Inside Gwyneth Paltrow & Brad Falchuk's Modern Love Story

There had been plenty of buzz surrounding Paltrow and Falchuk’s engagement before they announced the news officially in January of 2018.

“We feel incredibly lucky to have come together at this juncture in our lives when our collective successes and failures can serve as building blocks for a healthy and happy relationship,” the couple said in a joint statement, according to Good Morning America.

The outlet, first to report on the news, also revealed that the couple would be appearing on the cover of Goop Magazine to celebrate their conscious coupling. Another important figure to make the magazine debut? Paltrow’s enormous diamond engagement ring.

In true Hollywood fashion, the couple had a star-studded engagement party in L.A. with an A-list guest list that included Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz, Demi Moore, Steven Spielberg, Reese Witherspoon and Kate Hudson.

The couple, who met during Paltrow’s guest appearance on Glee in 2010, first went public with their romance back in April 2015 at Robert Downey Jr.’s 50th birthday bash. Before that, they had been linked for more than a year, but flew under the radar.

After making a very public engagement announcement, Paltrow and Falchuk decided to go in the opposite direction for their Hamptons wedding.

The couple tied the knot in a breathtaking, intimate ceremony in Amagansett, New York, on Sept. 29, 2018, surrounded by 70 of their closest family and friends. Paltrow wore a custom Valentino Couture lace dress and gave fans an inside look at their wedding festivities on her lifestyle site Goop (48 photos to be exact).

Even though this wasn’t her first time being married (Paltrow eloped with Coldplay’s Chris Martin and was married to the singer from 2003 to 2014; they share daughter Apple and son Moses.), it was the actress’ first traditional wedding. The star told PEOPLE in January 2018 that she was over the moon about the planning.

“I’m excited about everything! I’ve never had a wedding before. So even though I’m 45, I sort of feel like a 21-year-old,” she said.

Falchuk has two kids, Isabella and Brody, with ex-wife Suzanne Bukinik.

After their dream wedding, the couple flew to the Maldives to enjoy their new husband and wife status and to ring in 2019.

“Walking into the new year with a lot of gratitude for all of the wonderful moments of 2018, lessons and joys alike,” Paltrow captioned one of her Maldives photos from her honeymoon. “Wishing each and every one of you a truly magnificent, happy 2019. 💙”

For Paltrow’s 46th birthday, Falchuk let the world know (via Instagram) that “the best person ever” just happens to be his wife.

“When was this photo taken? 1940? ‘50? ‘70? Last summer? It’s this timeless beauty’s birthday today,” he began. “She was born with endless gifts – big blue eyes, a brain and heart overflowing with curiosity, generosity and possibility and those heartbreakingly long legs that go on and on – but she never rests on any of them.”

“Gwyneth, you are the hardest working person I know,” he continued. “From your first cup of coffee in the morning to your last cup of whiskey at night. From the gym to the office to homework at the kitchen table. You give us all of you, all the time. And always with a smile (well, almost always).”

He ended his tribute with: “Maybe that’s why, even though you are the best person ever, you keep getting better every year. Happy birthday, Love.”

For Paltrow, Falchuk’s 48th birthday inspired her to share just how lucky she felt to be with her man.

“It’s your birthday, but it really feels like you are the gift. Not just to me, and to @izzyfalchuk and Brody, but to all of us who are fortunate enough to know and love you,” she wrote. “You are my rock, my true north, my favorite person to eat with, to travel with. You are a true friend. You want only what is for the highest good. You always help me see what I can’t. I am so happy you were born @bradfalchuk I love you so much. ❤️”

The couple absolutely killed their 2018 Halloween costume, dressing up as Jack and Ally from A Star Is Born.

Paltrow and Falchuk have become great at blending their families. In 2018, Paltrow and her ex-husband Martin spent Thanksgiving together with their two kids, along with Martin’s girlfriend Dakota Johnson.

“They’re a total modern family and had a great time celebrating together,” a source told PEOPLE of the couple.

Then when Christmas rolled around, Paltrow even hung a stocking for her ex Martin.

The mixing of the two families has been pretty successful since both Martin and Paltrow have made efforts to stay close.

“Chris and Brad have met several times,” an insider told PEOPLE in November 2017. “Chris accepted Brad a long time ago.”

A source told PEOPLE in 2019 that Paltrow has “worked hard to integrate Dakota into family life —even suggesting she join family vacations.”

“It’s very important to her to be on good terms with Chris’s girlfriends,” said the source. “She’s not at all threatened by Dakota and loves that Chris is happy — she’s very secure about sex and relationships and is not competitive in that way.”

These efforts seem to be making great headway since Paltrow, Falchuk, Martin and Johnson were all spotted enjoying a beach day at the Hamptons together in August 2019.

With Goop taking up most of her time, Paltrow was hesitant to get back into acting. But a little push from Falchuk made her realize it’s not so bad to be acting again when your husband is on set, too.

“[Brad] had to convince me a little bit, I’ve got a pretty big day job over at goop.com, so I sorta put acting on the back burner,” Paltrow told Today about her role in Netflix’s The Politician. “But he was writing and he was like, ‘I think I’m writing a part for you.’ And I was like, ‘I don’t think I can do a part.’ And lo and behold, here I am.” (Falchuk is a producer and writer on Ryan Murphy’s anticipated high school political satire.)

Once Paltrow agreed to the role opposite actors like Ben Platt and Jessica Lange, the actress said working with her husband made her transition back to acting a lot easier.

“It was the best. It was really easy,” she said. “I think when you trust someone so much and you love someone so much, and they know you so well and you know them, it’s really an interesting set of characteristics to bring to a workplace. So it was really nice.”