John Legend talks ‘highs and lows’ of ...

John Legend talks ‘highs and lows’ of Chrissy Teigen marriage after ringing in their 12th wedding anniversary

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen’s relationship has seen it all.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE at the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) Gala at The Beverly Hilton, where he received the BMAC Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award, the musician, 46, said he and wife Teigen, 39, “feel like we’ve grown together as a couple.”

“And I think being parents forces you to grow up, and it changes your priorities,” he continued. “But also, [for] all the joy we’ve experienced together, we’ve also had tragedy together and challenges together.”

“I think all of that helps cement the bond and the relationship that you have, because you know you can go through all this together with a partner, and I think that’s really been the story of our relationship,” Legend added. “We’ve grown up together and been through all the highs and lows together.”

John Legend at the Black Music Action Coalition Gala on Sept. 18.Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Teigen and Legend were legally married at a New York City courthouse on Sept. 10, 2013, with Irina Shayk serving as their witness. Days later, the couple wed in Lake Como, Italy. (They became engaged in 2011 while vacationing together in the Maldives.)

Teigen and Legend then marked their tenth wedding anniversary in 2023 by renewing their vows in Italy. The Cravings author previously told PEOPLE the event was “so f—— sweet and amazing.”

According to Legend, his recent 12-year wedding anniversary was a much more low-key affair. “We had a nice dinner date. It wasn’t too crazy,” he told PEOPLE.

The couple is parents to four children together: Luna Simone, 9, Miles Theodore, 7, Esti Maxine and Wren Alexander, both 2.

Chrissy Teigen (left) and John Legend (right) in November 2023.Steven Simione/Getty Images

Teigen previously opened up about her favorite memory from her nuptials to Legend in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE.

“Something funny that happened during our vows, John’s uncle was the pastor, and he was officiating our wedding, and I dropped the ring,” she said. “I, of course, said, ‘Oh, s—,’ into the mic, and he was just a little taken aback by it. He was like, ‘That’s Chrissy.’ “

Recalling how Stevie Wonder performed “Ribbon in the Sky” for the couple’s first dance, Teigen said, “I really wasn’t dancing because I was just — I’m too nervous to dance in front of people.”

She added, “That’s more of a regret of mine than a cherished memory, that I didn’t really have a first dance.”