Michelle and Barack Obama Celebrate 31st Wedding Anniversary: 'I Love Going Through Life with You'

The couple wrote touching tributes to each other on Instagram to mark the special occasion

Pictured: (L-R) Barack and Michelle Obama posing together
Michelle Obama (right) shares a photo of her and husband Barack Obama (left) to mark their 31st wedding anniversary. Photo:

Michelle Obama/ Instagram

Barack and Michelle Obama are celebrating something special!

On Tuesday, the couple posted touching tributes to each other on Instagram in honor of their 31st wedding anniversary.

Michelle, 59, shared a cute snapshot of the pair posing outside with a golden sunset in the distance. "31 years, and a lifetime to go. I love going through life with you by my side, @BarackObama," she wrote. "Happy anniversary, honey!"

Pictured: (L-R) Barack and Michelle Obama posing together
Michelle Obama (right) shares a photo of her and husband Barack Obama (left) to mark their 31st wedding anniversary.

Michelle Obama/ Instagram

The former president, 62, followed suit with his own loving message for Michelle.

"Happy anniversary, sweetheart! @MichelleObama, you're brilliant, kind, funny and beautiful — and I'm lucky to call you mine," he wrote, alongside a photo of the duo posing with their arms around each other while dressed in coordinating blue outfits.

Last year, for their milestone 30th anniversary, the Obamas both shared throwback photos from their wedding day as they expressed their love for each other.

Barack's post included a snapshot of the bride and groom smiling and embracing in their wedding finery, as well as a recent shot of the pair at the beach and a photo of a message drawn in the sand that said, "Barack + Michelle," encircled with a heart.

He also revealed his sweet nickname for his wife in his loving tribute to her. "Miche, after 30 years, I’m not sure why you look exactly the same and I don’t. I do know that I won the lottery that day — that I couldn’t have asked for a better life partner. Happy anniversary, sweetheart!" he wrote.

Michelle, meanwhile, marked their 30th anniversary by sharing side-by-side photos of the couple at the beach and on their wedding day. "Happy anniversary to the man I love! These last 30 years have been an adventure, and I'm grateful to have you by my side. Here's to a lifetime together. I love you @BarackObama."

Pictured: (L-R) Barack and Michelle Obama attending the 2023 US Open
Barack (left) and Michelle Obama photographed attending the 2023 US Open.

Sarah Stier/Getty

The Obamas tied the knot in 1992 after three years of dating. They first met in Chicago when Michelle was assigned to mentor Barack during his summer internship at a law firm.

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In her 2022 book The Light We Carry, Michelle admitted that there have been tough times mixed in with the happy times in her decades-long marriage to Barack.

"People often reach out to me seeking relationship advice," she wrote. "They remark on photographs they've seen of me and Barack together — laughing, or sharing a look, appearing content to be side by side. They ask how we have managed to stay both married and unmiserable for 30 years now. I want to say, 'Yes, truly, it's a surprise to us, too, sometimes!' And really, I'm not joking."

"We have our issues, of course, but I love the man, and he loves me now, still and seemingly forever," she continued. "Our love is not perfect, but it's real and we're committed to it."

Pictured: (L-R) Barack and Michelle Obama sitting on a tree
Barack (left) and Michelle Obama photographed sitting on a tree.

Michelle Obama/ Instagram

Michelle also got candid about one of the most challenging periods of their marriage, when they were raising their two young daughters under a microscope while living in the White House during Barack's presidency.

"People think I'm being catty by saying this — it's like, there were 10 years where I couldn't stand my husband," she said during a December 2022 roundtable conversation with Revolt TV. "And guess when it happened? When those kids were little."

Barack later addressed his wife's comments, telling CBS Mornings in May that he now understands and empathizes with Michelle's frustrations at the time.

"Michelle — when our girls were growing up, that was priority number one, two, three and four," he explained. "And so, I did not fully appreciate, I think, as engaged of a father as I was, the degree of stress and tension for her, knowing that not just me and Michelle were under scrutiny and in this strange environment, but that we were raising our daughters in a kind of situation that just wasn't normal."

He said things improved tremendously once his presidency came to an end and they had more time and space to connect as a couple. "Let me just say this: it sure helps to be out of the White House. And to have a little more time with her," he noted.

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