Ciara and Russell Wilson's Love Story Will Turn You Into a Hopeful Romantic

March 2015: In an Instagram Live video, Ciara and Russell revealed that they met on March 26, 2015, when they attended a University of Wisconsin basketball game. They chatted a bit before Russell asked Ciara to dinner around 9:30 p.m. He hoped to meet up with her after another dinner he already planned with a group of business partners. But that time was a little too late for Ciara, so Russell phoned his friends to push back their plans. He and Ciara ended up hanging out that evening but never went to dinner. They instead talked for hours, and Russell’s other plans slipped his mind. “I completely forgot about the 10:30 [p.m.] dinner,” he said. “Next thing I knew, it was 12:00 [a.m.], 12:30 [a.m.], and I was sold on you.”

April 2015: Ciara and Russell looked as happy as could be during their first public appearance together at the White House’s Japanese state dinner.

July 2015: Russell discussed their decision to remain celibate in an interview with Miles McPherson, a pastor at The Rock Church. “She was in the dressing room getting ready to go before she went on stage, and she was sitting there, and God spoke to me and said, ‘I need you to lead her,'” Russell said. “And I was like, ‘Really?’ And he was like, ‘No, I want you to lead her.’ So I told her, ‘What would you do if we took all of that extra stuff off the table and just did it Jesus’s way?'” Russell also touched on the challenges of abstaining, joking, “I ain’t going to lie to you all now. I need you all to pray for us. I know you’ve seen her on the screen. If there’s a 10, she’s a 15.”

March 2016: Russell popped the question, proposing to Ciara on a private beach in the Seychelles. The NFL star announced the engagement on Instagram, writing, “She said Yes!!! Since Day 1 I knew you were the one. No Greater feeling.”

July 2016: The pair married in a gorgeous ceremony at the Peckforton Castle in Liverpool, England. While Ciara stunned in a custom Roberto Cavalli gown and Giuseppe Zanotti shoes, Russell sported a black-and-white tux.

October 2016: On her 31st birthday, Ciara revealed that she and Russell were expecting their first child together. “On this special Birthday I received an abundance of love from friends and family,” she wrote on Instagram. “And I’m excited to Finally share one of the Greatest Gifts of All that God could give… ?????☺️❤️.”

February 2017: Ciara publicly debuted her growing baby belly alongside Russell at the MAKERS conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.

March 2017: The couple hosted an extravagant baby shower in LA. Guests included Lala Anthony and Serena Williams, and Shake Shack was the caterer.

April 2017: Ciara and Russell welcomed their baby girl, Sienna Princess. The “Promise” singer announced the birth on Instagram, writing, “Dear Sienna Princess Wilson, No matter how big the wave, we will always be your calm in the storm. We Love You. Love, Mommy & Daddy.”

February 2018: Ciara shared the first photos of Sienna, which were shot by Russell. “She’s The Sweetest Angel!” she captioned the pictures on Instagram.

June 2018: Ciara and Russell’s professional lives merged together as they joined the Portland Diamond Project to help bring a Major League Baseball team to Portland, OR. The initiative is led by Nike executive Craig Cheek, whom Russell met when he signed an endorsement deal with the athletic brand.

July 2018: Two years after tying the knot, Ciara and Russell finally enjoyed a honeymoon in South Africa, where they walked with elephants and made efforts to stop the poaching of rhinos. Later that month, they made their red carpet debut as a family at the Kids’ Choice Sports Awards. Russell was honored with the award for “best cannon,” but little Future and Sienna were the stars of the show.

April 2019: Ciara and Russell launched their company, Why Not You Productions, which develops film, TV, and digital projects. “While we work in different fields in our day-to-day, we are excited to come together to collaborate and create stories that we hope will touch people’s lives,” they announced in a joint statement. “We are both storytellers at heart, and we want to be able to share stories that uplift people and inspire others to create positive change. That’s ultimately what we want this company to represent.”

August 2019: The duo became members of the Seattle Sounders’ ownership group. “Football. Fútbol. We Love them both!” Russell tweeted. “@ciara and I are fired up to announce we are Team Owners of the Seattle @SoundersFC one of the best soccer franchises in the world! We can’t wait for our kids to grow up loving Soccer! Family is everything!”

October 2019: Ciara and Russell broke the internet and slayed the Halloween game by dressing up as Beyoncé and JAY-Z from the “Apesh*t” music video.

January 2020: While vacationing in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Ciara revealed that she was pregnant with her third child. She and Russell both shared an Instagram photo of her growing baby belly, captioning the posts, “Number 3.”

February 2020: Ciara showed off her baby belly in a gorgeous dress at Vanity Fair‘s Oscars afterparty.

April 2020: Ciara got into the groove with Russell in an adorable dance video to Drake’s “Toosie Slide.” She also opened up about her pregnancy experience amid the coronavirus outbreak, sharing how she has to FaceTime Russell during her doctor and ultrasound appointments.