Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan's Relationship Timeline
Few celebrity couples have stood the test of time like Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan.
The pair met when Gloria was just 17 years old and fresh out of high school, and Emilio was 22. While they have experienced plenty of hardships in their lives, their relationship was the one thing that stayed consistent.
"When it's real love, it gets better," Emilio said in 2017 on PEOPLE and ABC News' series People Icons. "It's all about respect and love and communication. When you have a great foundation, it becomes easy."
The pair have always been partners in both life and business, starting with their band Miami Sound Machine in 1977 and then with their hotels, restaurants, foundations, musical and childrens' books.
"We love and respect each other," Gloria previously told PEOPLE of why their partnership works so well. "We're different, but we balance each other. And we have the same priorities, the same values. We rarely argue about business or music, so it's been a good thing."
RELATED: Gloria and Emilio Estefan 'Rarely Argue' After More Than 40 Years of Marriage
Even after more than 40 years of marriage, Gloria is still smitten with her husband. "Look at this man, he's so cute. Makes me laugh every day of my life," she said. "He makes me happy and we make each other happy."
From creating hits like "Conga" and "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" to welcoming two children and launching a business empire together, here's everything to know about Gloria and Emilio Estefan's relationship.
1975: Gloria and Emilio Estefan meet at a jam session
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The pair first met while playing music with mutual friends during the spring after Gloria graduated from high school. Emilio's first appearance made an impact. "In comes Emilio. He's playing the accordion in very short shorts, and he looked like he was naked, so that was the first impression that I got," Gloria told PEOPLE in March 2017.
"Then my mom drags me to a wedding a few months later, and I walk in the door, and there [he is] playing 'The Hustle.' He tracked me down two weeks later." The duo kept their relationship platonic at first, and chose to start playing in a wedding band together rather than strike up a romance. "We had chemistry for sure. But he had an older girlfriend, and he was my boss," Gloria said.
1975: Emilio Estefan takes Gloria on their first date
Things quickly turned romantic for the pair. Emilio asked Gloria to go see Young Frankenstein for their first date, and she later told PEOPLE that she was sold by the end of the evening. "I knew I was going to marry this man," she said.
Gloria was not very experienced in the dating world, but once she found Emilio, she had no interest in meeting anyone else. "He was my first and only boyfriend," she told WBUR in 2016.
July 4, 1976: Gloria and Emilio Estefan share their first kiss
Gloria Estefan Instagram
The duo waited more than a year to lock lips for the first time. "45 years ago today your lips met mine for the first time," Gloria wrote beside a sweet throwback photo shared on Instagram on July 4, 2021.
September 2, 1978: Gloria and Emilio Estefan get married
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Three years after meeting, the couple tied the knot. "I always felt that we were meant to be together," she told AARP in 2013 while recalling the special day. Immediately after the ceremony, Gloria and her new husband visited her ailing father, Jose Fajardo, in the hospital. She said that though he hadn't recognized her in years, he said "Glorita" when he saw her in her wedding dress.
September 2, 1980: Gloria and Emilio Estefan welcome their first baby, Nayib
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Gloria and Emilio welcomed their first child, a son named Nayib Estefan, on Sept. 2, 1980.
"You were so wanted and so well planned by your dad and I that you were born on our second anniversary," Gloria wrote in 2020 while celebrating her son's 40th birthday on Instagram. "You were the best gift we could have ever given each other."
Nayib spent years touring with his parents and now works as a music composer and producer — he even filmed some of his mom's music videos!
March 20, 1990: Gloria Estefan is injured in a tour bus crash
On March 20, 1990, Gloria was in a near-death accident after her tour bus was rear-ended by a semi-truck on a snowy Pennsylvania highway.
"I was taking a nap on the bus, trying to be fresh for the show that night, and suddenly I was lying on the floor, not able to stand up, looking up at the ceiling, going, 'What happened?' The pain was excruciating," Gloria recalled to PEOPLE in August 2020.
Though the accident was traumatizing, it brought the couple closer together, and finally won Emilio the approval of Gloria's mother, Gloria Fajardo. "[My mother] tortured Emilio for 12 years until that accident happened and she realized that he really loved me for me and that he wasn't going to run and cut and run and leave me there," she told WBUR in April 2016.
