Match: Finally landing ‘the one that got away’

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When they’re not appearing on HGTV’s Holmes + Holmes, Mike Holmes Jr. (son of Canadian construction royalty) and Lisa Marie Holmes are doing their best to keep the lines of communication open. And the cap of the toothpaste on.

Who: Mike Holmes Jr., 29, reality TV personality; Lisa Marie Holmes, 30, reality TV personality

Relationship status: Married since 2017

Location: Toronto

Calling “dibs” on destiny…

Mike: It all started in 2006 when my dad needed a last minute sub for a golf tournament he was playing in. I had never golfed before, but I went along. Afterward there was a dinner and we had a beautiful waitress –

Lisa: I saw you first. I was bartending before the dinner started. I was standing with a bunch of girls and this cute guy walked by. I said “dibs!”

Mike: On our first date she told me she had bought a one-way ticket to Europe for three months from then, so she didn’t want to get into anything serious.

Lisa: I had been saving up since I was 12. I had always had this vision of travelling in Europe and having a boyfriend back home in Canada was never part of the vision. So we broke up.

Meet the parent …

Lisa: When I got back from Europe he was in a three-year relationship and then when they broke up I was in a relationship and it went back and forth like that for seven years.

Mike: I always thought of Lisa as the one that got away. When I was dating other women I had to hide her on Facebook because I didn’t want to be reminded of her. And then finally the timing worked out.

Lisa: People always want to know what it’s like to have Mike Holmes as a father-in-law. I will say he can be a tough nut to crack, but I cracked him. I think I bring out a different side because I don’t know anything about construction, which is normally the topic at every family dinner.

Mike: We can definitely get pretty caught up in construction talk.

Keeping it real, reality style …

Lisa: Being on TV gives us a chance to hang out more, so that’s a big bonus. It’s funny because when I was younger I loved to perform. Working in front of a camera feels like coming back to something I loved.

Mike: The people you see on TV are pretty much the same as we are in real life. I guess we have to be a little more PG in the things we joke about.

Lisa: I think the biggest difference is that in real life we are tired a lot of the time! We try to be as honest as possible in our relationship. If one of us is in a bad mood, the other one will know about it. Or if one of us left that cap off the toothpaste – that’s usually me.

Mike: We do try to be honest. Delivery is important. And perspective. Life’s too short to worry about the cap on the toothpaste. It’s probably off right now though.