and Erin Napier met all the way back in 2004 while they were both attending Jones College and connected for the first time after Erin, who had a crush on Ben, eagerly volunteered to interview him for the school yearbook. "He was such a fun person to watch, to be around. I wanted so badly to be his friend," she gushed on Instagram in 2023, in addition to admiring how Ben always went out of his way to include other students who may not have had anyone to sit with at lunch, for instance. "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," Erin revealed. She added, "Because of that, I loved [Ben] before I even knew him." 

Fortunately, after their initial meeting for the yearbook assignment, the future couple quickly realized that they had something special. In fact, as Erin recalled, "In 6 days, we would decide we wanted to get married." In a Polaroid photo of Ben from 2004 that Erin included in her post, the woodworker looks strikingly different from their wedding day, sporting wavy hair that nearly reaches his shoulders. His proud wife also shared a photo of herself from around the same time, showing a hairdo more similar to her current look, though much spikier and adorned with a tiny polka dot bow. Suffice it to say, these two have had quite the style evolution but their connection definitely hasn't changed.