Oct. 26, 2002 – After a four-year courtship, the pair wed at a chapel in Austin, Texas, before 350 friends and family. Lachey serenaded his bride with a song he wrote, "My Everything." Photo by: JOE BUISSINK / WIREIMAGE
Nick & Jessica: Inside the Split| Jessica Simpson, Nick Lachey
Up until the announcement, the couple had not only steadfastly denied every new report of marital strife, but they continued to sound like, well, a couple of newlyweds on the subject of their marriage. Speaking to People on his recent anniversary, Lachey seemed as smitten as ever. "I wrote a long letter and hid it in her suitcase and made sure she found it today," he said. "You make the other person feel special because it's easy to lose track." He also noted that the couple's recent getaway to Italy provided a much-needed respite: "It was nice to spend some time together."

A source close to Simpson says that the Italy trip "reminded Jessica of what a wonderful relationship she had away from the press, away from her friends, away from his friends." And yet this source says that any lingering vacation afterglow was killed within 24 hours of their return to L.A., when Lachey joined close pal A.J. DiScala, 34, himself newly separated from his actress wife, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, in Las Vegas.

Combined with Lachey's trip to Miami Nov. 18-21, where he hit hot spots Mynt and the Setai with DiScala, "it really upset her that she was at home by herself with the dog and he is with single guys partying," says the Simpson source. "She wondered, 'Do I have to follow you around to clubs to make you happy?' She doesn't like that world. Her idea of a great night is to order Chinese food and ice cream and watch movies."