From College Crushes to #couplegoals

There's a whole lotta happiness here! With 20-plus years together, the Home Town Takeover stars speak frankly to Us about turning instant sparks into lasting love

- MANDIE DECAMP & JAIME HARKIN

Ben Napier is an unapologetic romantic. "He's extremely married to the that philosophy every day, you should do something to make your spouse fall in love with you again," says his wife of 16 years, Erin. The Laurel, Miss., couple's warmth and palpable bond are part of what make their long-running HGTV reno series Home Town such a crowd-pleaser: It's not unusual for him to interrupt an on-camera chat about, say, kitchen cabinets to spontaneously pick her up and whirl her around. (And yes, she's always delighted!)

He outdid himself one Valentine's Day when he hired a private chef for a backyard feast - French cuisine accompanied by French music, naturellement, and mood lighting. "He set up a big canvas tent on our girls' swing set," Erin recalls. (They share daughters Helen, 7, and Mae, 3.) "I was sick with Covid and kind of miserable, but he made me feel so special. It was like we had been on a trip. It was magical."

After two decades together, Erin, 39, and Ben, 41, are just as smitten as they were when they fell in love at Jones County Junior College in the early 2000s. She was 19, he was 21; after crushing from afar, they clicked instantly when Erin interviewed Ben for the yearbook. "Six days later," she says, "we decided we would get married."