Kristen Bell Proposed to Dax Herself. They Organized a Wedding for $150 and Have Been Married for Over 10 Years
Glossy magazine pages often try to portray life in a more perfect light than it really is. The sky is bluer, the grass is greener, and love is always simple and unconditional. But in real life, things are not that straightforward. Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard have been together for almost 15 years, and their story has been full of ups and downs. Nevertheless, whatever may have happened, they worked on their relationship and created their family just how they wanted it to be.
Kristen met Dax back in 2007 at a formal event hosted by a mutual friend. It wasn’t love at first sight. The actress had just ended a long-term relationship, while Shepard had been single for years and didn’t make much of an impression. All Kristen remembered about him was that he talked a lot. However, she was struck by how positive he was. A couple of weeks later, they ended up at a hockey game together, flirted a little, and that’s how their relationship began.
Just three months later, they broke up. Dax told Kristen that he still wanted to date other people. She was upset but valued his honesty. But the break-up didn’t last more than a few days, and then Dax returned to Kristen.
Their romance was a real rollercoaster ride. They constantly broke up and then got back together again. Kristen and Dax are opposites, and he used to have some harmful habits, which didn’t add to his stability. They often argued and decided to try family therapy to save their relationship. It helped them to stay together.
In 2009, they worked on the film When in Rome together. They were influenced by the romantic atmosphere of the Italian capital and got engaged. But they decided to postpone the wedding until their state legalized same-sex marriages. They felt it was dishonest to organize a wedding until many of their friends could do the same.
In March 2013, they had a daughter, Lincoln. And at around the same time, California allowed same-sex marriages, so Bell tweeted a question for Shepard, asking him to marry her. They got married on October 16th, 2013.
Kristen and Dax didn’t want to have a lavish ceremony — and they are not the only celebrity couple that feels that way. On the day of the wedding, the actress even left the house in sweatpants. But Shepard was wearing a tuxedo, so she decided to change into a black jumpsuit. They grabbed some sandwiches, called them their wedding brunch, and went to the courthouse.
Their entire wedding, including the cost of fuel for the car, cost less than $150. No one else attended, so their friends were a bit upset that they weren’t invited. As revenge, they presented the newlyweds with a cake that read, “The World’s Worst Wedding” on the same day.
Their rejection of tradition continued. They never remember their anniversary day. They only congratulate each other if they remember. But Kristen says that this only makes her love Dax even more. They even had a hitch with their wedding rings. Dax doesn’t like jewelry but wanted to show the world he was married, so he tattooed a small bell on his ring finger.
In December 2014, Kristen had their second daughter, Delta — check out the amazing dress she wore when she was pregnant. Family life continued. In 2017, they went to a lake in Michigan. There, Bell and Shepard talked a lot about their childhood, became really close, and decided to have these trips every year.
They still fight, but they keep working on their relationship to keep the peace (and many famous couples do the same, for example, Gordon and Tana Ramsay). One of their secrets is not to try to solve all their problems at once. They give each other time to calm down and then deal with the issues.
Kristen jokes that she has a mathematical approach to marriage. They have a family calendar, and if they see it’s been 10 days without a date, they realize they need to fix it.
Dax says they don’t believe in soulmates. People have to work on their relationships, and this is another reason why they are so open with each other. When Shepard returned to his bad habits, he honestly spoke about it with his wife and asked for help. She supported him because she finds honesty and vulnerability to be the most attractive things in people.
Dax taught Bell not to strive for constant perfection in life but to enjoy the present day. According to her, when she sees Dax with the kids — spending time with them and teaching them — she falls even more in love with him. He constantly jokes and makes Kristen laugh every day.
They don’t pretend to be a perfect couple and are honest about their problems. But at the same time, they work hard on them and solve them. Their relationship is built on a strong foundation of mutual honesty and a sense of humor.