1992: Gloria and Emilio Estefan buy a hotel in Miami together
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Gloria and Emilio purchased a gorgeous art deco hotel in Miami together around 1992. The property held a special place in Gloria's heart, and she predicted that she would one day own the hotel when she was just a child.
"My mom asked me why I was looking at the Cardozo," Gloria told PEOPLE in a July 2019 interview. "I think I was so excited to be on the beach because we never went to the beach in Cuba. I told her that when I grow up I am going to buy my dad this hotel!"
"This hotel is really Emilio's baby. We both talk about the design, but I trust him completely," she said. "He is on top of everything … I tell him he works too much!" The duo later opened a second resort: their Costa d'Este Beach Resort and Spa in Vero Beach.
1992: Gloria and Emilio Estefan open their first restaurant
The pair quickly developed a taste for entrepreneurship and opened their first restaurant, Larios on the Beach, the same year. "From the beginning, their vision was to bring authentic Cuban food in an atmosphere that celebrates the spirit of Cuba in its heyday right to the heart of South Beach," reads the restaurant website. They've opened five other restaurants in the years since.
February 3, 1993: Emilio Estefan supports Gloria as she receives her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
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Gloria's career was memorialized on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 3, 1993, with her proud husband at her side. Her mother and close actor friend Andy Garcia were also there to support her on her big day.
December 5, 1994: Gloria and Emilio Estefan have their second baby, Emily
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Gloria and Emilio had been planning to conceive a second baby at the time of her 1990 bus crash, but injuries from the accident caused complications. After surgery and treatments for fertility, Gloria gave birth to their daughter, Emily Marie Consuelo Estefan.
1997: Gloria and Emilio Estefan launch the Gloria Estefan Foundation
In 1997, Gloria and Emilio, who have always been extremely charitable, founded the Gloria Estefan foundation, which "promotes education, health and cultural development," according to their website. The pair raises money through proceeds from Gloria's songs, charity concerts and fan donations, and uses it for spinal cord research and animal causes, among others.
"My foundation tries to help people that fall through the cracks, that can't get help from big organizations," she said. "We try to fill in where immediate help is needed."
June 9, 2005: Gloria Estefan supports Emilio as he gets his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
12 years after Gloria received her Walk of Fame star, Emilio's career was commemorated in the same way — with the support of his loving wife. She gave him a big kiss to celebrate the occasion.
June 5, 2010: Gloria and Emilio Estefan's son Nayib gets married
Gloria and Emilio's son Nayib married his wife Lara Coppola in the backyard of his parents' house in 2010. Though Nayib is relatively private, Gloria celebrated her son's 12th wedding anniversary on Instagram on June 5, 2022, along with a beautiful photo from the family event.
June 21, 2012: Gloria and Emilio Estefan become grandparents for the first time
Gloria and Emilio's son Nayib welcomed his first baby in 2012 — a son named Sasha Argento Estefan Coppola. Gloria was the one to share the news with fans. "My heart was already full and now it runs over!," she wrote on Twitter. "There's a new man in my life! Sasha Argento Estefan, our first grandson, was born at 8:04! I'm in love!" Sasha has made many appearances on Gloria's social media over the years.
June 2, 2015: Gloria and Emilio Estefan premiere a musical about their life together
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On Your Feet!: The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan premiered at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago on June 2, 2015, and has since toured all over the world. The jukebox musical follows their love story and careers, and features many of their most famous songs.
"The reason we didn't [call the show "Conga"] was because of [screenwriter] Alex [Dinelaris]' approach. It's not just an empowering title, it's literally how Emilio and I, constantly through our lives, have had to get back up on our feet," Gloria told WBUR in 2016. "So it was just for us the most fitting title."
March 4, 2018: Gloria celebrates Emilio's 65th birthday
Gloria shared a touching tribute to her husband on March 4, 2018 for his 65th birthday. "Happy birthday baby! From the first of your birthdays that we shared as a couple when you turned 23 to this momentous one at 65 I've treasured each moment we've spent together, been thankful for each of the hardships that have made us grow stronger, wiser and closer and have thanked the universe for putting you on my path," she wrote. "Here's to the birthdays to come and all the love in our future! I love you, mi morito!" The whole family also got together to celebrate their patriarch in Miami.
