Ellen DeGeneres celebrates 18 years of love with heartfelt Portia de Rossi tribute

Ellen DeGeneres is celebrating 18 years of marriage to Portia de Rossi with a heartfelt tribute to her longtime wife.

The former talk show host, 68, marked the couple’s wedding anniversary on Aug. 16 by sharing a sweet photo of herself and de Rossi, 53, on Instagram. In the post, DeGeneres described de Rossi as her “favorite person in the entire world” and expressed gratitude for their life together.

The couple began dating in late 2004 before marrying on Aug. 16, 2008, in an intimate ceremony at their California home. Their wedding was attended by just 19 guests and featured custom white formalwear designed by Zac Posen, an acoustic performance by Joshua Radin and an all-vegan dinner and red velvet wedding cake.

DeGeneres had already celebrated their relationship during Pride Month in June, sharing the cover of PEOPLE’s September 2008 issue featuring the couple on their wedding day. She wrote at the time that being married was the greatest joy of her life.

The couple’s 18th anniversary also drew congratulatory messages from celebrity friends, including Kris Jenner, who celebrated the milestone in the comments.

DeGeneres and de Rossi have frequently spoken about their relationship over the years. In a 2016 interview with PEOPLE, DeGeneres said they often reminded each other how lucky they were to have found one another.

She also emphasized the importance of not taking a relationship for granted and said that love requires both partners to consider how they contribute to the dynamic.