High School Sweethearts Who Got Married Are Sharing Their Love Stories (And If They Stayed Together), And It's Super Interesting
We asked members of the BuzzFeed Community who married their high school sweethearts to share their stories. Though some couples didn't make it in the end, many have stayed together through thick and thin and basically grown up together. Here are their stories:
1."Not me, but my parents. My dad's family moved to rural Pennsylvania when he was a sophomore in high school. He got sat next to my mom in homeroom because their last names were right next to each other alphabetically. They started dating a few months later. At their senior prom, they weren't king and queen but 'Barbie and Ken.' My dad went to college after high school, and my mom moved in with him his sophomore year. She got pregnant, they got married before my older sister was born, and they've been together ever since. They've been married 42 years, and they still annoy the hell out of their kids, but they are totally in love. It's like watching Morticia and Gomez Addams. They're moving into retirement and talking about downsizing their house. It's really sweet to watch them settle into the next phase of life together."
2."We broke up just after he finished school (I was a year ahead of him). Two years later, we got back together, got engaged about eight months after that, and now, we’ve got four kids and have been married for 13 and a half years. We’re in the process of building a house now. In fact, just today, we were informed of what our address will be!"
3."We started dating at 15 and got married six months after graduating high school. The marriage only lasted two years because when adult life hit, I grew up and adapted to things, like a full-time job and paying bills, while he wanted to stay a kid and remained unemployed while playing video games all day."
4."We met in ninth grade English class. I remembered him because he kept mispronouncing my name (which isn’t a super common name, but not particularly difficult to pronounce). We spoke here and there, but didn’t cross paths often. Then, in 12th grade, we had more classes together and became really good friends. He was always there for me no matter what. We started dating senior year, went to prom together, and have stayed together since. We did seven years long-distance through college and law school, but we made it! We got married right after we were completely done with school."
"We bought a house a year later and had our first daughter the year after. Fast-forward to today: Our first kiddo is turning 5 and second one just turned 1! We’ve been together for 16 years, married for seven. He is still my best friend, the most wonderful dad, and the most caring and kind person I know. Here’s the funny part! He has since fessed up to purposefully mispronouncing my name back in ninth grade because he had a crush on me and needed an excuse to keep asking me about my name so he could talk to me."
—Anonymous
5."I locked eyes with my husband the first day of my junior year (his senior year), and I went home and told my sister I’d kiss him one day. Three months later, we start dating and have been together ever since. We got engaged my senior year of undergrad and were married just shy of our 10-year anniversary. Now, we’re happy with one toddler and a dog, going almost 14 years strong!"
—Anonymous
6."My now-fiancé and I met in eighth grade and started out as friends. I was really reluctant to get out of the friend-zone, but I was pining over him anyways. So, we stayed friends for a while, texted ALL the time, and played those stupid middle school mind games where you won’t admit to anyone that you actually have a crush. Sophomore year of high school, he asked me on a date, so we went to go see Grown Ups 2. But I still friend-zoned him for a few months after that until I had a talk with my mom about dating him vs. staying friends, and decided I’d never know how it would go if I never tried. So, we officially started dating October 25, 2013 and are getting married this July. No breakups, just growing up together and going to college together (unintentionally at first, but it worked out so well). And now, we’re getting married. It’s seriously so wild, but I wouldn’t want it any other way."
—Anonymous
7."My husband and I started dating at 16. He was the captain of the football team, and I was the water girl! At a young age, we went through some very adult situations, and we grew up very quickly as a result. We realized very young that we were going to spend the rest of our lives together. We married at 24 after finishing college, and he settled into his dream career. We now have two daughters and are more in love than ever. We did, however, go through a very rough patch where we almost didn't make it due to multiple affairs I was unaware of. We have worked very hard to heal and become better than ever. It took years to put that behind us, and there are still days where it hurts more than others."
"Staying after an affair is not for everyone; however, recovering and growing together afterward has created a much better relationship where we now trust each other, put each other first, and have a more realistic view of our relationship instead of the fairytale image we were trying to portray. My advice for anyone going through anything similar is not to rush into making decisions. It's okay to take it one day at a time and not have answers for the future. Also, speak to a couples therapist who can help navigate the trauma in a healthy way."
