Jessie James Decker and Eric Decker: A Timeline of Their Relationship

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Jessie James Decker and Eric Decker: A Timeline of Their Relationship

Jessie James Decker and Eric Decker have a love story that’s all their own. Jessie and the former NFL pro began dating in 2011 after meeting through mutual friends. “I got a text from my girlfriend who said, ‘I’m having dinner with this guy I’m seeing, and this other guy just showed up, and he's stunning,’” she recalled to Access Hollywood in 2013. “Show him a picture of me, and see if he’s into it.” Eric received her number and texted her first, making Jessie want to approach their romance differently. “From now on, if a man wanted me, he was going to have to show it,” she wrote in her 2018 memoir, Just Jessie. “So I made Eric chase me.” The twosome got engaged in 2012 and married the following year in Colorado. They welcomed three children: Vivianne in 2014, Eric Jr. in 2015 and Forrest in 2018. [sendtonews type="float" key="TTpto5tCu0-2841873-14453"] Despite going back and forth about expanding their family — and about Eric getting a vasectomy — Jessie announced in August 2023 that she was pregnant with baby No. 4. Scroll down to see how Jessie and Eric's romance has evolved over the years:

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2011

The pair began dating after meeting through mutual friends.

Credit: Courtesy of Jessie James Decker/Instagram

April 2012

Jessie and Eric announced that they were engaged.

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September 2013

The couple’s reality show, Eric & Jessie, premiered on E.

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June 2013

The duo tied the knot at the St. Francis of Assisi Church in Castle Rock, Colorado.

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March 2014

Jessie welcomed the pair’s first child, daughter Vivianne.

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September 2015

The country singer gave birth to the couple’s second child, son Eric Jr.

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October 2017

The final episode of the pair’s E! reality series aired.

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March 2018

The twosome’s third child, son Forrest, was born.

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October 2018

In her memoir, Just Jessie, she shared various details about their romance, including how she made him chase her for three months. “I wouldn’t call it game playing. I’d call it common sense …. I made Eric hunt for me,” she wrote. “I never texted, called or anything-ed him first. I’m not kidding. For the first three months of our relationship, he never got an incoming call from me.”

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August 2019

The athlete gushed about Jessie to Us exclusively, saying, “She’s such a perfect complement to me, because a lot of times, I can get more serious … and she’s so free-spirited.”

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August 2019

Jessie explained how their pair’s marriage only became stronger when they introduced kids into the picture. “We already liked each other a ton before they came along, so it’s made us like each other that much more because we get to see each other as parents and I think we both are proud of the mother and father we are together,” she said on the “Motherly” podcast.

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December 2019

Jessie admitted that planning date nights “can get a little tough” with three children. “We have our Netflix moments,” she shared with Us. “We’re trying to finish Schitt’s Creek so we can move onto You.”

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January 2020

The singer discussed the possibility of the couple expanding their brood. “He just loves our babies so much. He wants more,” she told Us at the time. “I told him he’s got to just hang on for a minute there. I’m not sure that’s in the cards for us, but you never know. He doesn’t want to permanently do anything about it, so he is leaving things open. I’m not, but he is.”

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June 2020

The longtime duo celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary with sweet Instagram tributes. “I married my best friend 7 years ago today. Happy anniversary to the love [of] my life 💖,” Jessie captioned her post, while Eric wrote alongside his own, “I love you, adore you and will forever strive to make your life full! You have given me the most beautiful life and I am forever grateful!! Happy 7 years mi amor.”

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January 2021

Eric referred to Jessie as his “forever” while sharing a PDA-filled pic for Instagram.

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February 2021

Jessie and Eric celebrated Valentine’s Day with sweet Instagram tributes. “Damn I love you! 10 years next month my sweet cheeks Valentine sugar D. Love living life with you @ericdecker,” she captioned her post of the pair cozied up, while the former NFL star wrote alongside their kissing pic, “My Valentine, Mi Amor! ❤️.”

