Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins' Relationship Timeline

Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins' romance is the stuff of movies.

The country music star first met his future wife in elementary school. They became good friends and even dated for a short period of time in high school before reuniting as adults. After dating for six months, the pair got engaged and later tied the knot in October 2012.

But getting married at 22 wasn't easy. "Everybody was telling us not to … but we just fell in love at a young age," Rhett told PEOPLE.

Five years later, they started a family. They adopted their first daughter, Willa Gray, from Uganda in May 2017. Three months later, they welcomed daughter Ada James. They went on to welcome two more daughters, Lennon Love and Lillie Carolina, in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

From childhood friends to parents of four, here's everything to know about Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins' relationship.

1990s: Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins meet

Thomas Rhett and Akins (née Gregory) both grew up in Nashville. The pair even went to the same elementary school, which is where they first met. However, they didn't become close until later on.

2002: Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins reconnect at camp

Although the pair met years earlier, they didn't get to know each other well until the sixth grade when they went to the same camp. "I was in camp, when I was in the sixth grade, and it truly was with my wife who I am married to today," Thomas Rhett told British GQ in 2019 of the first time he fell in love. "Even though the feeling was not reciprocated in the sixth grade, I already knew I was in love with her. I know that sounds unbelievable, but it's true."

2006: Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins briefly date in high school

The pair dated for six months in high school. "We dated once when we were 15, and it didn't work out," Thomas Rhett told Taste of Country in 2012. "We remained best friends even after we broke up. We both dated other people for like five years."

May 2011: Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins reunite

Thomas Rhett and Akins reunited in 2011 at her sister's graduation party.

"I'd loved that girl since high school, and I told her father how I felt. He said, 'If you don't tell her, I'm going to,' " Thomas Rhett recalled. "It was a total Ryan Gosling moment. I said to her, 'I just want to kiss you one time. If you don't feel anything, we can go back to being friends.' "

In her memoir, Live in Love: Growing Together Through Life's Changes, Akins recalled their kiss. "That one moment, that one kiss on my parents' front porch, changed everything," she wrote.

December 2011: Thomas Rhett proposes to Lauren Akins

The couple dated for six months before getting engaged.

In 2020, Akins shared the story of how Thomas Rhett proposed. "All of a sudden, Frank Sinatra's 'The Way You Look Tonight' started playing through the speakers," she said. She detailed how Thomas Rhett took a wine bottle and wrote "Marry Me" on it, adding, "I grabbed the bottle and wrote my response on the label, 'Well duh, yes.' "

October 12, 2012: Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins get married

The couple tied the knot in an outdoor ceremony in Nashville on Oct. 12, 2012.

Speaking about their wedding, Thomas Rhett's dad, songwriter Rhett Akins, said, "When I saw them stare at each other the entire 20 minutes they were saying their vows, it's like these two people are meant to be together."

The pair followed their nuptials with a honeymoon in Hawaii. Akins shared an Instagram photo of the newlyweds on their honeymoon. "Lūau in Kauai. We got lei'd and flowers in our hair," she wrote.

September 28, 2015: Thomas Rhett releases a song written for Lauren Akins

Thomas Rhett released "Die a Happy Man," a song written for Akins, in September 2015. "I wrote the song for her and about her," he told PEOPLE. "I really did just wake up one day and was like, 'I have yet to write a song about her.' "

Akins also appeared in the song's music video. The song later won single of the year at the 2016 Country Music Association Awards. "My lovely wife, she was the full inspiration for the song," he said in his acceptance speech.

October 4, 2016: Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins host a charity concert

In October 2016, Thomas Rhett and Akins organized a charity concert in Nashville. The event raised over $250,000 for 147 Million Orphans, an organization with which Akins had worked.

"This event was spurred by Lauren's heart and 147 Million Orphans' heart and by how much they love those kids," Thomas Rhett told PEOPLE.

Thomas Rhett went on to talk about the couple's plans for adoption. "We both have a huge heart for orphans and I think definitely one day we'd want to," he said.

December 2016: Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins have a surprise pregnancy

By the time of their charity concert, Thomas Rhett and Akins had already started the adoption process in Uganda.

In April 2016, Akins met and fell in love with one little girl in particular. After Thomas Rhett suggested that they adopt her, the couple traveled to Uganda multiple times between April and December to comply with the country's adoption laws.

In December, Akins found she was unexpectedly pregnant.

The couple had been trying to get pregnant for some time but decided to stop trying once they started the adoption process. "I was 100 percent sure I was not pregnant," Akins told PEOPLE. "We could not be happier. We feel like 2017 is going to be our big year."

February 15, 2017: Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins announce they are expecting a baby

In February, Thomas Rhett and Akins announced their exciting baby news. "We're so happy to announce that we are pregnant & in the process of adopting a child from Africa! Safe to say life is about to get crazy!" Thomas Rhett wrote.

