How Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively Prove Friendship Is the Strongest Base for Love

Many say the only good thing to come out of the box office flop Green Lantern is the storybook romance of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds.

But this young Hollywood power couple didn’t fall madly in love on set and heat up the tabloids only to fizzle out. Yes, they did meet on set. But Lively and Reynolds became close buddies before anything, their friendship deepening with each passing day.

Why Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are a true power couple

Keeping their romance on the lowdown from the start, the hilarious duo did their best to escape the public eye.

Lively often flew up to Reynolds’ hometown of Vancouver, spending time with the Deadpool star and his family. She would whip up desserts at home for the both of them to enjoy far from prying eyes.

As for their wedding, barely any images were made public. Although Lively and Reynolds enjoy what is probably the funniest celebrity husband and wife social media relationship online, their jokes are all about making each other laugh, but no real details are ever revealed.

Fiercely protective of their family’s privacy, the two live on a farmhouse estate 90 minutes outside of New York. There, the two best friends turn their phones off, disconnect from the movie and celebrity industry and try to live a normal married life. “Ryan had a nice, normal upbringing, and we want our kids to have the same normal life we had. We don’t ever want to rob them of what we had,” Lively told Marie Claire in 2016.

As for Reynolds, he’s adamant about what strong and steady values working regular jobs and living like everyone else gave him. For Reynolds,  life experience beats wealth and fame any day. The couple's shared values of privacy, humor and bringing out the best in others form a steady base for their blossoming family. Being best friends who want “a litter” of children, as Blake once joked, does nothing but strengthen their bond.

All the times they inspired us with their love

Blake and Ryan never miss a chance to heckle each other. It only takes a quick glance at either of their social media accounts to find countless jabs, jokes and sarcastic remarks. Whether the joke is about Reynolds’ subpar baking skills or using the other as a human shield, the forever-in-love duo is always on the lookout for a good laugh.

In fact, these two are known to use their humor to dispel rumors. When tabloids ran with a made-up story about their impending divorce, Reynolds was quick to quip about how that would be wonderful, since he could use some “me time.”

On Reynolds’ first Father’s Day, Lively congratulated him by questioning her daughter’s paternity, only to take jabs at her husband later about how he looks more smitten with co-star Helen Mirren than herself. What’s a fictitious tabloid story when you have nothing but trust for your spouse?

Besides, humor was always a cornerstone of their friendship, and they were close friends long before they started dating. Back when Green Lantern was still in production, both were involved in serious relationships with other people. Even after Reynolds’ divorce from Scarlett Johansson and Lively’s split from Leonardo DiCaprio, the two remained friends, often hanging out, always laughing and constantly trying to find suitable dates for each other, the other’s happiness always on their mind.

As they later revealed, when they did finally cross into "more than friends" territory, the Hollywood sweethearts shared a picture-perfect moment in a deserted TriBeCa restaurant. Reynolds asked Lively to dance and midway through the song, they knew there was something more. He walked her home and, in less than a year, they were married in a private ceremony put together by none other than DIY goddess Martha Stewart.

Blake and Ryan’s biggest relationship takeaways

During their nuptials, Lively burned her wedding dress with sparklers, something that upset her for a long time. But then Reynolds did something remarkable, yet simple, by putting the incident in different perspective. That burnt spot on the wedding dress was a reminder of how wonderful their ceremony was and how magical Florence and The Machine’s performance made the celebration. Right then and there, that burned spot became Lively’s favorite part of her dress.

And that unshakeable optimism always helps Lively deal with frustration and disappointments, helping her navigate life with more ease. As for Reynolds, he credits his wife with helping him mend his fraught relationship with his father, giving him understanding and precious time before his passing.

For Reynolds – who’s struggled with anxiety for his entire life, Lively’s kindness towards others and understanding of the bigger picture have a steadying effect. After all, the best part of a relationship is having someone to lean on in difficult times – someone who makes you a better person every day.