Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins’ love story is one for the books. The couple met as kindergartners, but it took them about 15 years to realize that they were life partners — and they haven’t turned back since.
Rhett and Akins started dating in 2011 after reconnecting at a party for her sister. They were engaged within six months and married the following October.
After honeymooning in Hawaii, Rhett and Akins tried to start a family. However, the pair struggled to conceive, so they began looking into other ways to have children. Akins visited Uganda in 2016 and quickly developed a bond with a baby girl named Willa Gray, whom they later adopted.
Rhett and Akins have since welcomed daughters Ada James, Lennon Love and Lillie Carolina in August 2017, February 2020 and November 2021, respectively. The couple announced in February 2026 that they welcomed baby boy Brave Elijah.
Scroll down to see a timeline of Rhett and Akins’ relationship:
1995
The pair met in kindergarten when they were in the same class at Goodpasture Christian School in Madison, Tennessee.
2005
Rhett and Akins briefly dated in the 10th grade. He was head over heels in love, but she ultimately decided they would be better off as friends. “She was just like the all-American, friendliest, nicest. She was tall, blonde, beautiful, pretty much the total package for any dude from sixth grade all the way through high school,” Rhett recalled to The Tennessean in February 2016.
2011
Rhett and Akins nearly got engaged to other people in college. But then, he attended her sister’s graduation party in 2011 and confessed that he still had feelings for her.
2011
The hitmaker proposed to the former nurse in December 2011 by writing “Marry Me” on a wine bottle with a Sharpie marker over dinner at her favorite Nashville restaurant, Giovanni.
2012
Rhett and Akins tied the knot in October 2012 during an outdoor ceremony in Nashville.
2014
The lovebirds enjoyed a trip to Italy in September 2014. “Me and @lauren_akins peacing out of the country! Here we come Italy,” the entertainer captioned a selfie via Instagram.
2014
Rhett and Akins dressed up as Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, respectively, at a Halloween party in October 2014.
2015
In July 2015, the couple returned to their honeymoon destination of Hawaii to shoot the music video for the singer’s signature hit, “Die a Happy Man.”
2015
Rhett cozied up to his “boo” at a college football game in September 2015.
2016
The musician took to Instagram in October 2016 to commemorate their fourth wedding anniversary. “4 years @laur_akins seriously?! It’s gone by so fast,” he wrote. “Love you so much!! Happy anniversary babe.”
2017
Rhett and Akins adopted their daughter Willa from Uganda in May 2017.
2017
Akins gave birth to the couple’s second daughter, Ada, in August 2017. “I can’t believe that we have two daughters!!” Rhett wrote via Instagram.
2018
The family of four took a trip to Chicago in July 2018 ahead of Ada’s 1st birthday.
2019
Rhett and a then-pregnant Akins brought Willa and Ada to the CMA Awards in November 2019.
2020
The childhood sweethearts welcomed their third daughter, Lennon, in February 2020. “Watching our kids meet Lennon for the first time was probably the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen in my whole life!” Rhett wrote via Instagram. “Ada James and Willa Gray are going to be the best big sisters on the planet.”
2020
Akins paid tribute to Rhett via Instagram on Father’s Day in June 2020, writing, “Thomas Rhett you are the best daddy to our 3 little girls. You keep us steady, constantly entertain us, love us better than anyone could, cook us amazing food, point us to Jesus, (try to) teach us everything about music, make us laugh every single day, and with you leading our family we get to live out the most incredible adventure. Happy Father’s Day honey, you are so loved.”
2020
The “Remember You Young” crooner celebrated his eight-year wedding anniversary with Akins in October 2020, sharing a sweet photo of her with the couple’s three kids cuddling on their bed. “Happy 8 year anniversary @laur_akins I seriously feel like we got married 6 months ago. I have loved every second of our journey together,” he wrote via Instagram. “No matter how tough it has been at times you are a fighter and I thank you and the Lord every day that you wake up and choose love. You are my rock, my inspiration and the woman that simply just makes life better. I can’t wait to relax with you, take naps with you and crush Netflix with you today! I love you so much honey! Also, I love your shoe choice in the photo haha.”
The New York Times bestseller penned her own tribute to her husband, sharing a photo of the duo standing side by side in The Great Outdoors. “I’ll go anywhere with you babe,” she captioned the snap. “These last 8 years have been the adventure of my dreams. I love you more than any words on Instagram can say. Happy Anniversary.”
