Trista And Ryan Sutter Of ‘The Bachelorette’ Spill The Secrets To Their 15-Year Marriage

View this post on Instagram My guy. My bestie. My love. And one of THE biggest reasons I have a grateful heart. Thank you @ryansutter for all you are and all you strive to be. I love you. #14daysofgratitude #mynewfavetradition #joinme A post shared by Trista Sutter (@tristasutter) on Nov 9, 2018 at 8:04am PST

To refresh your memory (there have been 23 seasons of the mega-popular show, after all), Trista was the first-ever Bachelorette in 2002, coming off of the very first season of The Bachelor as Alex Michels runner-up. She fell in love with hunky firefighter Ryan and married him the following year.

View this post on Instagram Do you ever hear a song and think that the writer was speaking to you? Was speaking about you? Even if it is just a phrase or a line or a chorus? Every time I hear @kelseaballerini sing the words: We wrote our own story...full of blood, sweat, and heartbeats. We didnt do it for the fame or the glory. We just did it for you and me, I know she mustve watched 2 crazy kids fall in love on the first season of @bacheloretteabc...right, Kelsea?! ha! A girl can dream. And 15 years ago, I was in a dream...my wedding day. A beautiful day with a beautiful man to start a beautiful life. @ryansutter thank you for 15 years (what?!!! How could it be 15 years?!) of blood, sweat, and heartbeats. Thank you for loving me for me...not fame or glory or just to win that final rose. You and our family are the best part of our story and I cant wait to see what the next 15 years brings and the 15 after that and the 15 after that. Happy Anniversary babe!!! Ilu more. #tbt #hif #wewroteourownstory #gratefulforourstory #happyanniversary A post shared by Trista Sutter (@tristasutter) on Dec 6, 2018 at 9:28am PST

Fifteen years and two kids later, theyre still going strong-and now they're spilling how.

1. Never stop making your partner a priority.

"You need to put the time and effort into your relationship just as much as you put time and effort into everything else," says Trista. That could be something as simple as writing a cute Valentine's Day poem to your sweetheart, like the Sutters did.

View this post on Instagram Roses are red Denim is blue Youre my angel on earth And Ill always choose you Happy Valentines Day, babe!! #nottheonlypoetinthefamily #theydidnthaveabluefloweremoji #myfinalrose #mylove #mybestfriend #myvalentine A post shared by Trista Sutter (@tristasutter) on Feb 14, 2019 at 8:34am PST

"Roses are red / Denim is blue / Youre my angel on earth / And Ill always choose you / Happy Valentines Day, babe!!" Trista wrote on Instagram today.

Ryan was ready with the perfectly poetic comeback: "Roses can be white. But white denim is risky. Cant wait to get home so we can get Frisky!!! "

2. You dont need a "problem" to benefit from professional counseling.

"We just found out about an app called Lasting . We partnered with them to spread the word about getting the help you need before you might even need it," says Trista.

3. Proactively avoid the rut.

"We keep things exciting by trying to take advantage of any moment that doesn't involve our children," says Trista. According to the OG bachelorette's Instagram, the Sutters shake things up by traveling together, playing winter sports, and of course, making the occasional television appearance...

View this post on Instagram Sutter selfie Saturday!! Because when your kids have bloodshot iPad eyes or their mean mommies wont let them play with sick friends, you jump in the car and meet daddy 45 minutes away in Breckenridge for lunch...then go shopping and eat candy and cookies. Right?! Right. #saturdayfunday #fss #familyselfiesaturday #letsmakeitathing #breckenridge #colorado #mountainlife #myloves #family #maxwellalston #blakesleygrace #grateful A post shared by Trista Sutter (@tristasutter) on Oct 27, 2018 at 5:20pm PDT

"You keep things exciting by keeping things exciting," adds Ryan. When we have an opportunity to do something, we do it. You have to try. We just try."

4. Keep the romance alive.

"The most romantic thing Ryan has done for me is write a poem to me on the show and then turn it into a song recorded by Brad Paisley," Trista recalls. "He surprised me with that as our first dance on our wedding night." (And that's how you stay together for 15 years, y'all.)