Who Is Ty Pennington's Wife? All About Kellee Merrell

Ty Pennington/Instagram

Ty Pennington is a married man.

The HGTV star proposed to his girlfriend, Kellee Merrell, in July 2021, and the couple married in November that same year.

Ty Pennington/Instagram

The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Trading Spaces alum has largely kept his relationship with Merrell out of the spotlight, only occasionally sharing photos of the two of them. In June 2021, he shared a photo of her on Instagram, posting a snap of the two in celebration of Merrell's birthday.

"Thank you ... Universe ... for creating this amazing human ... who somehow tolerates me ... even tho I'm beginning to look like papa smurf after a Willie Nelson," he wrote in the caption.

So, who is Ty Pennington's wife? Here's everything to know about Kellee Merrell and her relationship with Pennington.

She works as a social media manager

Ty Pennington Instagram

While Pennington is known as a carpenter and home improvement pro on several shows, including the new HGTV series Ty Breaker, his wife is in a very different line of work. Pennington's rep confirmed to PEOPLE that Merrell is a social media manager, a role involving managing a brand's presence on social platforms.

Oddly enough, Merrell does not appear to have any active public social media accounts such as Twitter, Instagram or TikTok. Also, Pennington has never tagged his wife on his own Instagram.

RELATED: Ty Pennington Urges Americans to Shop Small this Holiday: 'Lives Are Depending on Our Support'

She's originally from Vancouver, Canada

Ty Pennington/Instagram Ty Pennington and Kellee Merrell

Merrell hails from the city of Vancouver, Canada, a popular filming location for shows and movies. However, Merrell and Pennington first met in another Canadian city: Toronto. The couple was introduced while Pennington was shooting a TV show, but they didn't strike up a romance until much later.

They were friends for years before dating

Ty Pennington Instagram

Pennington and Merrell first met in 2010 and stayed connected through the years. Thanks to mutual friends, in early 2020, the pair reconnected.

"I have admired Kellee from afar for years," Pennington told PEOPLE in April 2022. "She's a beautiful person inside and out."

He also posted a tribute video to celebrate their entire relationship, with photos of their friendship-turned-romance through the years. "A story of two people who had a mutual crush but didn't know it," Pennington captioned the clip.

RELATED: Ty Pennington Will Star in New HGTV Series Ty Breaker: 'I Am So Happy To Be Back in My Element'

She and Pennington were quarantined together during the pandemic

Ty Pennington

Pennington and Merrell further strengthened their relationship when they decided to quarantine together at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Luckily our paths finally crossed at the right time," Pennington said. "It's one of those things where you just feel happy being around a person. I never thought I would get married, but she changed that. Glad I waited for the one."

She and Pennington are working on their dream home together

Ty Pennington/Instagram

The couple has big plans for their next place. While Pennington proposed to Merrell at his Florida home, the two are working on their "dream home" in Savannah, Georgia.

They purchased the 19th-century house together and "have been renovating ever since," according to Pennington, whose rep told PEOPLE they're thrilled to begin their life together.

She married Pennington in 2021

Rob Marish

Despite their dream home remaining under construction, the couple opted to use it as the site for their wedding in November 2021, when their initial plans for a destination wedding in Italy were scrapped due to COVID-19 restrictions. They hosted just eight guests at the historic property where they exchanged vows.

They served caviar and champagne, followed by a five-course meal that included duck breast and lobster ravioli.

They went to Miami for their honeymoon

Pennington and Merrell took off to Art Basel in Miami for their honeymoon. While there, they visited art galleries, museums, the Miami Beach Edition hotel and the Versace mansion.

"Does this ring make me look married? Ha #newhardware," he wrote in a post on Instagram.

As COVID-19 travel restrictions ease, the couple plan to take a more luxurious honeymoon.

She posed nude on the beach

Merrell proved she was ready to bare it all in a nude beach photo she shared on Instagram to celebrate her 34th birthday.

The cheeky photo has a brown heart covering her backside. She tagged Pennington as the photographer.

"My favorite pic ❤️," he commented.