They may be one of HGTV’s most beloved couples, but even Ben and Erin Napier aren’t immune to the everyday challenges of married life. So, what’s their secret to staying strong?
You might be surprised to find that it’s not about extravagant vacations or weekly date nights… but rather, a Costco hot dog and a shared lunch break.
Before they were household names, Ben and Erin Napier were just two college students navigating young love. Their story began at Jones County Junior College in Mississippi, and their connection only deepened after transferring to the University of Mississippi.
The couple tied the knot on November 22, 2008, and since then, they’ve built a life rooted in faith, creativity, and partnership.
Fans know them best from Home Town, where their chemistry is as captivating as their home renovations. But behind the scenes, the Napiers are parents to two young daughters — Helen, born in 2018, and Mae, born in 2021.
Life for this small-town duo is full of home improvement projects, filming schedules, and parenting duties. So how do they manage to keep their marriage thriving?
In a candid March 2025 interview with Us Weekly, Ben and Erin opened up about the real dynamics of their relationship. One revelation? Date nights are rare, and when they do happen, they’re planned as far as six months in advance.
“They happen once or twice a year,” Erin admitted. But rather than let this become a weakness in their marriage, the couple found a creative way to nurture their connection — day dates.
“Lunch dates are the key,” Erin said. “It doesn’t have to be dressing up and going out at night to a crowded restaurant. It can be just, ‘I’m going to pick you up on my lunch break, and we’ll run and get a hot dog at Costco.’”
The simplicity is what makes it special. These everyday moments — shared laughs over fast food, a quick drive together without the kids — allow them to stay connected without needing to pause their busy lives.
In another interview with House Beautiful, Erin echoed the same sentiment: “We love day dates. If we get a little free afternoon, we’ll go just the two of us and have lunch somewhere.” For parents with young children, evenings can be chaotic — from dinner and baths to bedtime routines. So, finding time during the day is not only practical, but powerful.
“We’re kind of getting to date each other all the time,” Ben noted — a reminder that their marriage isn’t dependent on formal outings, but on the daily effort to stay emotionally close.
Their bond is deeply rooted in friendship. “At the end of the day, we love each other and we’re best friends,” Ben said. It’s a simple truth, but one that’s often overlooked in the whirlwind of life and responsibility.
Ben and Erin are also intentional. They’re not passive about their relationship — they protect it. Whether it’s carving out 30 minutes for a shared meal or planning a future getaway months in advance, they make sure their love story isn’t put on the back burner.
But like many couples today, the Napiers face a subtle and modern problem that threatens intimacy: cell phones.
“It’s addictive. It is,” Ben confessed. “Either one of us will get sucked into looking at something and then it’s like, ‘Hey, I need you to pay attention right now.’”
Erin didn’t hesitate to agree: “Yeah, phones are the worst. Those are the attention stealers… I bet phones take away from marriages more than anything else. Sometimes, I feel like they are pulling Ben and I apart”
In their house, distraction equals disconnection. Whether it’s scrolling through social media or answering work emails during family time, phones have the power to pull them away from the present moment — and from each other.
“You’ve got to stay focused and pay attention,” Ben shared. “But if we sit down and watch something and one of us is on the phone, then we’re not having a movie night together.”
That shared activity — even something as simple as watching a movie — becomes hollow when devices interfere. “That’s the worst,” they both agreed, highlighting the silent way that phones can wedge distance into even the closest relationships.