Brad Paisley + Wife Share How They Keep Their Marriage Strong

If you ask Brad Paisley and his wife of 18 years, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, the secret to a happy marriage is simple: It's all about making it a point to highlight the good times.

In the Paisley household, that means keeping a special journal that the couple add to every year on their anniversary, detailing their favorite memories and funniest highlights of the year behind them.

"Our greatest hits," Kimberly explains to People during a recent feature celebrating the couple's wedding anniversary, which took place on March 15. "We record the meaningful moments, the best laughs. That's a big part of our relationship — focusing on the laughter and keeping a sense of play."

Even after 18 years together, 2020 was tumultuous enough to test the bonds of any relationship. Paisley, who typically spends a large portion of every year on the road, had to halt his touring plans amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The same shutdown paused filming for Kimberly's normally rigorous acting schedule.

"She's used to three days a week at minimum that I'm gone, so we've learned a lot about ourselves this year," the country star notes, telling his wife, "I figured out I really like being around you!"

The scrapped work plans didn't mean that the Paisleys sat around their house doing nothing all day. On the contrary, they threw themselves into their Nashville-based non-profit, the Store, a free grocery store for those in Middle Tennessee facing food insecurity. The Store opened its doors pre-pandemic, but quickly had to adapt and expand as pandemic shutdowns threw more families into homelessness and food insecurity.

And although Kimberly jokes that she's looking forward to "putting [Brad] on a tour bus" once concerts resume, both husband and wife agree that the experience of the past year has ultimately strengthened their relationship.

"There's no substitute for memories and time and having experienced all of this together," Paisley reflects.