—Anonymous
8."I married the boy next door. I've known him since third grade. We became a couple at 18 and will be together 36 years this summer, married for 30. Lots of ups and downs. Lots of work. But, we are finally getting to be grown-ups without kids to look after since they're all grown now. I think our best days are ahead of us."
—Anonymous
9."We married a year out of high school, but we didn’t make it. Walking away from him was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made. Almost 35 years later, I think of him every day. I talk to him in my mind. Every song reminds me of him. I’ll die with his name on my lips."
—Anonymous
10."My husband and I started dating during my sophomore year of high school when he was a senior. We ended up getting married when I was 19, and I can honestly say it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. We’ve seen each other through some really difficult situations, but each challenge has made our marriage that much stronger. I know our situation would not have worked for everyone, but it was exactly the right thing for us. He’s my best friend, and I can’t imagine who or where I’d be without him."
11."My brother married his high school sweetheart. They had three kids and are now bitterly divorced. They can't even be in the same city as each other. He grew up, and she stayed a spoiled teenager."
12."We met at 16 and started dating at 17. We both had friends who told us we were too different and we wouldn't last. He was a skater boy, and I was a theatre nerd. We've been together for almost 20 years and are coming up on our 15th wedding anniversary. We have two incredible sons. Sometimes, being different works."
13."I was 17 and a senior in high school. He was newly graduated and enlisted in the National Guard. We figured we'd get married after I graduated anyway, so went ahead and got married on fall break before he deployed. He was gone over a year, and I made us a home for him to come back to. It was all good the first year or so, but then, we ran into issues. Rather, I ran into issues being faithful, which, to this day, I blame on being too young to be married. I didn't know myself or what I really wanted in life, so I was easily distracted. I am now remarried and have children, and I tell them it's not a good idea to get married until they're at least 25 so they can take the time to really get to know themselves. Hurting my high school love has been one of my biggest regrets in life."
—Anonymous
14."My husband and I have known each other since middle school, but we didn’t start dating until the last few months of our senior year. We ran our school’s concession stand together every day that year, so we became friends through that. But, we actually got close one day when I texted him randomly to remind him of something for the next day at school, and we just never stopped talking. We spent days texting about everything and nothing, back when texting wasn’t unlimited. He asked me out on a date the next week, and we’ve been together ever since. Last weekend was 12 years since our first date!"
"We went to a local college together and both majored in engineering, then got married after I graduated. He had some setbacks and ended up finishing school a few years after me because he had to work full-time, but we’re both established in our careers now. We’ve had some struggles recently with adjusting to being parents (we had our son in 2021), but we’re figuring it out together like we always have. We’ve both always been each other’s favorite person, even when we’ve struggled and things have looked bleak. Ironically, of the six couples that make up our friend group, four of them (including us) are high school sweethearts. So, while high school sweethearts don’t work out for everyone, we’re all doing pretty okay so far."
15."My husband and I have been together since we were 16 (we're both almost 33 now) and have been married for eight years. I feel so fortunate to have found my person early in life. It hasn't always been easy. In fact, there was a point where I didn't think our marriage was going to last. But, we had already invested so much time, effort, and emotion into our relationship that walking away didn't seem like an option. The next couple years, my husband overcame an alcohol addiction, and I learned to let go of my past. Today, we have two kids and are still going strong. I can't see myself ever wanting to be with anyone else."
16."My husband and I started dating sophomore year of high school. We were both band nerds. He played tenor sax, and I played alto sax. We went to separate colleges four hours away from each other, but we stuck it out. We constantly talked on the phone and took roadtrips to see each other on the weekends. However, my parents were authoritarian and controlling, and they hated him just on principle. It scared me to displease my parents, but I hung on to him because we were really in love, even though they gave us absolute hell. Well, I've never regretted that 'rebellion,' and I'm proud I followed my heart. We've been married 13 years (together for 20) and have two fantastic kids and a cute little house in our dream city. We still love each other and are happy together. We're just a couple of dorks with perfectly compatible personalities who stuck together like glue."
