Miranda Lambert and Brendan McLoughlin’s Relationship Timeline

Miranda Lambert gave fans a huge surprise when she announced her marriage to Brendan McLoughlin in early 2019, but one look at these two and it’s clear they’re head over heels.

After meeting in New York City, Lambert and McLoughlin enjoyed a whirlwind romance before getting married just a few months later in January 2019, keeping their new relationship to themselves for as long as they could. Now, Lambert is happy to share road trip snaps and shirtless videos of her husband with fans on Instagram, even casting him as her love interest in her latest music video. Scroll through for a complete timeline of this loved-up pair’s relationship.

First meeting

Lambert was performing on Good Morning America in November 2018 with her trio the Pistol Annies when bandmates Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley spotted McLoughlin in his capacity as an NYPD officer. “My girlfriends, the Annies, saw him and knew I might be ready to hang out with someone,” Lambert told The New York Times. “They invited him to our show behind my back. They plucked him for me. My security guy Tom, he was in on it too. He said to me, ‘He’s here. And he’s pretty.’”

Surprise announcement

Lambert announced her marriage to McLoughlin on Valentine’s Day in 2019, sharing a pair of photos from their wedding, which took place in January at Cogan’s Farm in Tennessee. “In honor of Valentine’s Day I wanted to share some news,” Lambert captioned her post. “I met the love of my life. And we got hitched! My heart is full. Thank you Brendan Mcloughlin for loving me for…. me. #theone.”

Splitting time

The couple began splitting time between Nashville and New York City before ultimately settling in Tennessee permanently, which gave Lambert a chance to experience the Big Apple like never before. That influence made its way onto her November 2019 album, Wildcard.  “New York is such a city full of art of all kinds and so, if you go there open-minded, all the creativity is gonna surround you,” the Texas native previously told PopCulture.com. “I’ve only been to New York City a lot to work and not write, so spending time there and actually soaking in the city was amazing.”

Life as a stepmom

While in New York, Lambert and McLoughlin are able to spend time with McLoughlin’s young son, who was born just days after Lambert and McLoughlin met. “We have the best of both worlds,” Lambert told Extra, adding that her stepson is “amazing.” “We spend time in New York, we get to see our adorable nugget, then we get to come back to the farm and have the quiet life. I’m enjoying the balance.”

Move to Tennessee

In the summer of 2019, McLoughlin went on leave from the NYPD before officially retiring earlier this year. Now, he and Lambert spend the majority of their time at their farm in Tennessee, though they spend plenty of days on the road in late 2019 and early 2020 when Lambert was on her Wildcard Tour, where her husband helped out with security during her tour meet and greets after previously joining her on her Roadside Bars and Pink Guitars Tour last fall.

Staying private

Lambert had previously been married to country singer Blake Shelton and was also in other heavily-reported relationships, and she told PEOPLE in October that she wanted to keep her relationship with her now-husband to herself for as long as possible. “I was married before, and it was a huge wedding and everything was very public. So was my divorce,” she said. “I learned then that it’s not for everybody else. This is my actual life. With Brendan, I made it a point to keep it as private as I could for as long as I could.”

Furry family

Lambert’s fans know how much the singer loves animals, and McLoughlin does too, becoming a pet dad to the over 20 animals that live at Lambert’s Tennessee farm. “Bless his heart, he didn’t have any dogs or any animals at all when he came into this relationship, so he inherited a whole barn full,” Lambert told Extra of her husband ahead of her foundation MuttNation’s annual march in Nashville. “Marching with us today, he knows how important that is to me. He lives with a crazy dog lady.”

Road tripping

During the coronavirus quarantine, Lambert and McLoughlin purchased a 2020 Airstream Globetrotter and have taken it on multiple trips including a drive from Nashville to New York.

“I’ve been touring for 19 years and most times we just roll in, play our show, and roll to the next town,” Lambert wrote on Instagram announcing the purchase. “I’ve only gotten to spend some real time in a few of the places I’ve been. After spending these last few months at home (a much-needed break and time to nest) I realized something. Just because I can’t travel and play shows doesn’t mean I can’t travel and make music. I have the most amazing travel companion, my husband.”