The Sweet Ways Celebrity Couples First Met

In 2005, the genetically-blessed Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan would begin work on dance-film Step Up. The two immediately hit it off, and soon after filming wrapped, began dating. It seems they had no doubts about what they wanted, because just three short years later, the pair were engaged (she scored one of 24 celebrity engagement rings we would totally say 'I do' to!) and it’s been a love fest ever since.

Those who get cast together, last together. Or at least that was the case for Ashton and Mila, who first locked lips as characters Kelso and Jackie on That 70’s Show. Though their romantic connection wouldn’t kick in until years later, with Ashton fresh off his divorce with Demi Moore (which went down as one of the messiest celebrity breakups ever), once these two finally got together, all bets were off. It’s been babies and basketball games ever since, and we’re calling this one the real deal!

So these two might not agree on just how it is they first met; NPH claims it was love at first sight one day when he went to meet up with a female buddy and she brought along her then-taken handsome friend David Burtka, and Burtka claims he actually first bumped into NPH randomly at a New York intersection and introduced himself. But one thing’s for sure, a whirlwind romance, welcoming fraternal twins via surrogate and a wedding a decade in the making, these two are a solid example of the fairytale story come true!

Another match made on screen, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds met on the set of The Green Lantern, and though the film wouldn’t break any box office records, these two heartbreakers would soon break the internet with news of a potential spark. But with Lively dating Penn Badgley at the time, and Reynolds married to Scarlett Johansson, these two would need to free themselves up before they could make anything happen off-screen. It wasn't until more than be a year later that these two would finally hook up, having now blossomed into a beautiful family of four.

They also prove that age is just a number, with an 11-year gap between them. See more celebrity couples with surprisingly big age gaps.

Cruel Intentions stars Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon met at the budding starlet’s 21st birthday, where Reese remembers being very young, and very smitten right off the bat with the handsome Ryan. Let’s put it this way, her first words to him were “You must be my birthday present.” Ahh, young love. The pair would later wed, and divorce, but both remain civil for the sake of their adorable daughter (and Reese’s doppelganger), Ava and son Deacon. See 22 famous couples whose splits were totally amicable, just like Ryan and Reese.

Second time’s the charm for Reese Witherspoon, who met Hollywood agent and now-husband Jim Toth at a bar when he stepped in to save her from his drunken friend. The friend had been ranting and raving in a drunken attempt to get Reese’s attention, when Jim intervened and pulled his friend aside. The chivalry wasn’t lost on Reese, who said “I do” for the second time in 2011. This time, however, she pulled off a secret wedding.

If you ever wondered where the hashtag #couplegoals originated from, look no further. John’s been vocal about saying it wasn’t quite “love at first sight” for him when the pair met on the 2007 set of his music video for “Stereo,” but it was fast into fairytale territory soon after that, and the cautious Romeo tied the knot with the love of his life in 2013 (but not without a little snafu, as we shared in 10 shocking celebrity wedding day mishaps you won't believe). From sweet tweets to red carpet love fests, these two are the real deal, and we just can’t get enough of them or their new baby Lola.

Victoria Beckham took her “how we met” story to swoon-worthy heights when she published a letter to her younger self for Vogue magazine. In it, she details the very moment when she first met the budding soccer star at a charity football game in 1997. She goes on to talk about seeing him for the first time in the player’s lounge and just knowing it was love at first sight. The evening would end with her writing her number on David’s London to Manchester plane ticket (which he kept); and the rest, as we know, is history.

These two originally met at the GQ awards in London, reconnecting again and solidifying the spark some weeks later after bumping into one another in a hotel lobby in New York City. Heidi was pregnant at the time with her former boyfriend and former Formula-1 head Flavio Briatore, whose infidelity had caused their split. The breakup made way for Heidi and Seal’s romance. He pulled off a memorable proposal (refresh your memory with our roundup of the surprising ways these stars popped the question) and quickly took on the new role of father to Heidi’s baby Helene. Biological father Briatore has never had any part in Helene’s life, and in 2009, he gave Seal permission to officially adopt Helene. Seal and Heidi had three biological children together before calling it quits in 2012.

