Sarah Crane and Brandon Gilliam met while attending law school at Lincoln Memorial University's Duncan School of Law in 2019. They only really had passing glances at the school, in a single mock-trial competition, and only spoke to each other once at a Halloween Pub Crawl in downtown Knoxville. Then in Brandon's final semester of school and Sarah's second semester of her first year, COVID-19 hit and changed their lives. Because of quarantine, they got to know each other only through countless FaceTime calls that sometimes continued into the early morning hours rather than in-person exchanges. Instead of having the typical first dates that most other couples experience, the COVID-couple's first in person date was a combination of take-out Mexican food from El Monterrey's (with the LARGEST to-go margaritas you've ever seen) and taking in the local nature and scenery at the Quarry at Ijams Nature Center. Sarah and Brandon were lucky enough to secure the same location for their wedding festivities, so they can honor both the place that brought them together, and the efforts that their home city has made to preserve and grow the natural environment.

The couple initially bonded over their shared love of nature (obviously), and have spent much of their time in the Smoky Mountains, or floating in kayaks. However, since they began dating on May 6, 2020, Sarah and Brandon have found common-ground in their many interests, such as the classic "nerd" universes of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Game of Thrones, and more. However, Sarah and Brandon have expanded each other's horizons by showing each other new things to obsess over, such as binge-watching animes like Naruto Shippuden, Demon Slayer, and Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood. (Brandon is still trying to convince Sarah to watch One Piece, but come on y'all, there's over 1,000 episodes and more are coming out!) Sarah and Brandon also love to travel. Since dating, they have been to several states across the U.S., and have traveled out out the country just once...so far.

On Sunday, October 15, 2023, Brandon took Sarah to another date at the Quarry at Ijams. They had just attended the wedding of their friends Taelor and Ben that weekend, and all was bliss. Sarah thought the date was an attempt to wind back down from the weekend's festivities in preparation for another normal week of work. However, Brandon had other plans. He convinced Sarah that take-out from El Monterrey's (sans the massive margaritas) would be far more relaxing than sitting down to eat at some restaurant. Once the carne asada, the burrito, and the queso dip were secure in the car, he convinced Sarah it made much more sense to just drive somewhere else to eat rather turn around and head home. Once they arrived at the Quarry, Brandon took Sarah to the same picnic table where they had that same meal on May 5, 2020. Once they finished eating, Brandon took Sarah on a walk closer to the water for a better view. They sat on the rock's edge close to the surface of the water, and reminisced on their relationship, and how each of them has grown not only in their relationship, but as individuals as a whole. Brandon noticed some deformations of the rock wall on the other side of the Quarry, causing him to say "What is that?" forcing them both to look away from each other. While Sarah's back was turned, Brandon got down on one knee and simply said "Speaking of Rocks..." Sarah turned to face him, and realized that she was staring the future she'd only hoped for over the last two years, except that it was really happening.

Now, Sarah and Brandon can't wait to bring in this new stage of their lives together, surrounded by those they love, in the place where it all began.

Lately, when the couple isn't wedding planning, they spend their time with close friends playing Magic the Gathering (for those who have no idea what that is, picture "Dungeons and Dragons" but with cards instead of a board game), going to Trivia Nights at local bars like XUL Beer Company, and force-cuddling their fur babies. The couple hopes to travel the world, starting with either Greece, Italy, or Japan.