From breaking storms on air to building a home together off-screen, ABC’s Ginger Zee and husband Ben Aaron are the real forecast for #couplegoals.
You may know Ginger Zee as ABC News’ fearless chief meteorologist, chasing hurricanes and explaining high-pressure systems with poise. But when the skies clear, it’s her husband Ben Aaron who brings the sunshine.
The couple met in 2012 at a charity SoulCycle event in New York City, thanks to a mutual friend who introduced them.
And it didn’t take long before sparks flew. “We walked through Central Park and talked about everything, from our lives to John Cusack,” Ben later recalled. “By the end of the night, I was a goner. Absolutely in love.”
Ginger, on the other hand? She took things a little slower, initially asking to be just friends. But Ben wasn’t having it. “There is no way on Earth I wanted to be just friends with this girl,” he said. Soon after, he asked her out.
By August 2013, just a year later, Aaron popped the question in true New York fashion—by hiding the engagement ring in a Magnolia Bakery banana pudding cup outside Lincoln Center. She said yes.
The Wedding & A Life Together
On June 7, 2014, the couple tied the knot in a romantic beachside ceremony on Lake Michigan. It was an intimate affair, with just 55 guests gathered at the Inn at Bay Harbor. Ginger wore a stunning lace Pnina Tornai gown and beamed with pride as she celebrated in her home state.
“Bringing our crazy families from all over the States to enjoy some peace and quiet in northern Michigan will be the greatest day of our lives,” she told PEOPLE.
The decor? Think “Hamptons on the lake,” said wedding planner Francesco Bilotto, with navy blue, off-white, artisan cheeses, and a wooden heart puzzle instead of a unity candle. Guests danced the night away to the sounds of Ginger’s brother’s band, The Outer Vibe.
Growing Their Family
In December 2015, Ginger and Ben welcomed their first son, Adrian Benjamin, followed by their second son, Miles Macklin, in February 2018. Both were born in New York City via C-section, and both brought major joy.
“Still in disbelief I’m surrounded by boys,” Ginger shared at the time, “but couldn’t be happier.”
She later told PEOPLE, “Cherishing every moment with Miles, even the long nights and feeding sessions… I am adoring the relationship Adrian is already developing with his little brother.”
On-Screen and At Home
The couple’s chemistry isn’t limited to real life. In 2017, they brought their relationship to TV with a home renovation series on the DIY Network titled Renovation Realities: Ben & Ginger. The show followed them as they transformed a fixer-upper in Rockland, New York, into their dream family home.
It wasn’t always smooth sailing. “After two weeks, I just kind of wanted to light a match and see what happens to it,” Ben joked. “We might have screwed up a little bit, but you just have to enjoy the process.”
Ginger added, “He enjoys the demo. Anything that’s not precise, he enjoys.”
Who Is Ben Aaron?
Born Benjamin Aaron Colonomos on September 10, 1981, Ben Aaron is a New York native with a career as colorful as his personality. He graduated from Emerson College in Boston with a degree in media and began his career with Radio Disney before working in Arizona, California, and San Diego.
In 2009, he landed at WNBC’s New York Live, where he quickly earned three New York Emmy Awards for his features reporting. He later co-hosted the syndicated talk show Pickler & Ben with country star Kellie Pickler, which earned them two Daytime Emmy nominations.
Since 2020, he’s been a featured morning correspondent on PIX11 Morning News, bringing his signature charm and relatability to viewers across the tri-state area.
A Supportive Partner Through It All
Behind the scenes, Ben has also been Ginger’s rock during her most vulnerable moments. The meteorologist has spoken candidly about her struggles with depression, including in her 2017 autobiography Natural Disaster: I Cover Them. I Am One.
“I’ve been lucky to find a husband who doesn’t judge my past,” she told PEOPLE. “In fact, writing this book, he wanted more. He’s like, ‘I want to listen. I want to be a part of that.’ ”
From Magnolia Bakery to Michigan “I dos,” Ben Aaron has been by Ginger Zee’s side through storms, sunshine, and everything in between. Whether on-air or at home with their two boys, this dynamic duo continues to build a life—and a love—that’s forecasted to last.
