Erin Krakow and Ben Rosenbaum: A Hallmark Romance Come to Life
When fans watch Hallmark Channel’s heartwarming romances, they often wonder if such storybook love exists in real life. For stars Erin Krakow and Ben Rosenbaum, the answer is a resounding yes. Their relationship has unfolded like a slow-burning Hallmark movie, moving from costars to friends to life partners over the course of a decade. The pair, who have worked together on “When Calls the Heart” since 2014, kept viewers guessing about their relationship status for years before finally confirming their romance. Their journey from colleagues to spouses with a baby on the way has delighted fans who’ve watched their love story develop both on screen and behind the scenes.
Erin and Ben’s story began in 2014 when they joined the cast of “When Calls the Heart,” with Erin taking the lead role of Elizabeth Thornton while Ben portrayed the lovable Mike Hickam. For eight years, they maintained a professional relationship in the public eye, though they clearly formed a close friendship during their time filming in Vancouver. It wasn’t until spring 2022 that observant fans started noticing something more might be blooming between them. The first hints came through social media posts showing the pair enjoying “date nights” and vacations with fellow “When Calls the Heart” couple Kevin McGarry and Kayla Wallace. A particularly telling trip occurred in May 2022 when the foursome visited Italy’s Amalfi Coast, learning to make limoncello together and creating memories that Rosenbaum would later share on social media. Though fans speculated about their relationship status, both Erin and Ben remained silent about the nature of their connection, allowing their adventure photos to speak for themselves.
The pair continued building their life together quietly throughout 2022, celebrating career milestones and supporting friends. When their costars Kevin McGarry and Kayla Wallace got engaged in December 2022, Erin and Ben were present for the special moment in New York City. In January 2023, they took a significant step together by adopting a dog named Willoughby, with Erin announcing, “We adopted him a week ago and I already can’t imagine life without him.” Though they still hadn’t explicitly confirmed their relationship, the joint pet adoption spoke volumes. It wasn’t until March 2023 that Erin made their first public acknowledgment of romance, sharing a birthday tribute to “Willoughby’s Dad” and noting that “life woof be ruffer without you in it”—a playful confirmation that delighted fans who had been piecing together clues about their relationship for nearly a year.
By 2024, the couple became more comfortable sharing their romance publicly. Valentine’s Day marked a turning point, with Ben posting a heartfelt message alongside a photo of Erin: “First thing I see when I wake up. Last thing I see before sleep. Happy Valentine’s Day.” Erin reciprocated by sharing their first public kissing photo, finally giving fans the confirmation they’d been waiting for. Throughout the year, they continued celebrating milestones together, with Erin posting a birthday tribute to Ben in March, writing “You mean the world to me!” Their relationship had fully blossomed in the public eye, though they maintained the same warm, genuine connection that had apparently been developing behind the scenes for years. Like many Hallmark romances, their story demonstrated that sometimes the best relationships grow from friendship and shared experiences rather than whirlwind passion.
The couple’s love story reached new heights in 2025, beginning with a cozy New Year’s celebration together with their beloved dog. In March, Erin’s birthday message to Ben took on new significance when she wrote, “You take such good care of us,” hinting at their growing family unit. By June 2025, they surprised fans with wedding photos on Instagram, using only an infinity symbol as a caption to represent their enduring commitment. The simple announcement perfectly reflected their relationship—genuine, meaningful, and without unnecessary fanfare. Then in November, just before Thanksgiving, they shared their biggest news yet: Erin was pregnant with their first child. Her Instagram post featured photobooth strips showing the couple joyfully displaying ultrasound images, captioned “So much to be grateful for!!!” The announcement completed their transformation from costars to spouses and soon-to-be parents.
Erin Krakow and Ben Rosenbaum’s real-life romance has captured fans’ hearts because it embodies the very essence of what makes Hallmark movies so appealing—authenticity, friendship blossoming into love, and the creation of a family built on mutual respect and joy. Unlike their characters in Hope Valley, who navigate dramatic storylines and love triangles, Erin and Ben’s actual relationship appears grounded in shared experiences, inside jokes, and the quiet building of a life together. They’ve celebrated birthdays, adopted a pet, witnessed friends’ major life moments, traveled together, and now embarked on marriage and parenthood. Their journey from colleagues in 2014 to expecting parents in 2025 demonstrates that sometimes the most beautiful love stories aren’t the ones written for the screen but those that develop naturally between two people who genuinely care for each other. For Hallmark fans, there’s something particularly satisfying about knowing that the network that specializes in heartwarming romance has fostered a real-life love story just as sweet as its fictional tales.
