Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's Relationship Timeline

Country music superstars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have music to thank for their decades-long love story.

The "Don't Take the Girl" singer and Hill met for the first time in 1994 at a gig in Nashville. At the time, both were seeing other people but as fate would have it, McGraw and Hill's paths crossed again two years later and the rest is history.

Hill served as McGraw's opening act on his 1996 Spontaneous Combustion tour and the pair wed later that year.

Now, the country artists have been together for more than two decades and share three daughters. Here's a look at Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's relationship, from their first meeting to their 26th wedding anniversary.

1994: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill meet for the first time

McGraw and Hill first crossed paths in Nashville at a Country Radio Seminar showcase for new talent. At the time, the "Highway Don't Care" crooner was in a relationship with Kristine Donahue, and Hill was engaged to Scott Hendricks.

1996: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill go on tour together

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The couple really connected during McGraw's Spontaneous Combustion tour in 1996.

"We were young and silly and goo-goo-eyed in love," McGraw later told PEOPLE of their initial spark. The pair started dating after they each ended their relationships with their respective partners.

Hill later defended how she and McGraw got their start, telling PEOPLE, "If someone is going to judge my character because I was engaged to somebody and then I left him for somebody else — 'Oh, OK, now she's a slut and a bad person' — I can't control that. But I wasn't about to let Tim slip through my hands."

June 26, 1996: Tim McGraw proposes to Faith Hill on stage

The musician popped the question while on tour. He shared the romantic details of the proposal years later in an October 2015 video.

"We were in the dressing room, here, June 26, 1996, and it was raining and stuff and we'd been on tour for a while together, and I joked around with her about getting married. And so I looked at her, grabbed her by the hands, and dropped forward [on my knees] onstage," he recalled. "She said, 'We're at a country music festival in a trailer house, and you're asking me to marry you?' And I said, 'Yeah.' So I went onstage … When I came back offstage, [I saw] a Sharpie with lipstick kisses all over it, saying, 'Yes! I'm gonna be your wife.' "

October 6, 1996: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill get married

A few months after they got engaged, McGraw and Hill wed on Oct. 6, 1996.

January 1997: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill reveal they're expecting a baby

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Shortly after their wedding, McGraw and Hill arrived at the American Music Awards together. During the show, the "Way You Love Me" singer showed off a growing baby bump.

May 5, 1997: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's first baby is born

The couple became parents on May 5, 1997, when they welcomed their daughter Grace.

August 12, 1998: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill welcome another baby

McGraw and Hill got pregnant again not long after the birth of their first child. They welcomed their second baby, a girl named Maggie, on Aug. 12, 1998.

July 2000: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill go on their first official tour together

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Although touring is what brought them together in the first place, McGraw and Hill had never actually gone on an official tour together, since Hill was technically his opening act during the Spontaneous Combustion tour. Their first joint tour, Soul2Soul, kicked off in July 2000.

December 6, 2001: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill welcome their third baby

About a year after they completed their Soul2Soul tour, the couple welcomed their third daughter, Audrey, on Dec. 6, 2001. Audrey was born eight weeks early and spent a few days in neonatal intensive care after her birth. Hill later told PEOPLE the separation was "the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life."

April 2006: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill go on tour again

The parents of three went on their second Soul2Soul tour in 2006. They opened up about their work style to PEOPLE with Hill saying, "He's the big dreamer."

To which McGraw replied, "Then she has to do all the details, come in and clean up my mess," with Hill adding, "With a lot of love."

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October 2006: Tim McGraw gets a star on the Walk of Fame with Faith Hill by his side

McGraw was honored for his illustrious career in October 2006 — the same year he and Hill celebrated a decade of marriage. The singer was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Hill was by his side at the ceremony.

November 12, 2008: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill perform together at the CMT Awards

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The couple wowed fans with a touching duet of their song "I Need You" at the CMT Awards in 2008. Ahead of their performance, Hill said that they would maybe "get a burger or something" after the show, while McGraw suggested heading "to Waffle House."

April 6, 2014: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill surprise ACM Awards viewers with a duet

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McGraw took the stage at the 2014 ACM Awards to perform his hit single "Meanwhile Back at Mama's." Hill made a surprise appearance on stage with her husband, joining him in singing the song. The performance concluded with a kiss.