17."My husband and I started dating halfway through our sophomore year of high school. I had to move away at the end of our sophomore year, and we ended up dating long-distance for nine and a half years before we were finally able to move in together. Shortly after that, we got married and have been married for six years and have a beautiful 2-year-old daughter together. There were definitely times in our relationship that we weren’t sure if we were gonna make it, but I’m so thankful we put in the work to make this relationship last."
18."I met my husband at camp (I was at basketball camp, he was at baseball camp) the summer before my sophomore and his junior year of high school. It was an overnight camp at a college close by. We went to the same high school; we’d just never met before. We hung out that whole week and started dating at the beginning of the school year. We even had our first kiss after a Friday night football game. We had Spanish together that year, and our teacher sat us together because we worked better that way. We eventually went to separate colleges about two hours away from one another, but we stayed together. After college, we got engaged, moved back to our hometown, and got married after nine years of dating (we were 23 and 24). We’ve now been together almost 18 years, we have two kids and a dog, we’re in the middle of building our dream house, and I now teach at the high school we went to!"
—Anonymous
19."I’m miserable. We have been together since I was 14, and honestly, it’s a big regret."
—Anonymous
20."More like junior high school sweethearts. My husband and I have been together since seventh grade (12 /13 years old). I had a bucket list of things I wanted to do before getting married, and did them all before we tied the knot at 21 and 22. I have now been happily married for 15 years with a 3-year-old daughter. We focus on each other first, work really hard at our marriage, and love each other very much. All relationships are hard work. You get to choose which ones get your full attention, and he deserves all of mine."
—Anonymous
21."We started dating junior year. I was a year older than him and left for college after we got very serious. My parents encouraged me to explore college and not be tied to driving home all the time. My SO and I tried to 'date other people,' and it just wasn’t for us. He came to the same college as me, and we married when we were 21. Now, we have 10 happily married years, two babies, a dog, and a business between us. Being young doesn’t mean your love isn’t real and lasting."
—Anonymous
22."We're from a very rural area and went to rival high schools. We met when I was a sophomore and he was a senior. He joined the military, and I moved with him once I graduated high school. We got married young, had beautiful twin girls, but after almost 11 years together, and a wild up and down life of moves, surgeries, kids, and more, we ultimately divorced. I'm now in a new, wonderful relationship, and we still co-parent well together. We realize we ultimately weren't happy doing life together, but our relationship gave me a ton of life experience in my 20s, and I wouldn't take back any part of it."
—Anonymous
23."My husband and I started dating our junior year of high school. We attended rival high schools but would still sit together at sports games. He joined the Air Force at the end of summer after we graduated, and I went to college for a year, then ended up joining the Air Force as well the next summer. We got married by double proxy while I was in Italy and he was in Alaska. We've been together for 12 years and married for eight and have traveled the world together."
—Anonymous
24."We went to different high schools and met at church. He came to my house the weekend before my 17th birthday and never left. He was there every day after school, through junior and senior prom, through mono, and every other high school experience. It drove my family and my friends nuts. Looking back now, I realize that he was the first person I ever felt fully intellectually connected with. He was someone that I could be completely myself around without any insecurities, and he could *see* me. We got married when I was 19 and he was 20, a year and a half after graduation because my mom wanted me to be a virgin."
"15 years later, we’re still going strong, though it hasn’t been without struggles. I don’t think I was aware of what I was taking on as a wife, being that young. I feel fortunate that his character has held strong and that though our maturity isn’t always on the same level, we are both committed to each other and to personal growth. I honestly can’t imagine being as happy with anyone else. He’s a great dad, an amazing lover, and my best friend."
—Anonymous
25."We started dating when I was 16 and he was 17. We dated for a year, and when it was time for him to go to college, we split up, thinking we were on two different paths, and it would be impossible to maintain a long-distance relationship. He quickly learned after one quarter that college wasn’t for him and decided to come home and attend trade school. The whole time we were split, we stayed 'just friends,' so not long after he came home, we got back together. During the next seven years of dating, we each went to trade school and began our careers, bought a home, then finally got married. We just celebrated 20 incredibly happy years married and 28 years total together. The best thing about our love story is we have grown together and witnessed every high and every low with one another. I couldn’t imagine doing life without my soulmate."
