Nikki Reed and Paul McDonald: A Look Back at Their Whirlwind Romance

Were there signs that Nikki Reed and Paul McDonald were headed for a split?
 
Although the "Twilight" actress, 25, and "American Idol" alum, 29, had a whirlwind courtship, all seemed well with the couple, who were married two and a half years.

Take a look at their romance timeline:

March 2011: Nikki and Paul meet on the red carpet at the "Red Riding Hood" premiere in Los Angeles. "You're amazing," she tells Paul when they bump into each other. "I'm blushing! I should go."

April 2011: One month after meeting, Paul confirms he and Nikki are a couple. "Yes, me and Nikki are dating. It's officially true," Paul tells E!. "She's super cool. She's super smart, so I'm happy with it. We've been hanging out here and there. We're both pretty busy, but [it's] been fun so far."

June 2011

: Nikki and Paul get engaged. "He's the one," Reed gushes to E! Online.

When critics chime in and say they think she's moving too fast, Nikki responds via People: "I love him and I don't care. I've never met anyone like him. I've never met anyone who has such a good solid heart and comes from such a good solid family and is just a genuine person. We have the exact same sense of humor. I've never laughed so much with anyone as I do with him."

October 2011: The couple weds at a private ranch in Malibu, California, in front of 100 guests. "We couldn't be happier!" the actress exclaims to Us Weekly. "[We were] surrounded by our family and friends. We're so glad this day has come!"

November 2011: "I knew from the second I met Paul, and I think he did too, that there was something different about that feeling," Reed says when asked if it was love at first sight for the pair. "It wasn't just the feeling when you meet and you think that person's hot. It takes me a very long time to [think] something is real and trust in things, so although I felt something, we dated for four whole weeks where I didn't even kiss him or hold his hand. For four weeks we spent every day together and hung out. In that way it felt slow."

June 2012: In an interview with People, the "Twilight" actress says she thinks it's a mistake to have kids right after marriage: "Maybe I'm wrong, but I feel like it's a mistake for people to get married and then just [have kids right away]. I feel like it is the pressure of the family making them do it. We want to travel and be able to fly on an airplane without a baby and just have freedom."

When asked about their hectic schedules, Reed admits, "It's been a little stressful [lately] because it's been so busy. Paul's been recording his album full time, and I've been shooting, so we're both very busy right now."

But somehow they manage to make it work. "We try to stay together as much as we can," notes McDonald. "I'll [sometimes] go to set with her and she'll come with me to the studio."

"You just have to make the other person a priority over your work, which is a very controversial statement, I guess," Reed says. "People, especially in this business, don't think that's a good idea, but that's what you have to do."

November 2012: Nikki and Paul release an EP titled, "The Best Part."

January 2013: Nikki shares her three rules to a happy marriage with E!.

1. Make Sacrifices: "Last year Paul was on tour and I went to 30 shows, and yeah, it was a big deal, and this year I'm doing all this promo and he flies with me."

2. Communicate: "I feel like it's important for the other person to know that you care."

3. Embrace Me Time: "Independence is also really important in our relationship. [Paul] goes off and does his music and stuff like all day every day. We don't just hang out together; he separates and goes to the music studio and he works and then I work too."

July 2013: Nikki tells Yahoo she is in no rush to have kids.

"I love them, [but] I just have such an understanding and a respect for entering that stage of your life," she says . "I don't take it lightly. I want to make sure I'm 1000% ready and I'm not sure I am yet. But, if you talk to me in a few months, who knows? Right now, I want to be able to look at Paul and know that we have that freedom of being not parents, especially with music and being on the road."

October 2013: The duo celebrates their second wedding anniversary. "We kept it low key this year," Nikki tells People. "So we went to a midnight spa session. It's amazing. This place called Voda Spa on Santa Monica. We did a couples thing.

"It's important to communicate and stay on the same page," she continues, saying she has learned a lot about marriage. "With what we do for a living, it's important we make each other know they come first."

February 2014: Nikki and Paul gush about each other on various social media platforms.

"How incredible is @thepaulmcdonald !?! Such an artist, such a perfectionist with unlimited patience. He's doing this…"

However, the actress hints they have been apart for a while: "Nice to have this guy home for a few days..."

March 2014: All seems well with the couple.

"We don't have rules, but I think it's just important to focus on what you love," Reed tells Us Weekly when asked about how she keeps the romance alive in her marriage. "We love just hanging out. He's my best friend in the world and I love him so much."

Two days later, Nikki and Paul announce they are separating.

"After much consideration, Nikki Reed and Paul McDonald are ending their marriage. They have been living separately for the past six months due to work obligations," a rep for the actress says in a statement. "They will continue to share their love of music, and are still working on their debut album, 'I'm Not Falling,' releasing in 2014. They remain best friends and look forward to their continued journey together."