If you’ve spent any time listening to the tight, four-part harmonies of Little Big Town, you know that the bond between the members is basically unbreakable. But for Kimberly Schlapman—the one with the iconic blonde curls and the voice that sounds like home—the story of who she goes home to at night is actually one of the most moving tales in country music.
So, who is Kimberly of Little Big Town married to? Her husband is Stephen Schlapman.
Most fans know him simply as "Schlap." They’ve been together for nearly two decades, but their marriage isn't just a standard celebrity romance. It’s a story born out of deep grief, a secret they kept for twenty years, and a couple of "miracle" daughters. Honestly, the details of how they got together are enough to make even the toughest roadie a little misty-eyed.
The Secret Vegas Elopement Nobody Knew About
For a long time, the public record said Kimberly and Stephen tied the knot on a private island in the Caribbean on November 28, 2006. That was the official story.
But in early 2025, Kimberly dropped a bombshell while co-hosting Today with Jenna & Friends. It turns out, they had already been married for six months by the time that tropical wedding rolled around.
Basically, they eloped in Las Vegas in May 2006.
Why the secrecy? Kimberly admits she was "always a good girl" and the idea of a secret Vegas wedding felt a little rebellious. They were out West to meet family at a lake, and Stephen suggested going a day early to just... do it. They had an Elvis impersonator at the reception and everything. Only four people knew—including her bandmate Karen Fairchild, mostly because Kimberly needed to justify sharing a hotel room with him while the band was on tour.
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She didn't even tell her parents or her kids for nearly twenty years. She actually had to call her mom minutes before the TV segment aired just to give her a heads-up. Her mom’s reaction? She just giggled.
Finding Love After the Unthinkable
You can't really talk about Kimberly’s marriage to Stephen without talking about Steven Roads.
That was Kimberly's first husband. He was the band's lawyer and her college sweetheart from Samford University. They were married for 15 years. Then, in April 2005, while Little Big Town was on a radio tour and finally seeing success with their hit "Boondocks," Steven died suddenly of a heart attack. He was only 41.
Kimberly has been very open about how that loss left her "in shreds." She was numb. She didn't think she'd ever feel joy again, let alone fall in love.
Stephen Schlapman was actually a friend of the couple. He was grieving too, having lost a close friend in Steven Roads. In the months following the tragedy, Stephen started calling Kimberly. Just to check in. At first, he called as much as everyone else did. Then, he started calling a little more.
It was weird for her at first. She’s admitted she felt shocked when she realized she was developing feelings for him. But Stephen became her "solace." He was a friend who understood her grief because he was living it too. Eventually, she allowed herself to move toward the light, and as she puts it, he "fixed" her.
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Why She Calls Him "Schlap"
There’s a funny, practical reason behind Stephen’s nickname.
Because her late husband was named Steven and her new husband was named Stephen, things got a little confusing. Kimberly has said, "I can't call both of my beautiful men Steve."
So, she uses their last name. He became "Schlap," and it stuck. Even the other members of Little Big Town—Karen Fairchild, Jimi Westbrook, and Phillip Sweet—call him that. It’s just who he is to the inner circle.
The "Honeymoon Miracle" and the Long Road to Dolly
For years, Kimberly and her first husband struggled with infertility. She has endometriosis, and doctors told her a natural pregnancy was unlikely.
Then came the honeymoon with Stephen.
Against all odds, Kimberly got pregnant almost immediately. She gave birth to their first daughter, Daisy Pearl, in July 2007. Kimberly has a beautiful way of looking at this; she believes her late husband, Steven, "begged God" to give her the gift of a child as a wedding present.
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But the road to a second child wasn't as smooth. The couple went through years of:
- In vitro fertilization (IVF)
- Artificial insemination
- The heartbreak of miscarriages
Eventually, they realized their path was leading somewhere else. In January 2017, they announced they had adopted a baby girl named Dolly Grace. The name was a nod to Kimberly’s idol, Dolly Parton, and the timing was perfect—Daisy had literally just asked Santa for a sibling for Christmas.
Life in South Carolina (The 2026 Update)
If you're looking for them in Nashville these days, you might be out of luck.
In late 2025, Kimberly and Stephen made the big move back toward her roots. They left the music city bustle for a home they built outside Greenville, South Carolina. It’s only about an hour from where Kimberly grew up in North Georgia.
The move was motivated by family—specifically Kimberly’s mother, who has been battling Parkinson’s. Kimberly wanted her daughters to have that time with their grandmother and to grow up with more space. They’re living on a four-acre "forever home" plot, proving that after all the platinum records and Grammy wins, the "Schlapmans" are really just about family at the end of the day.
Practical Insights for Fans
If you’re following Kimberly’s journey, there are a few things you can actually take away from her story of resilience and love:
- Grief isn't a straight line: Kimberly shows that it's possible to honor a past love while fully embracing a new one. She still speaks fondly of Steven Roads while being devoted to Stephen Schlapman.
- Adoption is a "Miracle" too: Her book A Dolly for Christmas is a great resource if you're trying to explain adoption to kids. She’s become a major advocate for the process.
- Prioritizing family is okay: Even at the height of a country music career, she chose to move states to be a caregiver for her mom. It's a reminder that "success" looks different for everyone.
If you're interested in seeing more of their family life, Kimberly is pretty active on Instagram (@ohgussie), where she often posts "Schlap," Daisy, and Dolly helping her out in the kitchen or enjoying life in South Carolina.