Christie and Ben became close friends when they signed up to play on a rec volleyball team during the summer of 2019. In 2020, after hearing Ben would be celebrating U.S. Thanksgiving alone, Christie invited him to her family's house to celebrate the holiday (they claim it was completely platonic). Although Ben ended up not coming due to work and COVID, the two kept checking in with each other daily and never stopped. Ben and Christie made it official in May 2021. 4 marathons, 3 trips to wine country, 2 Blackhawks seasons as ticket holders, and countless OTs later, Ben popped the question and Christie said yes!