2020
The “What’s Your Country Song” singer and his wife cohosted the CMA Country Christmas special in December 2020, giving fans a glimpse at their playful relationship. Their daughters also made an appearance during Lady A’s closing performance.
2021
Rhett sang about getting back together with Akins after college in his song “Want It Again” from his fifth studio album, Country Again (Side A). “I knew someday you’d find your way back into my arms / So girl, I kept this heart of mine / Somewhere good and safe / I knew you’d want it again someday,” he crooned.
2021
The couple took a “just us two” mountain vacation ahead of the singer’s 31st birthday.
“One of the very few times Lauren and I got to ski just us two.. it was a good day. Love you honey @laur_akins,” Rhett wrote via Instagram on March 28. A day later, he captioned a separate photo of the pair, “Mom and dad.”
2021
Akins and Rhett revealed in May 2021 that she is pregnant with their fourth child. “SURPRISE!!” she wrote via Instagram. “He just couldn’t wait any longer, so @thomasrhettakins told our newest little secret onstage at @billybobstexas in Ft. Worth (my mama’s hometown) just in time for Mother’s Day: Akins family expanding in November 2021 with our FOURTH baby girl.”
The “Marry Me” crooner, for his part, gushed: “Well… we are pregnant again! Tonight when I was on stage in Fort Worth about to play ‘to the guys that date my girls’ my wife talked to me in my (ear monitors) and said ‘you can tell them if you want’ so anyways, now you know. We are pumped to be having our 4th girl. Feel free to buy all the merch you want, knowing that all the proceeds are going straight to all these weddings I’ll be paying for one day! Love you so much @laur_akins we always wanted a big thanksgiving table.”
2021
While the “What’s Your Country Song” crooner performer was away from home on tour, he shared a sweet tribute to his wife, who was unable to attend.
“When you start having kids you never remember to take pictures together,” the Georgia native captioned a snap of the couple together in October 2021. “I love you @laur_akins missing you this weekend!”
2021
The couple became a family of six in November 2021 when Akins gave birth to their fourth daughter, Lillie. “Lillie Carolina Akins,” Rhett wrote via Instagram at the time. “Born November 15th. 7.5 pounds of pure joy @laur_akins you are my hero. Watching a child being born is legit a miracle. 4 under 6 here we go!”
2022
In February, Rhett praised his “super woman” wife’s skills as a mother. “My wife moms with such patience and with such grace without ever asking for anything in return, and I feel like our kids just watch Lauren be super woman and they want to help her and they want to love on her,” he told E! News at the time. “My wife is one of the most loving human beings in the world and has one of the kindest hearts that I know. I’m already starting to see that development in my little girls as well and that’s one of the things I could not be more proud of.”
2022
The pair jetted off to Italy in October 2022 after celebrating their 10-year wedding anniversary earlier that month.
2022
The couple went on a “belated anniversary” getaway to Wyoming in November 2022.
2022
“Forever wedding date ❤️,” the musician wrote via Instagram in December 2022 while in the U.S. Virgin Islands with his spouse.
2022
The “Half of Me” crooner snapped a Christmas Eve selfie with Akins.
2023
“I feel like every time I write for a new record, my new mission is finding a new way to say, ‘I love you,’ right?” Rhett told ET Canada in a February 2023 interview, referring to his song “Angels (Don’t Always Have Wings), which is inspired by his wife. “We just celebrated 10 years of marriage in October, and this lifestyle is just nuts. It truly is.”
He continued: “And for someone to just deal with it all for 10 years and be my rock, be that person that I’ve always just leaned on. Still to this day we’re more in love than we’ve ever been.”
The country crooner later joked, “The song is kind of an apology for dealing with my crap for the last 10 years. But it’s mostly a thank you.”
2025
Rhett and Akins shared in August 2025 that they were expecting their fifth baby in an Instagram video of him singing a version of “Life Changes.” The caption read, “Here we go again! We’ve got some really excited big sisters in our house. God is so good.”
2026
Rhett and Akins shared in February 2026 that they welcomed a baby boy named Brave Elijah.
“Thomas Rhett was my biggest champion in labor & delivery,” Akins wrote via Instagram. “He helped deliver him, was the first one to see and *tearfully*, mixed with a bit of shock announce to us all in the room ‘It’s a BOY.'”
2026
Rhett and Akins were able to enjoy a kids-free night out in Las Vegas, where they attended the 2026 ACM Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The couple were all smiles on the red carpet before they enjoyed the show, hosted by Shania Twain.
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