Gracie first noticed Matt in the cafeteria at OBU in January of 2021. He was wearing a tennis shirt, and she thought he was cute—so she did a little Instagram sleuthing, found the tennis team’s page, and eventually found him. With a bold but charming message, she reached out and said, “Not sure how you feel about girls making the first move, but I’d love to get lunch sometime and get to know you.”

Matt responded, asked for her number, and the two went on a few dates. Although the timing wasn’t quite right for a relationship, they stayed close friends—sharing songs, stories, and life updates—from 2021 all the way to the end of 2023.

By then, Gracie had unknowingly moved just five minutes away from Matt to begin her teaching career in Edmond, while Matt was already working nearby as a tennis coach. As fate would have it, mutual friends (now married) revealed to each of them that the other still had feelings. Matt planned to ask Gracie on a date after the holidays, but before he had the chance, Gracie invited him over to watch a Thunder game.

In true Gracie fashion, she realized last-minute she didn’t have a way to stream the game and ended up purchasing the NBA League Pass just ten minutes before Matt arrived. It didn’t even work—but it didn’t matter. The two spent the night talking, laughing, and reconnecting. They did it again, and again, and haven’t stopped since.

Matt officially asked Gracie to be his girlfriend in early February 2024, and in April 2025, he asked her to be his wife. Even while navigating long distance during Matt’s year of grad school, their relationship only grew stronger. Through every season, they’ve seen the Lord’s hand guiding and providing—right down to Matt receiving a job in OKC just in time for their next chapter.

Gracie and Matt are full of joy and expectation as they prepare for marriage, with a deep desire to pursue the Lord hand in hand for the rest of their lives.