How Ben And Erin From Home Town Really Met

Ben and Erin Napier are quick to correct those who think they're the next Chip and Joanna Gaines. The couple, stars of HGTV's latest hit show Home Town, were looking to draw attention to just that, their quaint home town of Laurel, Mississippi, when they agreed to take jobs on reality television rather than showcasing themselves.

And yet, fans have found the duo's sweet banter and easy rapport with each other irresistible. Woodworker Ben and designer Erin are strikingly different even in stature, with the big, bearded fellow towering over his wife's tiny, blond frame. He even wraps his arms around her during their interview segments, emphasizing their connection.

"Being on TV is unnerving for me, and since we met he's always understood. Every time he touches my arm, my back, it's letting me know I'm not alone. He's always right there, and then I'm not nervous anymore," explained Erin of her husband's well-meaning PDA in an interview with Country Living. The Napiers might not think of themselves as role models in the same vein as the Chip and Joanna Gaines, but their love story is one for the ages.

The two met while students at Jones County Junior College, before moving to Ole Miss. A yearbook photo shoot — of which Ben was the subject while Erin was editor — brought them together, though they had seen each other around and both freely admit they had already developed crushes from afar. It took less than a week after meeting properly for them to both realize that they'd found the one, and the couple now celebrate their so-called "Love Week" every year beginning December 7. The sweet gift Ben makes Erin every year ties into this important time in their lives, too. 

Ben got into woodworking at Ole Miss, after deciding to help Erin with some frames for a student exhibition, the couple told Parade. Although there were concerns about what art graduate Erin would do back in Laurel, the couple wasn't deterred. "My parents said, 'You're very talented, but you live in Mississippi, baby. It's just going to be hard to be a professional artist.' And I was like, 'No it's not. Just watch. Just watch, and I'll show you,'" she recalled. 

Though they already knew they'd marry within those first six days of meeting, Ben didn't officially propose for three years. They tied the knot in November 2008. "It's Erin and me. Not Erin and me and our moms, not Erin and me and the network, not Erin and me and our fans, if you want to call them that. As far as our marriage goes, it's me and Erin and God. We work everything out together, and everything has worked out so far," Ben told Country Living on what makes their partnership so special.