Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are undoubtedly America's married sweethearts. From superhero movies to late-night talk shows, it seems like the pair has been everywhere for the past few years—and people can't get enough of them. While the uber-famous couple is relatively private about the nitty gritty details of their relationship, it's become a regular thing to hear them talk about each other. One thing's for sure: They are very much in love, despite the pressures of raising two young children and being in the spotlight. Here, find out how they keep the passion and devotion alive. And if you're thinking about getting married yourself, don't miss this amazing and in-depth guide to finding the perfect ring at any budget.
1 | Be Friends First
ShutterstockOne of the biggest secrets to the couple's lasting love is something you hear pretty often with happy couples: They were friends before they became lovers. Reynolds explained how he and Lively got together on Entertainment Weekly's SiriusXM Deadpool special: "About a year after Green Lantern had come and gone and we were both single we went on a double date—[Blake] was on a date with another guy and I was on a date with another girl—and it was like the most awkward date for the respective parties because we were just like fireworks coming across… We were buddies for a long time, which I think is the best way to have a relationship, to start as friends." If that doesn't deserve a place on our list of favorite love quotes, we don't know what does.
2 | Get Into Each Other's Hobbies
Shutterstock"We're involved in everything that the other does," Lively told E! News around the time she launched her now-closed lifestyle site Preserve. "But he's influenced my taste so much on things like home design, things that I never loved before I now love because of him."
3 | Be Each Other's Biggest Fans
ShutterstockBe willing to admit when your other half is really, really good at something, and celebrate them for it. "My wife knows how to rock a red carpet. I'll say that. She might be the Beyoncé of red carpets," Reynolds told AOL Build. "She's turned that into an athletic event. I see what goes into that, real science. It's unbelievable."
4 | Learn How to Take A Joke
These two famously rib each other on social media, much to the delight of their fans. But behind the novelty of watching two of Hollywood's biggest stars all-out make fun of each other is the fact that they seem to be constantly making each other laugh and reminding each other not to take themselves too seriously.
In an Instagram post earlier this year, Lively shared a blurry, dark photo of Reynolds' head in front of an illuminated stage. The caption read: "Congratulations to the most influential person in my life. The best man I know... You deserve this @time 100 honor... If only my husband wasn't blocking you in this shot. I'm so sorry @johnlegend."
5 | A Little Sacrifice Goes A Long Way
ShutterstockA couple that's willing to do something a little inconvenient for the sake of quality time spent together is a lasting one. Reynolds told AOL Build how he couldn't wait to see his family after finishing up filming: "When I wrapped Deadpool five weeks ago, within an hour—I'm not joking, I still had chunks of glue from the scar makeup on my face—I was boarding a plane to Bangkok so I could get to my wife and baby right away. I'll do anything to be with them." And for more great relationship advice, check out the 30 things straight couples can learn from gay couples.
6 | Prioritize Each Other's Career Goals
ShutterstockIt can be difficult to manage stress when both partners have highly successful careers, but Lively and Reynolds have worked out a plan to ensure they're always there for each other. "My husband and I don't work at the same time, so we all go together as a family," she told People of her film shooting schedule. "If we're away as a family, it's never more than for a day. We stay together."
7 | Treat Parenting as A Bonding Experience
ShutterstockReynolds took the birth of the couple's first child as an opportunity to feel ever closer to his wife. "I'm not one for vomiting declarations of sentiment out across the airwaves, but when we had that baby, I fell more in love with my wife than I'd ever been in my entire life, I couldn't even believe it," he said on The Late Show with David Letterman, according to People.
8 | Approach Conflicts as Friends
ShutterstockThe number one thing that helps the pair resolve issues? Keeping things friendly. "In other relationships, if something came up, I would call my girlfriends or my sister, and say, ‘Hey, this is what he did—what should I do?'" Lively told Glamour. "Where with him, we were friends for two years before we were ever dating. And I treat him like my girlfriend. I'm like, ‘Hey, this happened. It upset me. This is how I feel. What do I do?' And he does the same for me. He treats me like his best buddy."
9 | Laughter Can Get You Through Tough Moments
Clearly, humour is a pretty big part of their relationship, and it sounds like they even use it in the most tense moments—like when lively was giving birth to their first child. "At one point in the middle of the delivery, the doctor's cell phone went off and she went, ‘Oh no, go ahead, take a personal call. Feel free.' She was cracking jokes!" Reynolds told Conan O'Brien, according to InStyle.
10 | Recognize Each Other's Strengths
When you hear the pair talk about each other, it's obvious that they're dialed into what makes each of them so special. "She always responds with empathy," Reynolds said of Lively in a Humans of New York Instagram post. "She meets anger with empathy. She meets hate with empathy. She'll take the time to imagine what happened to a person when they were five or six years old. And she's made me a more empathetic person. I had a very fractured relationship with my father. Before he died, she made me remember things I didn't want to remember. She made me remember the good times."
11 | Challenge Each Other
ShutterstockOne way to make sure that things never get boring? Push each other to do better and be better—that's what Lively and Reynolds do. "I love that he challenges me. He's someone that I trust when he challenges me," Lively told E! News. "That's nice," she added. "It's nice to have a partner in everything."
12 | Make a Habit of Revisiting Memories
For Reynolds' birthday last year, Lively threw him a party at the restaurant where they fell in love. It seems like remembering that day was and is very special to both of them. In an Instagram post Lively says: "@_o_ya_ We fell in love at your restaurant in Boston. We stay in love at your restaurant in NY. Thank you for the BEST food and memories! You are our FAVORITE!! Another happy birthday with @vancityreynolds. Hey, Reynolds, I like you a wh❤️le lot. Just sayin'...😍"
13 | Learn The True Meaning of Teamwork
ShutterstockOne of the most difficult parts about being in a long-term relationship is accepting that your partner will change and grow over time. Hopefully it's for the better, but recognizing that you have little control over who they become and staying committed to being a team anyway is part of what keeps couples together for decades. "Everything we do in life we do together," Lively told Vogue back in 2014. "I get to share my life with the person he's become, and we get to grow from there."
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