Jada Pinkett may not have made the cut when she auditioned to be Will Smith’s on-screen girlfriend for The Fresh Prince of Bel Air in 1995, but that didn’t stop the pair from getting close in real-life and heading to the altar in 1997. They're one of 22 celebrity couples who prove that true love stands the test of time and are often praised for their long-lasting Hollywood relationship and seemingly idyllic family life. These two were a match made in off-screen heaven.

Anything but a case of love at first sight, Emma Roberts owns up to the fact that when she first met Evan Peters on the set of the movie Adult World, her costar and future fiancée thought she was a little nuts! It wasn’t until the two were reunited on-screen for the third season of American Horror Story that sparks began to fly and these now-inseparable cuties could finally make it happen.

Lovebirds (and new parents) Chris Pratt and Anna Faris met on the set of Take Me Home Tonight in 2007. The pair admit to having fallen in love while filming the flick, set in the 80’s. Pratt was unable to make it official with Faris until her divorce from Ben Indra was finalized a few months later, but after that was resolved, nothing could keep these two apart! Sadly, these two were one of the most shocking celebrity couples who called it quits recently, but they'll always have love for one another.

Actress Cynthia Nixon, our favourite redhead from Sex and the City, met her wife, education activist Christine Marinoni at a fundraiser for education in New York in 2004. Cynthia was just coming off of her divorce with Danny Mozes, of whom the pair had two children, in 2003. Cynthia and Christine had their first child together in 2011.

You can thank Google for this pairing. Kate Moss admitted that she first laid eyes on hubby rocker Jamie Hince in 2007 after doing a few random searches online. Then a friend set them up, and the two spent the next four days together – and were inseparable (even syncing up their style!) until last year.

When hairstylist Jillian Fink checked her appointment book that day in 1994 and saw “Patrick Dempsey” in line for a cut, she assumed it was a prank by her co-workers. So when the real deal actually showed up, Fink didn’t miss the opportunity to let him know she was interested. The two took it from there, and while they’ve had a few near-misses along the way (memorably breaking up, and then making up,) they are now going strong 23 years later.

Matt Damon met his would-be wife Luciana in 2003 at a Miami bar while filming Stuck on You. He had been hiding behind the bar to avoid some insistent fans when he recalls getting yelled at by the bartender. That bartender was Luciana, and according to Damon, it was love at first sight. Talk about a sweet spin on your classic bar story!

Matt's just one of 20 celebs who are in relationships with ‘normal’ folks.

Spielberg met actress Kate Capshaw when he was casting for the role of Willie Scott in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. The two hit it off instantly, and began their relationship not long after. Capshaw converted to Judaism in order to wed Spielberg, and the two were married in 1991.

So it may not be the romantic sonnet you’d hope for, but “you’re hot” really were the first two words actor Josh Duhamel said to his future wife on the set of his TV show Las Vegas, where Fergie and band The Black Eyed Peas were making a guest appearance. Cheesy or not, it worked, and the two were together from 2004 until mid-2017.

Awards shows are like weddings for A-listers, who often find it the perfect opportunity to connect with people they might not otherwise come across in the day to day. Such was the case for Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi, who felt the spark as they chatted backstage at VH1’s Big in ’04 awards show. The two hit it off instantly, but were unable to move forward as they were both in relationships at the time. The pair would soon find themselves single and back in each other’s orbit; dating for some time before saying “I do” once gay marriage was legalized in their home state of California.

The former President of the United States and his First Lady met in 1989 at a Chicago law firm. It was there that Michelle, an associate of the firm, was tasked with mentoring newcomer Barack. These two carried their romance from long distance to the oval office; with their romance inspiring the 2016 film Southside with You.