How These HGTV Stars Keep Their Marriage Full of Life
By Movieguide® Contributor
HGTV stars Erin and Ben Napier are just as in love with each other as ever, even after 16 years of marriage and two kids.
So how does the home reno power couple keep their marriage alive?
“He’s extremely married to the philosophy that every day, you should do something to make your spouse fall in love with you again,” Erin told US Weekly of her husband, Ben.
The couple also focuses on communication.
“Erin and I always say communication is a key element in a happy marriage,” Ben added.
The Napiers also love the fact that they get to work together every say.
“The vast majority of our job is a director saying, ‘Hey, that just happened — give me some thoughts on it,’” Ben said. “We ping-pong off each other.
“Some people say, ‘Oh, I could never work with my spouse,’ but it may be that you’ve never actually tried,” he added. “If you go to your parents’ house and you’re only there for a couple days, you tend to start getting on each other’s nerves, but if you’re together for an extended period, you move beyond that, and you get into this groove together.”
READ MORE: HOW BEN AND ERIN NAPIER REALLY FEEL ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER (HINT: THEY LOVE IT)
Erin also feels that because they have a shared history together, their communication is better.
“We’ve been together longer than we’ve been apart. We learned how to communicate together. It’s effortless now,” she declared.
Another factor that plays a huge part in their successful marriage is that the couple trusts one another.
Trust goes “hand in hand with communication. How you break trust [is when someone feels forced to say], ‘Why didn’t you tell me about this?’” Ben said.
In marriage, the little things often mean the most. For the Napiers, that looks like Erin taking the garbage out because Ben “has so much to manage” or prepping his coffee for the next morning.
“I don’t drink coffee, but he does, so I get the coffee maker ready the night before,” she explained. Sometimes, Erin even adds something special.
“We went to Ole Miss to speak at an event, so I put his Ole Miss mug [out]. It’s a little secret language we have. It’s just a mug, but it’s meaningful,” Erin said.
Ultimately, though, putting faith first brings joy to their marriage.
“I think the best way to find happiness in your marriage is to serve one another,” Erin posted on Instagram. “Never stop talking. Pray together. Show each other so much grace. Be on the same team. We only have 20 years of practice, and we are not experts, but it’s worked for us every time.”
The couple’s latest project, HOME TOWN TAKEOVER Season 3, just started airing on HGTV on March 9 and sees the couple revitalize Sebring, Florida.
“Sebring has a lake, a racetrack and a park in the center of town,” Ben said of the season. “All the puzzle pieces are there, but somehow they’re still struggling.”
“In order to turn this place around, we’re helping the town’s biggest changemakers, so they can keep transforming people’s lives,” Erin added. “We’ll use everything we’ve learned from years of community revitalization efforts to keep this town’s heart beating.”
READ MORE: HGTV STARS SAY THEY’RE ‘BETTER AS A TEAM’ WHEN PARENTING
- Content: +1Share:
- Content: +1