Although they grew up about an hour away from each other, Chase and Gracie didn't meet until December 2023 at the Illinois Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL. After the conference ended, they went their separate ways until the Young Leader conference in Springfield, IL, at the time. They met up again, and the discussion led to Chase asking Gracie to join the SIU Soils Judging team. She said yes, and their love journey began. For a majority of that semester, Chase and Gracie spent a lot of time together either in a soil pit at the farms, hiking around Giant City, singing Eric Church or Johnny Cash in the car, and spending their Sundays going to church and studying the Bible together. On May 9th, 2024, Chase officially asked Gracie to be his girlfriend on a walk in the rain, and they spent the night dancing in the rain and having meaningful conversations. Fast forward to June 30, 2025 - They took a trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where Chase asked Gracie to be his wife. Again, she said yes, and that's what brought us here today. Together, Chase and Gracie have traveled to North Carolina, Idaho, South Carolina, Kentucky, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, Utah, Kansas, Missouri, Florida, Tennessee, Mexico, Germany, and Austria. Traveling and adventuring have taught them a lot about each other and the world they live in. They owe a lot of their love story to the Illinois Farm Bureau and the SIU soils team. They both fell in love with how passionate the other one is to give back to and serve their communities and organizations. Gracie has challenged Chase to get out of his comfort zone and try new things, and on the flip side, Chase has challenged Gracie to stay rooted in where she is in the present moment. They both have brought peace, joy, and laughter into each other's lives, and are very appreciative of the friends and family who have supported them and encouraged them throughout their journey.