Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood

 
Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood are two of country music's biggest stars today, but their story together began in 1988 when Trisha was hired to sing backup on Garth's debut album. The two then-struggling musicians became instant friends. And a few years later, once Garth hit it big, Trisha joined him on the road as his opening act.

Garth has performed for millions worldwide, selling a record-breaking 100 million albums in 10 years and winning countless awards. And Trisha, who shot to stardom herself with the smash hit "She's in Love with the Boy," has become a multiplatinum success.

Over the years, Garth and Trisha have continued to perform together and support one another through personal highs and lows, including the breakup of Garth's 14-year marriage. In 2001, their friendship blossomed into a real-life love song.
Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks

 
After being friends for nearly 20 years, in May 2005, Garth surprised Trisha with a marriage proposal at the "Legends in Bronze" event at Buck Owens' Crystal Palace—in front of 7,000 cheering fans.

"We are private people, and so, you know, of every scenario that I could have imagined that the proposal might happen, it did not include Buck Owens and 7,000 people," Trisha says. "I don't remember what I did. But I think I was just...I could not believe it—and I'm not easily surprised. But I have to say that in that moment everything disappeared. It became a very intimate moment." She said "yes"—and the crowd went wild.

How does it feel for Garth to be able to call Trisha his wife now? "It feels great," Garth says. "It's still new to say, 'This is my wife, Trisha Yearwood. This is my wife. Have I introduced you to my wife yet?' It's nice. It's neat to get to marry your best friend."
Garth Brooks

 
Garth says that before he could marry Trisha, he felt he needed the blessings of his father, Trisha's parents, his three daughters and his ex-wife, Sandy. Getting the go-ahead from the parents was easy, but Garth wanted the same approval from his daughters as well as their mother.

Garth says he broached the subject with his girls while driving in their truck one day. Although Garth says he had a hard time finding the right words, his daughters' reaction put him at ease. "Taylor [Garth's oldest daughter] said, 'Dad, we love Trisha. If you're thinking about marrying her, we would be very happy,'" Garth says. "And I was like, 'Oh, thank God!' So it went great."

What did Sandy have to say about Garth's plans to marry Trisha? "She looked at me and said two things, which I'll never forget as long as I live," says Garth. "She said, 'It's about time.' ... Then she said, 'This is a good move for you.'"

With those four blessings, Garth says that he could move on with his marriage plans. "[I] felt like [I] could move forward and hopefully move forward with some kind of class." Garth and Trisha's small wedding was not what you'd expect from two country music giants.
Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood

 
Garth may have proposed to Trisha in front of a crowd, but their wedding was a very intimate affair with only 45 guests. Surrounded by Garth's three daughters, the couple exchanged vows at home on Garth's Oklahoma ranch. Trisha wore a custom-designed wedding gown, while country-boy Garth wore a tuxedo and jeans. Trisha's mom helped make their five-tier wedding cake.

Garth and Trisha say their wedding was perfect. "It was the most relaxed and happy I've ever been in my life," Trisha says.

"It felt like I was all of a sudden 10 times the man I'd ever been in my life," Garth says.

During their wedding, all three of Garth's daughters, also dressed in wedding gowns, exchanged their own set of vows and rings with Trisha. Garth says it was a special way to allow his daughters to participate and welcome their new stepmom into their family. "It was a very cool ceremony."
Trisha Yearwood

 
To ensure his daughters spend enough time with both parents, Garth and his ex-wife, Sandy, alternate every other day caring for their three children. "We're five minutes from each other in case somebody forgets their backpack or their bloomers for their cheerleading outfit," Garth says.

Trisha is very committed to Garth's daughters. "I can't speak for how children survive divorce because I didn't come from a divorced home," she says. "My job is to make that as good a situation as it can possibly be so that they have one more person in their life that's a cheerleader for them and that wants them to do well."

Garth and Trisha say that communication is the key to their new family's success. Every night that the girls are at Garth's house, they have "The Honesty Club." "You turn out all the lights in the house, [light] one candle, everybody lays down on the floor and touches the candle, and 'what's said in the club,' everyone says, 'stays in the club,'" Garth says. "And I would love to tell you what [is said] after that, but I can't."

Although the club is top secret, Trisha explains its premise. "This is the place that you can say anything," Trisha says. "Because you want to—at every age that they are—hope that they will feel like that they can always tell you everything. And, you know, realistically they probably won't always tell you everything, but you want to make them feel like they can say anything. And it can be about us. ... And they're very honest."
Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood

 
All of Garth's fans are dying to know: Will he ever come out of retirement?

"I want to do that [tour again]," he admits. "I want to live it. Breathe it. Sleep with it. I just want to just nail it and do it and tear the city down and then say, 'I love you, goodbye,' and look at the next city and say, 'Okay, your ass is next.' You know? And you can't do that with, I'm sorry, with children. I can't. Hats off to the people that do. I can't."

Instead, he says he's concentrating on his family. "I've never been more in love with my life or felt better about myself, if that's not too egotistical," he says. "Children make you love yourself for what they see in you."

Garth offers his fans this glimmer of hope: "Our youngest baby's nine," he says. "I'm thinking when she's off to college...if there's a window that's still open and I'm not 800 pounds by then, then we'll see."

"And," Trisha adds, "If your wife says you can!"
Garth and Trisha perform 'Love Will Always Win'

 
Garth and Trisha perform their duet "Love Will Always Win" from the new reissue of her album Jasper County and his album The Lost Sessions.

Little did Trisha and Garth know the role they played in bringing this couple together.