September 2, 2018: Gloria and Emilio Estefan celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary
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In 2018, the couple officially hit the 40-year milestone of their marriage. They shared the secret to their long-lasting love with Entertainment Tonight. "We've been together [for] 43 [years], I met him when I was one," said Gloria. "Respect and love and, more than anything else, being Latino, you say, 'Yes, baby, whatever you want,'" joked Emilio.
"That is such a crock. You know what?" Gloria teased. "He makes me laugh every single day of my life."
June 2019: Gloria and Emilio Estefan reopen the Cardozo after a massive renovation
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The pair closed down their iconic vintage hotel for four years to complete a $15 million redesign of the space.
"We can't wait for our friends around the world to experience the new Cardozo because it is so personal, and we like people to feel comfortable and relaxed when they are with us," Gloria told PEOPLE during an exclusive tour. "Plus, Emilio is hands-on and made sure every detail was created beautifully."
"Emilio and I have traveled the world for our music, and we know what we like in a hotel room," Gloria continued. "While Emilio is a visionary, I am logical about what works, often adding history and color. We work together to personalize everything and are on the same page."
October 7, 2020: Gloria Estefan gets candid about their sex life during her new talk show
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Gloria began hosting a new Red Table Talk spinoff show with her daughter Emily and cousin Lili Estefan on Oct. 7, 2020, and she got realer than ever about her sex life with Emilio.
"With age, different things become more important," she said on an episode. "We've been very, very sexually happy, and we're very connected. I think that's one of the secrets of the marriage."
January 23, 2022: Emilio and Gloria Estefan are celebrated with a mural in Miami
Miami unveiled a mural celebrating the achievements of their local superstars on Jan. 23, 2022. "Gracias Miami! Amazing mural!" Gloria wrote on Instagram upon seeing the massive work of art. "We are so happy to be part of this 'Latin Music Art' series as a concerted effort in beautification of Miami's overlooked neighborhoods!"
April 7, 2022: Emilio and Gloria Estefan are honored for putting Miami on the map of the music industry
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Gloria and Emilio were honored at Variety's first Miami Entertainment Town Breakfast with the Legends and Groundbreakers award for making Miami a legitimate music town with their band, Miami Sound Machine.
"One of the things that I'm proud [of] is to see you guys — The next generation to be proud of where [they] come from, creating the new moves of what is happening in the music business," said Emilio in his acceptance speech. "For us it was difficult…before somebody used to tell you, you have to take the congas out, take the tumbao out, take your last name out — and we didn't do that."
May 9, 2022: Gloria Estefan discusses kissing another man for the first time since meeting Emilio
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Gloria enjoyed filming her Father of the Bride remake with friend Andy Garcia, but there was one element that made her slightly nervous.
"The thing I fretted about the most was that I had to kiss Andy because he is my friend and his wife is my friend," she told PEOPLE in 2022. "I've never kissed another man in the last 46 years or 47 of my life. But you know it wasn't me kissing him. It was Ingrid, his wife in the movie, and it all felt very natural, and it was great."
RELATED: Gloria Estefan Didn't Let Husband Emilio See Her Kiss Andy Garcia on Father of the Bride: 'Hell No'
When asked if she would let Emilio watch as she filmed that scene, she told Entertainment Tonight "Oh hell no. He wasn't even in the city. I was not having that, girl, no way! I was nervous enough."
June 14, 2022: Emilio and Gloria Estefan attend the Father of the Bride premiere
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Emilio joined Gloria for the Miami premiere of her latest film, a remake of Father of the Bride. Gloria wore a chic floral-print suit and black top while Emilio looked dapper in a white jacket, black tie and black pants.
January 18, 2023: Emilio Estefan celebrates Gloria's induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame
After it was announced that Gloria would be the first Hispanic woman to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, her husband rejoiced on Instagram.
"I'm so proud of you baby! Since the first song you've written you have been able to touch the world! 👏👏👏👏👏👏 Congratulations to @gloriaestefan," Emilio wrote.
