Celebrity Celebrity Relationships Celebrity Engagements Why Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth Finally Decided to Get Married After Nearly 10 Years Together After falling in love nearly 10 years ago, the superstars finally wed on Dec. 23 By Melody Chiu Melody Chiu Melody Chiu is an Executive Editor at PEOPLE overseeing music, events and emerging content. She has been with the brand since 2009, editing, writing and reporting across all entertainment verticals. She has written cover stories on Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Melissa McCarthy, Blake Shelton, Jordan Turpin and Sandra Oh. The Los Angeles native graduated from the University of Southern California and has appeared on Extra!, The Talk, Access Hollywood and Good Morning America. People Editorial Guidelines and Linda Marx Linda Marx Linda Marx is a writer and reporter for PEOPLE in the areas of entertainment, politics, sports, fashion, travel, design, human interest, lifestyle and art. She has been writing about these topics for more than 20 years. People Editorial Guidelines Published on January 2, 2019 03:00PM EST Photo: Miley Ray Cyrus/Twitter After falling in love as teens and even overcoming a broken engagement, Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth are finally husband and wife. While the stars have been committed to each other for years, neither have been too concerned about actually tying the knot — so why now? “They don’t have doubts about their relationship,” a Cyrus source tells PEOPLE exclusively. “They both wanted to get married. They have both matured a lot, and it seemed like the perfect time for them to get married.” In November, the couple — who met in 2009 on the set of Nicholas Sparks’ romantic drama The Last Song — faced the unthinkable when their beloved Malibu home burned down in the California wildfires. The traumatic experience, however, only brought them closer together. Miley Cyrus Twitter Miley Cyrus Confirms Wedding to Liam Hemsworth with Touching Photos — See Her Stunning Dress “The timing for their wedding makes perfect sense. They, like many others, endured a painful loss which deepened their bond,” says a friend of the singer. In the midst of their heartbreak, the pop star and actor donated $500,000 to The Malibu Foundation through Cyrus’ Happy Hippie Foundation. For all the details on Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth’s surprise wedding, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday. “They were both devastated after the fire,” says the source close to Cyrus, who originally planned to wed Hemsworth in their Malibu compound. Adds a music industry source: “The way Liam took charge and helped her deal with that tragedy just adds another layer of love and security.” Dia Dipasupil/Getty Mother-of-the-Bride Tish Cyrus Made a Quick Outfit Change at Miley and Liam Hemsworth’s Wedding Though they went through their fair share of drama over the last 10 years, sources say the couple’s relationship is more solid than it’s ever been — and they are now fully themselves with one another. “He lets her be Miley, and she has been blown away by his intelligence and ability to deal with her ups and downs,” says the industry source. “She has learned a lot about life, happiness and heartbreak from him. The truth is that something deep was there from the beginning.” The cover of PEOPLE. RELATED VIDEO: Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth Are the Cutest Together! And at the end of the day, Cyrus always knew Hemsworth was meant to be her partner in life. “Miley and Liam’s relationship has evolved so beautifully over the past few years. She adores his sense of loyalty, adventure and independence,” says her friend. “Now her best friend is also her husband. Miley is so happy.”