May 12, 2017: Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins bring their daughter home from Uganda

In May, the couple finalized their adoption of Willa Gray. "I can't believe our daughter is finally home🙌🏼 Thank you to everyone who prayed every single day for this sweet girl," Thomas Rhett tweeted.

In a later interview with PEOPLE, Thomas Rhett spoke more about their first week at home. "Lauren slept in a beanbag last night and I slept on the couch so we could be close to her room, just in case, 'cause she's never slept in a room by herself before," he said.

Thomas Rhett said of their overlapping adoption and pregnancy, "It's the craziest thing we've ever experienced!"

July 2017: Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins take a family "babymoon"

In July, Thomas Rhett and Akins took a family vacation with their daughter Willa. To celebrate their "babymoon," Thomas Rhett shared an Instagram picture with Akins. "Can't believe we will have a newborn not too long from now🙌🏼 36 weeks pregnant and 100% smoke show," he wrote.

August 12, 2017: Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins welcome their second baby

On Aug. 12, 2017 — exactly three months after bringing Willa home — Akins gave birth to the couple's second daughter, Ada James.

Thomas Rhett shared a hospital photo of him and Akins with their newborn. "Last night at 10:28 PM, Ada James Akins was born and it was truly the most amazing thing I have ever experienced," he wrote. "I can't believe that we have two daughters!! My wife @laur_akins labored almost 36 hours😳She is by far the strongest human being I have ever met and I have a newfound respect for moms around the world. We are so excited that Willa Gray has a baby sister!"

September 2017: Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins appear on the cover of PEOPLE

Thomas Rhett and Akins appeared as a cover chip on that week's issue of PEOPLE with their two daughters, Willa and Ada.

During their interview, Akins spoke about choosing Ada's name. "Ada means happy," she said. "It was beautiful, and I thought, 'Well, she's the happiest little surprise we've ever had.' "

The country artist also opened up about his reaction to the birth. "When I saw Ada come into the world, it was literally the most miraculous thing I've ever seen," he said. He also shared more about welcoming a second baby. "[Willa is] starting to realize that Ada is part of the family and that's her sister," Thomas Rhett added.

July 23, 2019: Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins announce they are expecting another baby

In July 2019, Thomas Rhett shared that Akins was pregnant with the couple's third daughter. "Excited to share that I will now be paying for 3 weddings😂," he wrote. "I feel so blessed to say that our third child is on the way and it's a girl!! I love you so much @laur_akins. WG and AJ, y'all are gonna be the best big sisters! Bring on the crazy."

October 16, 2019: Lauren Akins presents Thomas Rhett with a CMT Award

In 2019, Thomas Rhett was one of four artists named CMT artist of the year. To make the moment even more special, his wife presented him with the award.

On stage, a pregnant Akins praised her husband for his dedication to his family and his music. "Spending 180 nights on the road, he's away a lot, but even when we weren't there with him, he kept his family in his heart, and in his music," she said.

February 10, 2020: Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins welcome their third baby

In February 2020, Akins gave birth to the couple's third daughter, Lennon Love. "Our early Valentine baby was born yesterday, February 10th and her sisters couldn't be happier to finally get to kiss her little face," she announced on Instagram.

Thomas Rhett also shared the news on his Instagram. "It was such a joy to watch this little angel be brought into the world," he wrote. "My wife is just incredible through the entire birth🙌🏼 watching our kids meet Lennon for the first time was probably the sweetest thing I've ever seen in my whole life! Ada James and Willa Gray are going to be the best big sisters on the planet."

May 5, 2020: Lauren Akins publishes her memoir, Live in Love

In May 2020, Akins published her memoir, Live in Love: Growing Together Through Life's Changes.

"Live in Love is a window into my life from when I was a little girl until now," she told PEOPLE ahead of the book's release. She added that although she felt "pretty scared to be this vulnerable with the world," she was also hopeful that her "very real and very imperfect story" would be an inspiration to others.

The book, which also featured passages written by Thomas Rhett, detailed more about their life together and the good and bad in their relationship.

"There's a lot of pressure to portray that you have a perfect life, and family, and marriage, especially on social media and in the public eye," Akins told PEOPLE. "But that's not reality, and it's a lot to try to live up to."

September 2020: Thomas Rhett opens up about going to marriage counseling with Lauren Akins

In her book, Akins wrote about her strong belief in marriage counseling, sentiments that Thomas Rhett echoed later that year.

"There were certain parts in our marriage that I was a little bit jerky," he said on The Bobby Bones Show. He went on to talk about how the two sought counseling when Akins was pregnant, saying things were "really hard" during that time.

"That was a really humbling experience for me, just knowing what she was dealing with a sense of aloneness while I'm kind of living life as usual," he said.

May 9, 2021: Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins announce they are expecting their fourth baby

Thomas Rhett shared the news that his wife was pregnant again with a Texas concert audience in May 2021.

Akins also made the announcement on Instagram. "SURPRISE!! he just couldn't wait any longer," she wrote. "Akins family expanding in November 2021 with our FOURTH baby girl 💗💗💗💗."

