Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins: A Timeline of Their Relationship

Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins’ love story is one for the books. The couple met as kindergartners, but it took them about 15 years to realize that they were life partners — and they haven’t turned back since.

Rhett and Akins started dating in 2011 after reconnecting at a party for her sister. They were engaged within six months and married the following October.

After honeymooning in Hawaii, Rhett and Akins tried to start a family. However, the pair struggled to conceive, so they began looking into other ways to have children. Akins visited Uganda in 2016 and quickly developed a bond with a baby girl named Willa Gray, whom they later adopted.

Rhett and Akins have since welcomed daughters Ada James, Lennon Love and Lillie Carolina in August 2017, February 2020 and November 2021, respectively. The couple announced in August 2025 that they are expecting their fifth baby.

Scroll down to see a timeline of Rhett and Akins’ relationship: