Grayce and Sam's Wedding

Ceremony

The Woods Event Center

Reception

Fall

Our Wedding

In December of 2021, Sam needed a partner for his annual family gingerbread competition. Sam's mother texted Grayce and asked if she would want to work with Sam. Grayce excitedly accepted the invitation, not knowing this opportunity would be the early stages of a crush. The project was a success and the two really got to know each other! From that moment forward, the two talked daily and realized how much they had in common. Sam and Grayce shared the same taste in music and sense of humor, watched the same shows, created projects, and enjoyed playing tennis and going on walks. They both enjoy making music; Sam plays the trumpet and guitar, while Grayce attempts piano and guitar. Their personalities blended perfectly.&nbsp; If you want an idea of the connection these two share, in April 2022, Grayce and Sam were headed home with his parents after a family Easter in Watseka. They laughed at memes the entire car ride. After the group got home, Sam’s father told his mother “Well, there is something there that was not before.” It was a happily platonic relationship that soon blossomed into something more beautiful.&nbsp; On a FaceTime call with her cousin, Grayce nervously texted Sam expressing her feelings for him, and anxiously waited for what felt like an eternity before receiving a delighted response from Sam, confirming his shared feelings. The two officially entered their relationship on April 24th, 2022. It was no time before the two were completely committed and invested in each other's success and endeavors. While balancing school and substitute teaching, Grayce would often drive to Terre Haute to visit Sam, where they would stay up late watching YouTube memes or The X-Files, talking and sharing stories, laughing about anything, cooking (cheesy potatoes at midnight, for example) and baking, taking walks on the Heritage Trail, and simply enjoying the company of the other.

Take A Chance On Me

During their friendship, the two entered their final senior semester in college. Grayce was a member of Phi Alpha Eta and Delta Alpha Pi, two honorary societies at Eastern. She found enjoyment in her classes and also conducted a research study to determine the perceived likeability of someone based on their laughter-type. Sam was an active member of Design Build Fly and the Astronomy Club, and worked at the Branam Innovation Center. Sam took Mechatronics, ME Lab, and Turbomachinery. He balanced his classes, work, and extracurriculars very well (although with a severe case of senioritis). Fast forwarding through the school stress and commuting an hour to visit each other, Grayce graduated from Eastern in early May and Sam would graduate from Rose-Hulman a few weeks later. In April 2023, Sam accepted a quality engineer position at AeroGen-TEK in Paris, Illinois. Grayce began her second round of murals in early June. She painted two murals at Lincoln Elementary School and one at the Counseling Center in Robinson.

You're The Inspiration

Through a family member, the two found a rental house in Marshall, Illinois. This location was convenient for Sam's commute to work, the community activities kept them out and about, and having family and friends close by ensured they would not grow too isolated. On Sam's graduation day, the two met with the landlords and toured the house. They knew it was perfect. The space was adequate and cozy, and the landlords were kind and immediately took Grayce and Sam under their wings. At the start of June 2023, the two moved into their home. They have made it theirs by hosting family suppers, having friends over for game nights, crowding the walls with photos and artwork, cooking meals and baking goods together, watching X-Files and Futurama, being the hot-spot for the neighborhood stray cats, and filling it with Grayce's plethora of plants.

You're My Home

On September 5th, 2023, Grayce and Sam were on their way to his parents' house in Robinson for their weekly supper arrangement. As the couple walked up to the house, Sam stopped Grayce on the porch, got down on one knee, and asked (along the lines of) "will you marry me?" Immediately, yes! The two embraced for a big hug and entered the house, only to find that Grayce's grandparents, mother, and brother were also in attendance. They all celebrated, hugged, ate amazing lasagna and a beautiful cake made by Sam's sister Jessie, and visited for the rest of the evening.

I Can Hear The Bells...

Since the engagement, Grayce and Sam have kept busy. Sam is still working at AeroGen as a quality engineer and Grayce started working at HRC as a Bachelor Level Mental Health Therapist while applying to graduate school. Some of the highlights in their recent time together include: attending a Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks concert, as well as the Eagles in Chicago. They also toured the Art Institute, to which Grayce had never been. Grayce and Sam welcomed their newest niece, Lily, in February! Sam was appointed Godfather-status, too! Grayce was accepted into Eastern Illinois University's Clinical Mental Health Counseling program in February 2024. She started classes in May of 2024 and wrapped up a very fast-paced round of summer courses in July. In August, her first official semester began and the 16 weeks flew by! She is now in her second semester and interning at The Hamilton Center in Terre Haute, where she gets to work with children and teenagers. Grayce and Sam are thrilled to celebrate their special day with the people most important to them as they embrace their next chapter!

