As a teenager in Glen Dale, W. Va., Brad Paisley took a date to see the film Father of the Bride and couldn’t help but notice actress Kimberly Williams, who played the role of daughter Annie Banks. Back then, the possibility of marrying the young starlet seemed about as likely as going to the moon, but as the country singer found out, dreams do indeed come true.
Paisley cast Williams in his music video for “I’m Gonna Miss Her,” and although it wasn’t love at first sight for the actress, Paisley was smitten. After a couple months, she fell in love, too, and they became husband and wife on March 15, 2003, at Stauffer Chapel on the campus of Pepperdine University.
So, how has the couple weathered 20 years of marriage and two kids?
“We both have very healthy senses of humor. Anything I take myself too seriously on, she will gladly cut me down to size on and destroy all pre-conceived notions that I’m cool in any way,” Paisley tells The Boot. “You’ve got to have similar outlooks and really healthy senses of humor. Pretension should be completely gone in a marriage. Actually, it should be gone before you get married!
“You should know somebody really well and know that they know how to take a joke and they know how to take you,” he adds. “That’s the key — a sense of humor.”
This story was originally written by Deborah Evans-Price, and revised by Christina Vinson.