Willie Geist gave fans a glimpse into his life away from Today recently when he had cause for celebration.
The Today anchor joyfully posted several photos of someone very special as they rang in a milestone birthday.
Willie lavished praise on his beautiful wife, Christina, and opened up about their longtime romance leaving many of his social media followers stunned.
The TV host's heartfelt caption read: "She was 11 when she caught my eye on the first day of Mr. Kaplan’s 6th Grade homeroom class. A gawky boy in Jams and Chuck Taylor’s can dream… but not this big."
He continued: "I’d love to go back and tell him she and I have spent most of our lives since that day together and today we’re celebrating her Big 5-0.
"Happy Birthday, @ChristinaSharkeyGeist! The woman of my dreams."
Fans inundated Willie with comments with many confessing their sweet love story was news to them.
"I had no idea this was your story with your wife," one wrote, before adding: "These pictures are deeply moving. What a beautiful thing."
© Getty ImagesMany others mirrored the sentiment, saying it was amazing that he found his soulmate at such a young age.
Willie shared throwback school photos of himself on the football field supported by Christina who was a cheerleader. He added images throughout their life; from their prom to their wedding day.
Willie and Christina — who share two teenage children, Lucie and George — tied the knot in 2003 years after their memorable first kiss.
© Instagram"I have a very romantic secret," Willie detailed on Today. "I made out with her on the roof of my friend’s house with some warm Bud Light in the red-hot fall of 1991. We were like, was that a thing, or was it just a moment? And it turned out it was a thing."
He said they were friends before things turned romantic and this helped cement their relationship.
© Instagram"We went to high school together, we went to college together, but we were buddies first. And I think even today, all these years later, that's the foundation of our relationship is that we were always friends."
Today presenters at a glance
© GettyDylan Dreyer
NBC meteorologist known for hosting the Third Hour, a radio show with husband Brian, and specials for the Weather Channel.
Al Roker
Legendary show weather forecaster famed for outside broadcasts, including viral Hurricane Wilma report in 2005.
Savannah Guthrie
Longtime NBC anchor known for her legal and political coverage before becoming host of Today.
Craig Melvin
Best known for his political and breaking news coverage for NBC, plus work with colorectal cancer charities.
Carson Daly
Longtime TV staple famed for his talk show, Pop Start with Today, MTV’s Total Request Live and The Voice.
Jenna Bush Hager
Host of Today with Jenna & Friends, formerly Today with Hoda & Jenna before Hoda Kotb's departure. Also a successful author.
On their 20th wedding anniversary, Christina wrote a gushing post about her husband, praising him for being a wonderful person.
© Instagram"20 years ago, I didn’t marry a TV host. I married a promising young TV producer who worked overnights and weekends and whose original time off request for our wedding was declined (it was a holiday weekend, especially tough to staff)," she wrote.
© NBC"I didn’t marry the guy you love on the Today Show. I married the guy I sat next to in 6th grade English class, who was so smart and funny, the spotlight just landed on him in life. I didn’t marry the guy you may recognize on the street. I married the love of my life. Not because we imagined what life would bring. But because we both knew we simply couldn’t imagine it unfolding without each other."