The Best of Times

Our Story

Photos

McKenna is a teacher candidate at the University of Southern Indiana. She hopes to become a junior high/high school history teacher. McKenna enjoys reading, hiking, and conducting research in her free time. Grayce and McKenna have been friends for nearly a decade, though more often than not we have referred to each other as "sister". Her favorite memory with Grayce is hard to pinpoint, but the one that sticks out is the time they had a sleepover the night before finals McKenna's freshman year of high school. And they stayed up until 3am. They still cannot believe their moms let them get away with that! They had never laughed so hard in their lives. 

McKenna Love

Ian is the brother of Sam, and as a consequence of this they have shared many experiences and adventures. Separated by only eighteen months of age, they stuck with each other from elementary school through the completion of undergraduate education, and oftentimes formed an effective duo in various extracurricular and recreational activities. Ian is currently working as an engineer developing environmental controls and life support systems for Axiom Space’s commercial space station project. Although he now resides in Houston, Texas with his wife Emma, he and Sam still regularly meet up online to play games and catch up.

Ian Quick

Leo Blankenbeker is the nephew of the groom. Grayce is his only aunt whose name doesn't start with "Em" - he has three that do! Leo loves cooking and singing, and is obsessed with space. He knows all the planets and several facts about each, and owns a real telescope! Leo is learning to read and write, and loves going to preschool. His favorite toys are Magnatiles and construction trucks. Depending on the day,  he'd like to be an astronaut, a fireman, or a dump truck driver when he grows up!

Leo Blankenbeker

Emma is originally from Flat Rock, Illinois, but moved to Houston, Texas, with her husband Ian shortly after graduating from Rose-Hulman. She is a modeling & simulations chemical engineer at Amentum (formerly Jacobs Technology) doing work for NASA Johnson Space Center under the JETS II contract. Emma was in Sam’s class in high school and enjoyed participating in [many] academic extracurricular programs with him such as Scholastic Bowl, Math Team, WYSE, TEAMS, and so on. Emma met Grayce at a high school track meet, and they became instant pals. The two specialize in cracking jokes, crying together, and maintaining a very respectable Snapchat streak.

Emma Quick

Jessie Blankenbeker is the sister of the groom, and is excited to gain another sister in September! She met Sam shortly after his birth, and used to sing the ABCs to Baby Sam when he was upset. As he got older, they loved to use their imaginations together, including going to their own made-up world, Melnia. This might be where Sam's love of D&D came from! Jessie works part-time as an aerospace engineer, but spends most mornings at home with her children Leo (Ring Bearer) and Lily (Flower Girl). Her hobbies include spending time with her family, making music, reading, and baking. She's blessed to have a loving husband, Jacob, who cleans up the aftermath of her kitchen creations. They'd like to open a bakery someday!

Jessica Blankenbeker

Jacob Blankenbeker is the groom's brother-in-law, and actually "shipped" the happy couple well before they developed feelings for each other! He's known Sam for over ten years, and has gotten to watch him grow into the man he is today.  They often bond over their mutual love of video games, although he doesn't get to play as often as he used to.  His wife (Jessie) and kids (Leo and Lily) tend to keep him on his toes when he's not inspecting aerospace parts at work. Jacob enjoys video games, driving his Willys Jeep, working on various home projects, and eating his wife's cooking, even if it usually comes with insane amounts of dishes to clean.  If he had more spare time, he'd love to build houses! 

Jacob Blankenbeker

Tucker works at First Robinson Savings Bank. You might have seen him at the Palestine Rodeo where he sang the National Anthem! Tucker enjoys singing, listening to country music, taking golf cart rides, and hanging out with my friends and family. Tucker and Grayce have been friends since about third grade! Tucker has stated multiple times that Grayce is more like his sister than his best friend. "I would not take anything for her!" The two share too many memories to pick just one. But Tucker thinks one of his favorites is how they would drive after Wednesday night church just singing and laughing their butts off... for hours! Those were the good days! 

Tucker Scott

Katie is currently studying at Lincoln Trail College for her associate's degree in Arts and Science. She hopes to be a realtor and own a real estate agency! She also plays softball for LTC. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends, family, and boyfriend, riding four-wheelers, baking, and going on spontaneous trips or drives. Growing up with Grayce as her big cousin has been one of the best things, and she cherishes all of their memories. One memory that sticks out was the time Grayce took Katie and her brother, Garrett, to IGA. When they were headed back to Grayce's house, she thought she could make this turn without hitting the curb... As they pulled out and started to turn, she hit the curb with the front and back tires, rocking the car. The three laughed so hard they had to pull over because they thought they were going to pee their pants. 