June 2021: Thomas Rhett talks to PEOPLE about parenting with Lauren Akins

The musician opened up about fatherhood to PEOPLE in 2021. "My girls are my whole world," he said.

The couple found out about the pregnancy during a trip to Colorado. "We were on a ski lift and my wife kept saying that she was just feeling nauseous," Thomas Rhett said, adding that the pair "couldn't even wait" to tell their family.

He went on to praise Akins for being "such a trouper," saying, "Lauren just has rough pregnancies." He added that her third was "probably one of the worst for her as far as nausea and yakking all day."

November 15, 2021: Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins welcome their fourth baby

Thomas Rhett and Akins welcomed their fourth daughter, Lillie Carolina, on Nov. 15, 2021. Thomas Rhett announced the news with an Instagram photo. Once again, he praised his wife, writing, "[Lauren] you are my hero. Watching a child being born is legit a miracle. 4 under 6 here we go!"

January 2022: Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins plan to adopt again

While promoting his album Where We Started, Thomas Rhett spoke to PEOPLE about his plans to adopt again.

"We're definitely going to take a small break from trying to have babies right now," he said. But the couple were planning ahead. "Adoption is a hundred percent on our brains. In the next four to five years, we would love to do that," he added. "And Willa Gray talks about it all the time. It's been put on our hearts very heavily to do that again. We just don't really know when."

October 12, 2022: Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins celebrate their 10th anniversary

The couple marked 10 years of marriage in October 2022 and Thomas Rhett posted a tribute to his wife on Instagram to honor the milestone. "10 years with my best friend🙌 @laur_akins I legit don't know sometimes if you are a real person or an Angel," he wrote. "I could not a dreamed up a better life if I tried."

Along with the heartfelt caption, Thomas Rhett shared a video montage of the couple throughout the past decade set to an unreleased song titled "Madly in Love." The lyrics to the song allude to the pair's relationship: "That kiss was only the beginning / And to this day, when you walk in the room / My heart still doesn't know what it's supposed to do / And in my mind, girl, we're still 22 in a Tennessee field / Fireflies brighter than the moon / It's been a minute together since we said, 'Forever' / And it's never been more true / I'm just so madly in love with you."

November 9, 2022: Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins attend the CMA Awards

Akins and Rhett walked the red carpet together ahead of his performance with Katy Perry. The country star was dressed in a Dolce & Gabbana suit, while Akins stunned in a green gown with a thigh-high slit.

"All cleaned up and stealing kisses at the @cma awards with my honey @thomasrhettakins
💚💋💚," Akins captioned two images from their parent's night out on Instagram.

June 13, 2023: Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins open up about their experience with postpartum depression

During an episode of Akins' podcast, Live in Love, Rhett opened up about his wife's severe postpartum depression following the birth of their third daughter.

"It was scary for me and there's not many people you can talk to about that because you don't want it to sound like you're gossiping behind your wife's back," he shared. "It's not like you want to call a buddy and be like, 'Hey, my wife is acting super strange.' "

The country star remembered feeling "hopeless" as he watched Akins' personality go "dull."

"It was amazing when she came out of it, the different human being she was," Rhett said, adding that it took weeks to convince his wife to see a doctor. "There was this loneliness about her. She's not lonely. There was this unpeace about her, and she's a peaceful person. Every attribute about her was the complete 180 of herself, and I'd never experienced that before."

October 12, 2023: Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins celebrate 11 years of marriage

In honor of their wedding anniversary, Rhett penned a sweet post about Akins on Instagram.

"11 years married to this amazing woman. I can still remember what she looked like in first grade," he captioned a series of images. "I still remember how much taller than me she was at church camp in 6th grade. I still remember picking her up on our first date at 16. I still remember how fast my heart was beating when she walked down the aisle. Basically I remember it all so vividly."

Rhett continued: "I can’t believe how much life we have gotten to share together. @laur_akins you have been and always will be my best friend. I thank God for you every single day."

May 16, 2024: Thomas Rhett says he and Lauren Akins rely on "full transparency" in their marriage

During an interview with PEOPLE at the ACM Awards, Rhett revealed the key to his successful marriage with Akins.

"[Lauren] is the best. I think just full transparency [is key]. I think really telling each other how you feel about whatever it may be," he shared.

August 23, 2024: Thomas Rhett says every track on his new album About a Woman is about Lauren Akins

Rhett's album About a Woman is a love letter to his wife.

"Every single one of these tracks is about my relationship with my wife from all over the spectrum," he told PEOPLE. "There's a couple from being 16 and a couple from being 19 and a couple from being 25 and a couple from being where we are now. And there's also a couple that are very future-leaning kind of love songs."

Akins' favorite song from the album is "Church."

"We're immediately transported to being teenagers again and having this reckless freedom of parking up on a hilltop and listening to the newest Eric Church record," Rhett said.