Dolly Parton and her husband will be celebrating 53 years of marriage come 2019, a major accomplishment for anyone these days — but an even bigger one given her life in the public eye.

The country legend sat down with PEOPLE for its latest cover story and opened up exclusively about finding lasting love with Dean, whom she met when she was just 18 years old.

“I’ve been married for 53 years come next May, and my husband and I have a great relationship,” says the star, 72. “We’ve been together most of our lives.”

Here are a few things she mentioned;

1. Dean has long shunned the spotlight and never appears at public events with his superstar wife — and that’s just the way the couple likes it.

2. Parton and Dean take mini trips in their “little camper” and have picnic lunches in the Tennessee countryside.

3.  They also forgo glamorous date nights for low-key dinners at their favourite local restaurants.

4. Parton says Dean sees her inner beauty. “He doesn’t care what I wear as long as I’m happy,” says the 72-year-old. “He loves me the way I am.”

5. Parton certainly loves to get dolled up — “He knows I’m always going to kind of be fixed up for him because I don’t believe in going home and being a slouch” She stated.

Two years ago, the couple renewed their vows on their 50th anniversary at their “big ol’ house” in Nashville. When the couple wed in 1966, they were forced to elope because Parton’s record label preferred her to stay unwed.

“We’d already sent out invitations and so I thought, ‘I ain’t waiting!’ We went that same weekend to Ringgold, Georgia in a little church. I had a little white dress and little flowers, and my mom went with me.

For their “beautiful ceremony” two years ago, Parton — who is also executive producing an eight-part anthology series based on her music that’s set to debut on Netflix next year — finally got to wear the over-the-top wedding gown she had always dreamed of.

Photo Credit: People