Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi just hit a major relationship milestone.
On Thursday, the βEllenβ talk show host and the βArrested Developmentβ actress celebrated a decade of marriage. They tied the knot on Aug. 16, 2008, at their Los Angeles home in an intimate ceremony officiated by the late self-help author Wayne Dyer.
βThe love we felt from the people surrounding us, and the love we have for each other, made this the most beautiful and emotional day,β de Rossi told People at the time. βAnd one that weβll never forget.β
Although they had seen each other at various social functions over the years, DeGeneres and de Rossiβs love story really began at a photo shoot in 2004. Later that night, they ran into each other at an awards show and got to talking. Their connection was instantaneous.
βShe took my breath away,β de Rossi said in a 2005 interview with The Advocate. βThat had never happened to me in my life, where I saw somebody and [experienced] all of those things you hear about in songs and read about in poetry. My knees were weak. It was amazing.β
In an honor of their 10th wedding anniversary, weβve compiled some of the coupleβs best quotes about love and relationships over the years.
1. βPortia and I constantly say to each other, βWe are so lucky.β Sometimes itβs lying in bed at night before I go to sleep, and I just say thank you to whatever, whoever is out there. Iβve gotten to a place where I really am just settled. Really. I know that Iβm not going anywhere. Sheβs not going anywhere. Iβm not saying the relationship took a while; Iβm saying in my life, it took a while to find this,β DeGeneres told People in 2016.
2. βWeβre just really good friends and we talk about everything, and we never ever, ever lie to each other, like, not even the tiniest lies. And sheβs the only person I want to hang out with. She is my best friend and I just want to be with her all the time,β de Rossi told βEntertainment Tonightβ in 2016.
3. βPortia understands me completely. In our vows, she recited a quote β βIt is good to be loved. It is profound to be understoodβ β and to me, thatβs everything. What βI love youβ really means is βI understand you,β and she loves me for everything that I am. She supports me and makes me happy,β DeGeneres told Good Housekeeping in 2017.
4. βI have changed so much as a person since I met Ellen. I used to think the way to be strong was to be tough, I used to think that to be independent was to not need anyone. But sheβs taught me that the more vulnerable you are and the softer you are and the more you allow people into your life and into your heart, the happier you are and the more valuable you are to other people. Ellen has completely changed the way I look at life. She has made me not worry about what other people think. Iβm still working on that, I have to be honest. She has taught me that who I am is perfectly good enough. And that I donβt have to pretend to be anything other than who I am, and thatβs been the most incredible gift that sheβs given me, that anyone could give to anybody that they love,β de Rossi said in a video that aired on βEllenβ in 2010.
5. βBeing her wife is the greatest thing I am,β DeGeneres wrote on Instagram in 2017.
6. βMy feelings for her overrode all of my fear about being out as a lesbian. I had to be with her, and I just figured Iβd deal with the other stuff later. Itβs hard having a relationship thatβs public. Itβs hard living a life thatβs somewhat public, and hard when you put that life together with someone who is so famous and so loved and admired. Itβs also real exciting,β de Rossi told The Advocate in 2005.
7. βItβs the first time that Iβve known in every cell of my being that Iβm with somebody for the rest of my life,β DeGeneres told People in 2005.
8. βI just walked over to say hello to her, and I couldnβt believe it, but she turned around and it was like an arrow was shot through my heart. I felt weak at the knees and I was overwhelmed with how I felt, but then it took me about 10 months to get the courage up to actually do anything about it,β de Rossi told Oprah in 2009.
9. βIβm grateful for everything. Iβm grateful for my health, and Iβm so grateful for the love in my life. Because not everybody finds that. Not everybody finds that best friend,β DeGeneres told People in 2016.
10. βAnybody whoβs married knows that there is a difference. It feels like youβre home. Thereβs an anchor, thereβs a safety. Iβm going to be with her till the day I die and I know that,β DeGeneres told Oprah in 2009.
11. βThe truth is, and this is corny, I fall more in love with Portia all the time. I really do. She surprises me all the time. Itβs what anyone experiences when you find that person that gets you, wants to take care of you, wants the best for you. Weβre really lucky because we know how rare it is,β DeGeneres told People in 2014.
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