Katie Winterrowd

Julia is from Robinson but currently resides in Charleston. She will graduate from Eastern Illinois University in May with a bachelor’s in elementary education. After graduating, Julia plans to get a teaching job around the Coles County area. In her free time, some of her favorite things to do are go to the local coffee shop with friends, and spend time with her family and boyfriend, Jack. She also loves all things nature and outdoors. One of her favorite memories with Grayce is country cruising when they were in high school. Julia feels especially honored to be a part of Grayce's big day because she also grew up in Roselene’s home daycare with Sam. She can’t wait to stand at Grayce’s side in September and celebrate them both!

Julia Gallion

Drake is a janitor at Washington Elementary School in Robinson. When not working, he enjoys playing video games, reading history and war books, hanging out with his friend Chris, and working on his own history book. Being siblings, Grayce and Drake share plenty of great memories. One hilarious memory was when Drake, Grayce, and Katie went to TP Grayce's boss in the middle of basically nowhere. When they were in the middle of this, someone pulled into her boss' driveway. Drake hit the deck, Katie bolted, and Grayce went to talk to the person in the car. Turns out, it was Grayce's boss's boyfriend who is a retired State Trooper. They thought they were cooked. He was laughing so hard and let the three carry on, without blowing their cover.  

Drake Tohill

Joe is a student at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. He is currently completing a co-op at Delta Airlines in their safety department in Atlanta, Georgia. In Joe's free time, he enjoys cooking, baking, golfing, and traveling.

Joe Quick

Emma is a second-year Chemical Engineering major at The Ohio State University. With a passion for learning and a bright future ahead, Emma is focused on her studies and her growing career. Outside of academics, Emma enjoys cozying up with a good book, journaling, cooking, and baking.

Emma Dorfmeuller

Edy met Grayce when they were younger and her brother worked at ACE. Later in high school, they spent their spring afternoons together on the track practicing their high jumping skills. Now, Edy and Grayce both attend EIU and share a love of being plant parents! Edy is a senior in the elementary education program and is licensed for both early childhood and elementary. She will graduate in spring 2025 and hopes to stay around the Charleston area to teach! Edy is looking forward to starting her teaching career this fall in a third-grade classroom! She is honored to be at Grayce’s side as she marries Sam (her stage brother from children's summer theater days). Edy says, "see you all at the altar!" 


Edyth Treadway

Norah is a girly girl through & through. She loves all things pink & sparkly! Norah enjoys having her nails and make up done and of course wearing pretty dresses and shoes. When she’s not dressed to the 10s, she can be found playing out in the dirt! Her most favorite color is pink with purple as a close second. If she is not outside, she can be found watching one of her favorite shows, Bluey, and playing with her many Bluey toys. She is most excited about the wedding because "she gets to be a flower girl & wear a beautiful dress!" Norah talks about the wedding 185 times a day… Needless to say, we all are
SO READY for this wedding!

Norah Garner

Lily Blankenbeker is the niece and goddaughter of the groom. She will be 1.5 years old by the wedding. Her personality is already showing she will be a source of joy and entertainment for everyone around her. She currently climbs anything and everything she can.  She loves to try new foods, especially if they're on Mama's plate.  Her favorite things are Elmo, snuggles with her Dada, following her brother around, and listening to family members sing.

Lily Blankenbeker

Wedding Party

Do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions! Whether your questions are about how to RSVP or view the registry, we want to help in any way possible :D !!Grayce: 217-791-8347Sam: 618-554-8664McKenna (Maid of Honor): 618-554-1159Wendy (Mother of the Bride): 618-562-0478Roselene (Mother of the Groom): 618-554-3314

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Near Washington Park. Make yourself at home in one of the 65 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and microwaves. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms have bathtubs or showers and hair dryers. Conveniences include safes and desks, as well as phones with free local calls.With a stay at Baymont by Wynd

Baymont by Wyndham Robinson

Country View Inn &amp; Suites is located on the west side of Robinson, IL., and has 65 rooms available. Each room includes several amenities to make your stay with us a pleasant one. You will also find available during your stay an indoor pool, fitness center, meeting room, business center, full complimentary breakfast, and many more amenities. Also, we are a non-smoking facility including all rooms for your convenience.

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