June 2014: Tim McGraw opens up about his sobriety and the role Faith Hill played in it

The Billboard Music Award winner sat down with Men's Health for an interview in 2014 — seven years after he got sober. He told the outlet his wife, Hill, played a major role in his decision quit drinking.

"When your wife tells you it's gone too far, that's a big wake-up call," he said. "That, and realizing you're gonna lose everything you have."

October 5, 2016: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill announce another tour

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The couple surprised fans in October 2016 when they announced they were bringing back their Soul2Soul tour. "We are going back on the road on tour," Hill told a Nashville crowd. "We are going to go from side to side, south to north and around the globe!"

McGraw and Hill's Soul2Soul World Tour kicked off on April 7 the following year, 11 years after their last tour together.

February 10, 2017: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show together

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McGraw and Hill appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show together in February 2017, where they opened up about their children. The couple confessed during the appearance that their daughters were getting older, but they weren't quite ready for them to start dating.

"Look, you don't want to be mean, but when someone's taking your daughter somewhere, you want to induce a healthy amount of respect — and fear," McGraw said, previously sharing with the show's host that he leaves a sledgehammer out where his daughters' dates can see it.

March 12, 2018: Faith Hill addresses Tim McGraw's health after an on-stage scare

The "This Kiss" singer spoke out about McGraw's health after he collapsed on stage during a show in Ireland due to dehydration.

While on stage, Hill addressed the audience, saying, "Tim is fine. We've all been a little bit dehydrated traveling so much. He's been super dehydrated, and I apologize but I made the decision that he cannot come back out on the stage. So drink water, people, keep yourself hydrated."

A statement from the singer's rep read, "He and [wife Faith Hill] thank everyone for their love and support and look forward to seeing their Irish fans again soon."

November 5, 2019: Tim McGraw discusses Faith Hill's impact on him

In his Grit & Grace: Train the Mind, Train the Body, Own Your Life, McGraw once again discussed his sobriety journey and the role his wife played in it. The country star revealed that Hill gave him an ultimatum before he became sober.

"When things happen and you succeed beyond your wildest dreams and you're playing all these great shows and the parties are going on," he told Hoda Kotb on the Today show. "Then you're married and you have kids. And all of a sudden your wife looks at you and says, 'You know, you're getting a little overboard and you need to make some decisions.' It makes a big impact on you."

August 9, 2020: Tim McGraw shares a candid photo of Faith Hill

In August 2020, McGraw posted a candid photo of Hill on Instagram. In the photo, she wore her pink hair in a braid, sitting on a patio enjoying some nice weather.

"Dang, I love this girl!" he captioned the post.

That same month, they celebrated McGraw's 15th studio album, Here on Earth, in a big way. They threw a party with family, which Hill captured in a social media video. In the clip, the Mississippi native and her husband danced to "Damn Sure Do."

"We have never listened to one of our new albums with just the girls. Ever," she wrote in her caption. "An unforgettable evening for what in my humble opinion is one of the greatest albums Tim has ever recorded."

August 25, 2021: Tim McGraw credits Faith Hill for his wake-up call

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Speaking with Esquire about his decision to get sober in 2008, McGraw revealed that he was "getting out of [bed] and going to the liquor cabinet and taking a big shot at 8:00 in the morning and thinking, 'I have to wake the kids up.' "

He called that his last straw, saying that he immediately went to Hill and told her what was happening.

"I went straight to my wife and said, 'This is where I'm at.' I was scared," he remembered. "She just grabbed me and hugged me and changed my life."

He credited her with helping him stay strong and sober.

"My wife always says, 'You're not scared of anything.' I say, 'Ehhh, one thing. I'm looking at it right now,' " he said. "I didn't know love could feel so good. Was it an emotion? Was it a lifestyle? Was it an imaginary thing? But love is all of those things."

McGraw went on, "Love is being angry. Love is not talking for a day. Love is getting in each other's face. Love is accepting that I'm wrong. Love is a 360-degree thing. It's not linear. They always say you're not supposed to fight in front of your kids. Everybody fights in front of their kids. That's part of the deal."

October 6, 2021: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill celebrate 25 years of marriage

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In honor of 25 years of marriage to Hill, McGraw reflected on his proposal and the wedding that followed. He called it "the best day of my life." He also shared some new details, that fans may not have known before.

"25 years later and it's still the best day of my life. Thanks for going on this journey with me. Love you Faith ❤️," he wrote, adding that it took him a "few times" to convince her to accept his proposal.

