Ryan Sutter Reflects on 'Challenging' Year with Wife Trista in 20th Anniversary Post: 'We Did It Together'

Trista and Ryan Sutter made history in 2003 when they became the first couple to get engaged on 'The Bachelorette'

As they celebrate their milestone 20th anniversary, Ryan Sutter is looking back at the tough year he and his wife Trista Sutter endured.

While paying tribute to their marriage in a tribute post to Instagram Wednesday, Ryan, 49, revealed that this year had been “one of the craziest, most challenging, most unpredictable years of the 20 we’ve now spent together.”

“Big change and heartbreaking loss tested our resolve,” he wrote in the caption alongside a selfie of the Bachelorette alums smiling during sunset. “We left a community and friends and a lifestyle - a safe harbor - for a new adventure and to make a new home. We struggled and we cried. We laughed and we loved.”

Related: Trista Sutter Gives Golden Bachelor's Gerry Turner Advice Ahead of His TV Wedding: 'Just Enjoy It'

“We did it all and we did it together, like we always have,” he said of how he and Trista, 51, have tackled their trials and tribulations. "You and me, hand in hand, heart to heart."

“It started in front of millions but today it’s just us,” he gushed. “No wedding special, no fanfare, no red carpet. Just Love. That’s all we’ve ever needed. I love you @tristasutter Now and forever. Happy Anniversary!!! HIF ❤️.”

Related: How the First Bachelorette Trista Met the Love of Her Life in Ryan Sutter (and Made it Last!)

In the comments, Trista thanked her husband for “your words and most importantly, for your love. ❤️” She added how his “words of affirmation” have gone a long way in meeting her love language.

“You are my safe harbor, my happy place, and my absolute favorite love story. Here’s to living life and taking chances. 🥂 HIF, ” she continued.

The OG Bachelorette also celebrated her husband in a tribute post shared to her own Instagram account.

Related: Trista Sutter Says 'The Bachelor' Should 'Pluck Someone Out of Obscurity' to Be the Next Lead

“Our 20th chapter starts now…and I couldn’t be more grateful. ❤️,” she captioned a video montage that included photos of their wedding. Trista also included hashtags like “#iloveyouryansutter” and “#bestthingtoeverhappentome.”

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Trista and Ryan met while filming the first season of The Bachelorette, which aired in 2003, and tied the knot in a televised wedding later that year. Since then, the couple have gone on to welcome two children — a son named Maxwell and a daughter named Blakesley.

“The way we got together is so not normal,” Trista previously told PEOPLE. “But we do live a normal life. Yes, we met in a fantastical way, but it’s really what we did after the show that mattered.”

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