—Anonymous
26."My grandparents were high school sweethearts. My grandma had the same class as my grandpa, just a period later. She would always see his name written on the board for earning the highest test grade, and he had an unusual last name, so she remembered it. Well, they ended up married and had four kids, nine grandkids, and the great-grandkid toll keeps rising! My grandma passed away last summer. This year would've been their 70th wedding anniversary."
—Hannah Dobrogosz
27."I was 16 and he was 18 when we started dating. Three months after we got together, my dad passed away from ALS, and he was the most AMAZING, supportive partner. At 18, I got pregnant with our sweet special needs son. We got married four months later (in Vegas!). After our son was born, we both went back to school, started our careers, had a beautiful daughter, and are living a beautiful life. We’ve been together almost 19 years and married almost 16. We’ve both been through more than most couples, but we continue to pick each other every day. There have definitely been ups and downs, and I recommend therapy for all couples."
—Anonymous
28."We met in high school, got married at 20 and 21, and had two children by the time we were 25 and 26. It wasn't always easy, both financially and emotionally, but we stuck it out, and we have now been married almost 46 (YIKES!) years. Marriage is about compromise, honesty, and a lot of talking about real feelings, good or bad. You have to realize early on that you don't have to be the 'boss,' in control, or right all the time. It's a whole lot easier to be happy than to be right all the time. We've seen almost all of our family and friends divorce and remarry — some are on their third or fourth spouse — which proves that the grass is not always greener on the other side. My husband and I tease each other and say we stayed together this long because we don't want to deal with more in-laws!"
—Anonymous
29."I was in a longterm relationship with a guy that was not a good guy. I spent four years with this guy who cheated on me, would leave our dates to go hang out with other girls, and who danced with other girls but not me at our prom. Our senior year, there was this guy who I had previously friend-zoned. He was my only friend in math class. A few months later, after breaking up with the not-so-good guy, friend-zone guy asked me to hang out."
"He always made me smile and made me feel seen and heard. He confessed to loving me since freshman year. We graduated high school together, dated all through college, and got married after my college graduation. We've been happily together for 10 years now, married for three. Long story short, always give the friend-zone guy at least one real date. He may be your prince charming after all. Mine sure was."
—Anonymous
30."My husband and I grew up in a small midwestern town and went to a high school with less than 350 students, so everybody knew each other. Even though I was a freshman and he was a junior, we would see one another in the hallways and exchange flirty smiles. Next thing I know, he gets my home phone number (yes, a landline), and we start talking on the phone at night. After a few weeks, he boldly declared that we were going to Snowball together. That's when we officially started dating. We stayed together when he went off to college, and still when I was also in college, making the two-and-a-half-hour commute every other weekend to be together. We finished school and moved to the east coast for work."
"After five years, we moved to another state. By then, I was 29, and he was 31. It had been almost 15 years, and we decided to get married. It's been three years since then, and we just had our first kid. People always gave us a hard time about waiting so long to do the whole marriage/kids thing, especially coming from the midwest where those things happen early. But, we got to spend our 20s establishing our careers, living in three different states, and traveling abroad, all while growing together and testing the strength of our relationship. We are each other's best friend and biggest supporters. I didn't think I could love him more, but then, I saw him become a father, and my heart burst. He has taught me that with love, there's always room for more."
—Anonymous
31.Finally: "My wife and I started dating toward the end of my senior (her junior) year in high school. I went off to trade school in the fall, but came home every weekend to see her. When I graduated, I moved back to our hometown, and we continued. She graduated high school and went off to college. A few weeks later, I came home from work to her car in the driveway, her clothes in the closet, and mine in a pile on the floor. We got officially engaged — rings and all. That was 32 years, two kids, and several houses and jobs ago. She still hogs the closet, and my stuff tends to be in a pile on the floor."
—Anonymous
Thank you to everyone who shared their stories! I wasn't sure what to expect, but many of these were incredibly touching. I wish all of you happiness and love.
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
