The couple, who met and fell in love on season 5 of ‘Love Is Blind’, open up to PEOPLE about their big milestone, why their marriage has worked so well and their hopes for the future
- Lydia Velez Gonzalez and Milton Johnson met and fell in love in the season 5 pods of Love Is Blind.
- The two tied the knot on May 31, 2022 and have been happily married ever since.
- May 31, 2024 marks their second wedding anniversary and the couple talk to PEOPLE about how they’re celebrating the big milestone, why their marriage has worked so well and their hopes for the future.
Love Is Blind‘s Lydia Velez Gonzalez and Milton Johnson have two years of marriage down and forever to go!
The couple, who met and married on season 5 of the Netflix dating series, are celebrating their two-year wedding anniversary on Friday, May 31.
“It feels longer [than two years],” Lydia, 33, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “It’s like, ‘Oh really, just two years?’ I cannot imagine my life without Milton anymore, I don’t even remember what that was like.”
Adds Milton, 26: “We’re still just as playful as we’ve always been… For me, it feels pretty normal. It’s two years. We’ve already been through everything [together].”
Lydia and Milton left season 5 of Love Is Blind as a married couple after dating and getting engaged in the pods. Despite their trials and tribulations on the reality show, they confirmed they were still in the blissful throes of marriage almost a year and a half later on the season 5 reunion special, which aired in October 2023.
Their marriage hasn’t been without its challenges, though. Early on, the two had to briefly navigate long distance as Lydia lived in Houston and Milton, a petroleum engineer, was based in Long Beach, Calif.
“Last year I ended up working on a project that had me living in California for four months and Lydia was coming every two weeks, or I was going to Texas every two weeks seeing each other, staying for a week each time,” Milton tells PEOPLE. “Luckily, Lydia’s job has an office in Long Beach as well, so it worked out really well for us.”
Making things a bit more complicated was the fact that Milton was starting grad school, which he’s a little over halfway done with now. “I’ll finish at the beginning of next year in 2025,” he says. “But this is my second master’s [degree].”
Though they now live together in Houston, the couple still maintain busy lives so they’ve come to realize just how important coordinating schedules is to make their marriage work.
“That’s our big thing. We share calendars and plan things that way,” says Milton, as Lydia notes, “It is a challenge, but it’s literally taught us how to really get organized because if we don’t get organized, it just gets too complicated.”
They’ve certainly found a great rhythm. In fact, Lydia recently raved about her husband and his work ethic in an Instagram post earlier this month.
“My love, watching you tirelessly pursue your academic dreams while managing a grueling 55-60 hour work week fills me with immense pride. Your dedication and resilience inspire me daily,” she wrote in her loving post, later adding, “You always provide a sanctuary in your arms, offering comfort even when your own reserves are low.”
“Our marriage isn’t flawless, but with you, it feels magical. You have an effortless way of showing up for me, piecing me back together when I need it the most,” she continued. “You’re more than my partner; you’re my soulmate, my steadfast companion in this crazy life. Every wrong turn I took before led me straight to you, and for that, I’m eternally grateful. I appreciate you more than words can express. I love you beyond the beyond!”
To celebrate their second anniversary, Lydia planned a getaway to Fredericksburg, where the two enjoyed some sun, relaxation and good wines. “Fredericksburg is wine country,” Milton explains. “It’s just very chill. And we stayed in this log cabin getaway stay in the middle of the woods.”
On May 31 for their actual anniversary, the two will be in Los Angeles so they have plans to enjoy a romantic dinner and a show.
“He goes above and beyond,” Lydia says of Milton, noting that he gifted her a pair of David Yurman earrings and a matching stacking bracelet for their anniversary already. “I’ve never had that before. I’ve never had someone that actually puts thoughts and care into actually giving me a gift… it’s really special. Not necessarily monetary wise, but just the thought of it and like, oh my God, you value me this much. It feels amazing.”
As they look ahead to the next year, the two plan on traveling more, celebrating Milton’s completion of grad school and eventually buying a house. They’re also excited to maintain their bond and keep strengthening their marriage as they mark another year together.
“I do typically keep a pretty busy schedule. I think just really having somebody being able to be solid in understanding my schedule and be able to plan the smaller things around it that I really need done,” Milton explains. “For example, I’ve been needing to go to the doctor for months, honestly, probably years, and Lydia will sit down and be like, ‘Now, on this day I see you have a gap. You’re scheduled for the doctor at this time at this place.’ I don’t know, maybe to her, those are just small tasks that she really helps me with, but they’re huge for me… and things that I didn’t realize that I really, really value.”
“For me, I think it’s the capacity of Milton to understand my feelings and to be there when I need him the most,” Lydia says of her favorite things about her husband. “He just shows up. And even when his super schedule is, he’s so busy, he does make the time to provide me that attention and that emotional support that I need regardless of my mental state.”
“I’ve gone through some hurdles in the past few months and he has shown up at every single one of them and he has been there for me and he stops whatever he’s doing to just listen and be there for me,” she continues. “I think that’s one of the things that I value the most and I feel so blessed to have.”