Why Blake Shelton Took So Long To Propose To Gwen Stefani

Wedding bells are ringing for Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton! On Oct. 27, 2020, both singers announced on their Instagrams that they are engaged after years of dating. In Stefani's Instagram post, she simply tagged Shelton and added, "yes please!" with the ring emoji and the praise hands emoji. Shelton shared the same photo with the caption, "Hey @gwenstefani thanks for saving my 2020... And the rest of my life.. I love you. I heard a YES!"  So sweet! 

The two have spent 2020 in lockdown in Oklahoma, where Shelton proposed, according to People. And despite not sharing the news until Oct. 27, apparently the two had already been engaged for over a week! We can imagine they wanted some time to enjoy the good news on their own and share it with their friends and family before telling the world. 

But there's one question so many people keep asking, including us — does it feel like Shelton took awhile to propose? The couple has been together for a few years, so why the wait? It turns out, there's more to the story. Join us on this journey through their love story!

Both Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani were previously married to other very high-profile celebrities: Shelton was married to fellow country star Miranda Lambert and Stefani was married to rocker Gavin Rossdale. Shelton and Lambert, his second wife, had been married a decade before their marriage fell apart. The split was attributed to a number of factors, including Lambert not being down with Shelton's filming schedule for The Voice, according to People, as well as multiple cheating allegations. They ultimately announced their split in July 2015.

Stefani and Rossdale also split in 2015 after being married for over a decade. They cited irreconcilable differences, though there were cheating allegations surrounding their relationship, as well, according to ET. 

It was just a couple months later that Shelton and Stefani started dating publicly after growing close while working on The Voice, which Stefani joined as a coach in 2014. Ever since then, the two have appeared ridiculously in love, so it seemed inevitable that they might get married quickly. But years went by and there was no proposal.

Despite no public announcement about an engagement, everyone kept thinking Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton were married. At the very least, people assumed he'd proposed or that it was coming very soon! In November 2019, Voice contestant Rose Short told Us Weekly that the proposal was coming. They were all at an event in Los Angeles, where Short said she could see that spark. "We were backstage getting ready and [Stefani] was getting her makeup done. [Shelton] stopped and it was like — so much going on that nobody saw it but me — but he was standing there and he looked at her like he was so proud. So it's gonna happen."

Even Dua Lipa mistakenly referred to Shelton as Stefani's husband in August 2020 when they both appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, according to People. After the misstep, Stefani replied, "Um, well ... he's not my husband, but that sounded cool when you said it." And to make this encounter even more fun, Lipa commented on Stefani's engagement Instagram to say, "I guess our little interview aged well!" Alas, there was still no actual proposal at this point. But Shelton and Stefani had a reason for drawing out their relationship before tying the knot.

Gwen Stefani reportedly had big dreams of having her marriage to Blake Shelton be recognized by the Catholic church, a source told Us Weekly. To do that, though, she needed to have her marriage with former husband Gavin Rossdale annulled, which has been taking longer than she'd hoped. The source said in March 2019, "Gwen's religion has always been extremely important to her, and Blake is completely supportive of this." To show his support, he held off on proposing until they knew they could have the ceremony of their dreams.

However, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple's priorities have changed, another source told Us Weekly in June 2020. "It has made her realize that waiting for the annulment at this point is just futile because it could take years for the church tribunal to issue the decision," the source said. Instead, the two went ahead and got engaged and reportedly want to marry as soon as the pandemic allows. As for us? We can't wait to see what the wedding looks like when these two tie the knot!