McGraw continued, "We had dated for a while. I actually asked her to marry me quite a few times and she kept saying no. She said, 'I'm not going to get involved with another country singer, it's just not going to work out.' "

He said he finally decided to get down on a knee during a country music festival, hopeful that Hill would accept.

"They had these trailer houses set up. I'm getting ready to go onstage, and I had this sort of case that had this big mirror in it. She's standing there, and we're talking, and I said, 'Look, let's get married," he remembered. "And she says, 'You're asking me to marry you at a country music festival in a trailer house?' And I said, 'Well, it's pretty apropos if you think about it.' She goes, 'Are you serious?' And I said, 'Well, yeah, I'm serious.' "

He returned to the dressing room to find a message on the mirror from his future wife accepting his proposal.

"And we still have that mirror. And it was the best day of my life, that's for sure," McGraw said.

November 2021: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill make their silver screen debut

While both McGraw and Hill had appeared on-screen before, they next acted alongside each other, until 2021. The couple appeared in 1883, a prequel to Yellowstone that tells the origin story of the Dutton family. McGraw and Hill play James and Margaret Dutton.

"To see my beautiful wife on horseback, firing guns, and having dirt all over her face, I just sit in awe. She's a strong woman, anyway," McGraw told Entertainment Weekly. "[Creator] Taylor [Sheridan] said early on to me, 'Man, you'll just get on that horse. You're not scared of anything.' I said, 'I'm scared of one thing. She's right over there.' "

December 10, 2021: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill talk about becoming empty nesters

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Things changed in a big way for McGraw and Hill after their youngest daughter, Audrey, graduated in 2020. The pair were officially empty nesters and they opened up about the transition to PEOPLE in December 2021.

"You're used to getting up in the morning, taking kids to school, going to softball practices and basketball practices and cheerleader practices and all of a sudden all that's gone when your last one leaves," he told PEOPLE.

He noted that since their daughters left home, their house in Nashville has quieted down significantly. He looked back fondly on their lives together as a family of five.

"I miss the afternoons because Faith would always make sure something was cooking when they would come home from school," he said. "I miss them coming in and smelling what mom's cooking and being excited about having dinner. I miss the energy around. There were times when we had about 15 teenage girls in our house talking about boys and life and everything going on. We're still a really close family; we talk all the time. But it's difficult when your kids leave. All of a sudden they don't need you as much anymore. And I think it's probably more difficult for Mom."

May 1, 2022: Faith Hill surprises Tim McGraw with a birthday serenade

In celebration of McGraw's 55th birthday, Hill arranged for a special backstage moment in honor of the occasion. He shared a video of the whole crew, including his wife, surrounding him with a cake and candles, singing "Happy Birthday." He smiled as he spotted Hill.

The night before his birthday, Russell Dickerson, who was supporting him on tour, urged the crowd to sing "Happy Birthday" during the opening act. He strummed along on the acoustic guitar as voices rose up from the crowd.

Hill was not among the acts performing with McGraw on the tour but remained supportive throughout.

September 21, 2022: Tim McGraw calls Faith Hill his "soul mate"

For Hill's 55th birthday a few months later, McGraw honored his wife with a sweet Instagram tribute. He referred to Hill as "My best friend," "My soul mate," and "The love of my life" and shared a video montage featuring photos of the birthday girl over the years.

October 6, 2022: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill celebrate their 26th wedding anniversary

McGraw posted a slideshow set to their 2007 duet "I Need You" for the couple's 26th wedding anniversary in October 2022.

"Wow, 26 years! Happy anniversary to my girl!! I love you baby @faithhill," he wrote.

December 14, 2022: Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and their kids dress up as characters from The Godfather

McGraw shared a video on Instagram featuring photos of him, Hill and their three daughters dressed as characters from 1972's The Godfather.

" 'The Godfather' dinner theme night last night...Love my family and all the craziness that comes with it!" the proud dad wrote in the caption.

January 4, 2023: Faith Hill shares a "rare" glimpse of Tim McGraw's goofy personality

On Instagram, Hill shared a video of McGraw dancing to Olivia Rodrigo's song "good 4 u" in the backseat of a vehicle.

She captioned the post: "This is a rare, very rare look into a side of my husband that only his girls and I get to see. Dance everyday, maybe steal some of Tim's moves. It brings joy, laughter, and the insatiable need for all of us to be present."