Yahoo News Ty Pennington Says He 'Admired' His Wife Kellee 'From Afar for Years'
Ty Pennington has been a staple of home improvement television for nearly two decades. As his stardom has grown, so has the popularity of shows starring husband-and-wife home renovation duos on HGTV and other networks (think Fixer Upper, Home Town, Fixer to Fabulous, Renovation Island, and the list goes on).
While Ty Pennington often works alongside or serves as a judge for these partners in love and home renovation, until recently, he remained HGTV's resident bachelor. On November 27, 2021, Ty Pennington officially gave up his bachelor status and became a married man.
Ty married Kellee Merrell in Savannah, Georgia, just months after their July engagement and they're still going strong!
Ty occasionally shares photos with Kellee on his social media accounts, but the pair keeps their relationship relatively private compared to other aspects of Ty's very public life. Although his relationship posts are rare, Ty almost always shares sweet photos of his wife on anniversaries, birthdays, and holidays.
"Life is short, marry the person with the same stupid sense of humor as you and always remember the important dates… still working on that one!😂🙌🏼," Ty captioned his 2023 Valentine's Day post with Kellee.
Kellee has no known social media presence, although she works as a social media manager, managing a brand's presence, according to People.
So who is Ty Pennington's wife Kellee Merrell? Here's everything we know about Kellee and her relationship with Ty Pennington.
Ty Pennington and Kellee Merrell's Love Story
Ty and Kellee first met in 2010 on set for a TV show in Toronto. At the time Kellee was in her early 20s and Ty was in his mid-40s. "I have admired Kellee from afar for years," Ty told People in 2022. "She's a beautiful person inside and out."
Kellee is originally from Vancouver and returned home after filming ended in Toronto. She wouldn't see Ty for the next 10 years, but in 2020 they reconnected through a mutual friend. Upon reconnecting Ty and Kellee pursued a romantic relationship.
Just after they started dating in 2020, the Covid-19 quarantine began. Not wanting to spend too much time apart, Kellee and Ty decided to quarantine together.
The following year, Ty and Kellee got engaged at Pennington's Palm Coast, Florida, home. They were enjoying their morning coffee on Ty's dock in July 2021 when he popped the question.
"It's the "yes" for me...," Ty shared on Instagram alongside a photo of Kellee's engagement ring.
Of course, when Ty Pennington is involved, a dream home is part of the deal. After their engagement, Ty and Kellee got busy with renovation work on their home in Savannah, Georgia.
The couple initially dreamed of a destination wedding in Italy, but due to ongoing Covid-19 travel restrictions they opted for an intimate ceremony at home.
On November 27, 2021, their Savannah home was still under construction, but they still used the property as their wedding venue. Just eight guests attended their extravagant nuptials.
Guests were served caviar and champagne prior to a five-course meal including lobster ravioli and duck breast, per People. In a 2023 anniversary post, Ty revealed the couple chose "Moon River" by Carla Bruni as their wedding song.
Ty and his new wife kept their honeymoon low key, attending Art Basel and enjoying the warm weather in Miami. "Does this ring make me look married?," he wrote on Instagram during their honeymoon celebration.
Ty shared photos of their post-wedding getaway following their return to "freezing temps."
Ty and Kellee will celebrate their third wedding anniversary in 2024. Although neither party has an human children, the pair share two fur babies. "My favorite person. Thank u for being such a beautiful person, inside and out and for making me the happiest human, giving me a family (🐶) and a place to belong," Ty gushed over their married life together.
Has Ty Pennington Ever Been Married Before?
This is Kellee's first marriage, but what about Ty? Pennington is 24 years older than Kellee, but he too has never been married. However, he was in a serious long-term relationship in the early 2000s.
Ty Pennington began dating Andrea (Drea) Bock in 1996. Drea worked as Ty's assistant when he worked on the TLC show Trading Spaces from 2000 to 2003. She also served as his manager for part of their relationship.
The couple stayed together for 13 years before calling it quits in 2009. Although the duo has a lot of history, Ty claims there is no bad blood between the exes, writing that they remain "great friends" in a 2021 Instagram comment.
Engagement rumors swirled during Ty and Drea's relationship, but they never actually planned to get marry. At the time Ty thought marriage was not in the cards for him.
He revealed that Keelee changed that for him. "Luckily our paths finally crossed at the right time," Pennington told People in April 2022. "It's one of those things where you just feel happy being around a person. I never thought I would get married, but she changed that. Glad I waited for the one." Ty and Kellee met just over 10 years after Ty and Drea's split.
We're glad Ty finally found his perfect match in Kellee. Here's to many more years of marital bliss for the happy couple! "10/10 recommend marrying your best friend 🙌🏼 Here’s to many more❤️," Ty gushed on their first anniversary.
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