Inside Luke Bryan’s Marriage to College Sweetheart Who ‘Kissed Him 1ST’ Helped Raise His Sister’s Kids

Country star Luke Bryan and his beautiful wife, Caroline Boyer, have a relationship rivaling the most remarkable love story. They faced unthinkable tragedy side by side, and their bond grew stronger.

Before the Bryan’s became known as one of Hollywood’s happiest couples, they almost missed the opportunity to get to know one another.

Once Luke met Caroline in 1998, the attraction was immediate. They attended college together, and he fell in love within eight seconds. However, his future wife took her time reciprocating the feelings—their paths only crossed again eight years later.

Luke Bryan and Caroline Bryan attend the 40th American Music Awards on November 18, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images

They had an on-and-off romantic relationship throughout their time at Georgia Southern University, and Luke described their experience in detail. He stated:

“What’s amazing about us is that we dated a little in college. We would break up and then I would be devastated. We’d get back together, break up and she would be devastated.”

It was a dark time for Luke and Caroline, who eventually spent five and a half years apart before deciding they wouldn’t call it quits on their relationship anymore.

While Luke was besotted with Caroline from the beginning, he was a gentleman who never made a move. Caroline shared:

“I kissed him first! He was always so scared of making a girl feel uncomfortable, he wouldn’t cross a line.”

It took half a decade, but the duo managed to find their way back to each other. There were many times that they thought they had lost the relationship forever, but one night everything changed.

Luke was playing at a bar in Statesboro, and Caroline was in town by chance, and they started chatting for a while. She eventually invited the country musician to her family’s Christmas party, and they never looked back after that.

Soon after the lovebirds found their way back into each other’s arms, Luke was hoping for a lucky break, and Caroline was working a successful job. The country star said that being apart was a blessing in disguise, and he added:

“I went off to Nashville, got all this going. She finished college. She went and actually had a career.”

LUKE’S WIFE WAS THE BREADWINNER

Luke proposed to Caroline by blindfolding her after a romantic date and popping the question when she least expected it. He told her they would look at a potential home, and when she opened her eyes, he was down on one knee.

In 2006, the duo tied the knot during a special ceremony in the idyllic Turks & Caicos. They chose the Colorado mountains as their honeymoon destination, but things weren’t moonlight and roses after they said their vows.

Luke was still making a name for himself in the music industry and didn’t have a constant income. Caroline stepped up as the breadwinner of their family and ensured they made ends meet every month. Luke recalled:

“When we got married, her career supported me when I was making about $10,000 a year. She was the one bringing in the dough.”

He returned the favor for their tenth anniversary and gifted his college sweetheart an upgraded version of her engagement ring.

The duo pride themselves on keeping their marriage light-hearted. They revealed that they play pranks on each other and make sure humor and fun remain vital components of their relationship.

While many couples separated or filed for divorce during the pandemic, Luke and Caroline loved spending more time together. The American Idol judge noted:

“My wife and I, we’re better than ever.”

In 2008, The couple welcomed their first child, Thomas Boyer Bryan. He was named after his famous dad, whose birth name wasn’t Luke. The youngster grew up touring with her parents and was thrilled when he gained a baby brother.

Tatum Christopher Bryan joined the family in 2010 and quickly learned to enjoy the outdoors with his dad and sibling. Caroline ensured they kept their relationship healthy despite having occasional arguments.

She was proud of her marriage with Luke and said they always discussed their problems. She added:

“Marriage isn’t always a fairy tale! It’s a battle that both people have to be willing to fight. Each day whether we are blissfully happy or not, we fight for each other. I’ll love Luke until my last breath.”

THEY GAINED THREE MORE KIDS OVERNIGHT

Luke faced many tragedies throughout his life, including the death of his brother and sister. When his sister’s husband, Ben Lee Cheshire, passed away in 2014, the country musician’s nieces and nephew were left orphaned.

Caroline and Luke jumped into action, never hesitating to help. They became the parents of five kids overnight, and while they knew it wouldn’t be easy, Caroline shared:

“We never thought twice about it. You know, it was never something that he and I had to sit down and talk about, you know, should we take this on? We just did it.”

The couple adopted Til, Jordan, and Kris into their family, and Luke was concerned about having to raise a teenager unexpectedly.

He said it was a challenge because he wanted to give Til advice but realized he was becoming an independent adult. He said:

“I have to be that parent role where if he does something, he needs to get in trouble, but I want to be a friend to him too.”

Caroline was protective of her children and shared an incident she didn’t handle well. The mom of five chased a group of girls away when they tried to visit Til late in the evening. However, it came from a place of love.

Caroline was emotional in 2020 when the dreaded time came to send Til off to college. Watching a child spread their wings and leave the nest is never easy, and she expressed her feelings in an Instagram post. Caroline wrote:

“I left a big piece of my heart today in Georgia. Been dreading this day for years, but I guess it’s time for Til to fly. Still can’t handle it right now! Good luck in college my sweet boy.”

Caroline was the pillar of strength for her nieces and nephew, and she supported Til while he grieved the loss of his parents. Luke recalled:

“My wife had so many nights with him, just helping him talk out his grieving process.”

She was delighted to help Jordan plan her wedding after she got engaged and provided the much-needed presence of a loving mom.

Luke also had the honor of walking his late sister’s eldest child down the aisle, and it was an emotional day for everyone. While they could never replace their parents, the couple did their best to be there for them.

Anomama