Kristen BellandDax Sheparddefine#CoupleGoals, but they’re the first to admit their nearly 12 years together have been filled with ups and downs.
“We definitely had to work really hard at being a couple because we’re both incredibly, painfully stubborn, and we’re pretty much opposites,” Shepard, 44, tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week’s cover story, on stands Friday.
After crossing paths briefly at a dinner party in 2007, the couple — who wed in 2013 and have two daughters, Lincoln, 5, and Delta, 4 — reconnected weeks later at a hockey game where “the sparks were flying,” saysThe Ranchstar. Adds Bell, 38: “Big time.”
Jeff Lipsky
Though they had undeniable chemistry, both say their road to marriage was certainly rocky. Not quite ready to settle down at the time,Shepard broke up with Bellmonths into their relationship.
“I was like, ‘That’s the best personality I’ve ever seen on a woman. I need to be around it,” recalls Shepard. “I want to be around it when I’m 80, but how?”
The answer was trust and honesty plus “a little couple’s therapy” — and a very meaningful compromise.
Knowing Shepard didn’t believe in marriage, theBad Momsactress had accepted she would never be his wife.
But Shepard knew how much marriage meant to Bell, and “ultimately, I was like, ‘Well, I’m doing it because my partner wants that,” he explains aboutproposing in 2009. “Forget the tradition or history of marriage as a concept, you knowing I was doing something that I didn’t want to do because I loved you was a big sign for you.”
After their intimate,courthouse nuptials in 2013, the couple —who often buck tradition— did feel a greater sense of security.
RELATED VIDEO: Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard Reveal the Stories Behind Their Best #CoupleGoals Moments
“It just felt more normal. We do a lot of things differently, but there’s a couple things where I’m just like, ‘God, can we not just fall inside the lines once in a while? Iwantto wear a pretty piece of jewelry. It’s fun!'” explains Bell. “It felt nice afterwards.”
Celebrating 12 years together this year, Shepard and Bell aretaking stock on the incredible life and familythey’ve built together.
“All these movies from the ’80s taught us that it’s love at first sight, and it is supposed to be easy and [that] all you have to do is findthatperson,” says Bell. “It took me a while to realize, ‘Oh, that was such a lie,’ because things that you work really, really, really hard for always yield the best results.”
source: people.com