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March 2021

“Happy 10 years to the love of my life @ericdecker 💗 March 31 (which is the actual day we were introduced to each other) little did we know it would be the day our third baby was born,” the designer captioned a throwback photo with her man. “I love you baby here’s to 10 more beautiful years and beyond 🥳😘🥰 (this photo was takin 2011, the year we met. We look like kids 🥰).”

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April 2021

The country singer shared a nude photo of her husband via Instagram Stories, seemingly taken without him noticing — and with the raciest parts hidden by a water jar. "Cheers and goodnight," she captioned the flirtatious post.

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May 2021

“Happiest on the water,” Jessie wrote via Instagram alongside a group photo from the family’s trip to Greece.

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June 2021

The lovebirds packed on the PDA while in Italy both with and without their three little ones.

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August 2021

The duo jetted off to Spain with friends, including Alex Rodriguez. “Missin the crew already! Magical time with amazing friends😍😍😍,” the mother of three captioned a series of Instagram photos from their time away.

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March 2022

“The birthday boy In his birthday suit lookin like a statue from Greece😝 My man is 35 and aging like fine wine,” the “Should Have Known Better” songstress wrote via Instagram, sharing a nude photo of her husband. “Happy happy birthday to the love of my life, my best friend, my soulmate, my baby daddy, my ride or die. I’m so happy you were born today. I sure do I love growing old with you 🥰.”

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April 2022

"I woke up to this big bouquet of roses from him. They're beautiful. I was not expecting it. I was like, 'Oh my God, you're so sweet that you like acknowledged it,'" Jessie told Entertainment Tonight about her anniversary. "We're very lucky to have found each other."

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April 2022

The musician stepped out with her husband for the 2022 CMT Music Awards in Nashville. During the couple’s date night, Eric revealed that after forgetting his wedding ring for the event Jessie tattooed her initials in sharpie on his ring finger.

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June 2022

"Happy Anniversary Mi Amor❤️," Eric gushed in a June 2022 Instagram post. "I love this life with you! So many adventures and beautiful memories we have created together. You have stood by my side through the good and the bad. You are my lover, best friend and soulmate! 9 years down and a lifetime to go 🥰😜 Cheers to us 🥂."

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November 2022

The Dancing With the Stars season 31 alum stunned in an off-the-shoulder red gown at the 2022 CMAs, posing alongside her husband.

Credit: Courtesy of Eric Decker/Instagram

January 2023

“I think as of right now, we we're the yin and yang [to each other]. Eric and I are very opposite of each other, but in a good way we're very different,” Jessie exclusively told Us. “It works. We are the yin and yang of each other when it comes to parenting. And I've always said like, ‘We're so blessed that we parent the way that we parent,’ because it really works together. I do think we're such a great parental match.”

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January 2023

“I just think communication is everything. Just finding that time,” the musician exclusively told Us of how she and Eric balance their relationship and other obligations. “I think with parents it's really hard sometimes because you have these long, busy days and as soon as you get in bed you just like wanna decompress. We really try to make it a point [to say], like, ‘Let's have these moments where we lay in here and we pillow talk each other.”

She explained: “Being parents is a lot of work and especially having our jobs, but we definitely make sure that there's that time [as a couple]. Even early on in the day we'll be like, ‘Is tonight and night?’ We make sure that we flirt [and] we get each other excited.”

Credit: Courtesy of Eric Decker/Instagram

January 2023

Jessie revealed during an exclusive interview with Us that her husband’s stance on getting a vasectomy had not changed. “I keep asking him, ‘Go make that appointment’ and he won’t. He just won’t do it,” she shared. “He says it takes, like, his manhood away from him. So he’s just gonna leave it, I guess.”

Credit: Courtesy of Jessie James Decker/Instagram

March 2023

Jessie revealed via Instagram how she “convinced” her husband to let her adopt a new dog on Valentine’s Day. “You’re the puppy master,” the singer said in an Instagram video while handing Eric the dog during a joint photo shoot.

By then end of the day, the former NFL star left the shoot with the dog by his side. The squad named her Hart Olivia Decker.

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August 2023

Jessie announced her pregnancy in an Instagram video, debuting her baby bump while standing on a balcony. One month prior, she exclusively told Us that she wasn't against having another kid. "Anything is possible," she teased.