Joanna and Chip Gaines share how their marriage did not start off the way you'd expect

Chip and Joanna Gaines are celebrating a milestone year, marking 20 years not only of their marriage, but of their home renovation empire, Magnolia.

Chip proposed to Joanna in 2002 after a year of dating, although it wasn't quite the traditional proposal.

According to an interview with People, after telling her he was taking her to a concert a few hours outside of Waco, Texas, their hometown, he instead took her to a shopping center, where he popped the big question.

MORE: Joanna Gaines shares rare glimpse into youngest son Crew's life away from the spotlight

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What was missing, though, was a ring, although the future Magnolia Network creator had a plan in place. After she said yes, he took her to a friend's jewelry store inside the mall, where she got to design her own engagement ring.

The two have been happily married ever since, building a lifestyle empire together and raising a family, including their sons Drake, 18, Duke, 14, and Crew, four, and daughters Ella, 16, and Emmie Kay, 13.

Chip and Joanna are celebrating 20 years of marriage and Magnolia

The couple first delved into the business of flipping homes in October of 2003, five months after they got married, and the same year, they opened their very first store, Magnolia Market, which later became Magnolia Homes, in Waco, Texas.

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After gaining popularity in their hometown, and a decade after they first ventured into the home renovation business, they were offered the opportunity of a lifetime at HGTV, and became an overnight sensation with their hit renovation show, Fixer Upper, which premiered in 2013.

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Since then, the two have become household names and left the network to start their own, Magnolia, having since branched out into homeware and paint, a magazine, books, and their own real-estate company. And the rest is home renovation history.

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