Luke Bryan will take center stage as the co-host of the Country Music Association Awards with Peyton Manning and Lainey Wilson. Of course, his gorgeous wife, Caroline Bryan (née Boyer), will be in the audience to support her man. Besides being the host, Luke is also set to perform a medley of hits. Country music fans know that Caroline has been a staple at these award shows for years, as she’s supported Luke at various high-profile events throughout his music career.
This year will also mark the fourth year in a row that Luke will be hosting the CMA Awards. He hosted solo in 2021, before joining Peyton in 2022 and again in 2023. They did such a great job last year that they brought the dynamic duo back to co-host the 2024 CMA Awards.
In addition to getting dolled up on the red carpet, though, Caroline and Luke love showing off their love on social media. When the glam comes off, the two are just goofy college sweethearts who are still madly in love! Plus, they’ve created a beautiful family together. Learn more about Caroline and her relationship with Luke here!
Luke and Caroline met when they were both students at Georgia Southern University in the late 90s. Before heading to Georgia Southern, Luke got a two-year degree at a college closer to home following the death of his brother, Chris Bryan, in 1996. After transferring, he met Caroline when she was a freshman and he was a senior. At the time, Luke was playing music in a college band, and he met Caroline when they were at the same local bar together.
“We’re just in there, doing our deal, just enjoying college, and I see this group of girls walk in, and obviously Caroline’s one of them,” Luke revealed in his 2021 documentary, My Dirt Road Diary. “I was just like, ‘Who is that? I gotta figure out a way to strike up a conversation and do something cheesy, or whatever.’” Luke described meeting Caroline as “love at first sight,” although, at the time, she wasn’t initially ready for a boyfriend.
“I didn’t want anything to do with a boyfriend, but it kind of escalated into a little more,” Caroline admitted. During that time, Luke was playing in a college band. “I never knew a performer. I wasn’t impressed that he was a singer, I just liked who he was,” she explained. “He was quirky and goofy and funny and clumsy, but he was smart. It was just this big personality that I had never met in my life.” Unfortunately, Luke’s growing career and the pair’s age difference began to take a toll. “He’s gone a lot, and honestly, Luke was the second guy I ever kissed in my entire life,” Caroline said. “So I knew I wasn’t ready for that to be it. I just couldn’t love him the way he deserved. I had to grow up.”
The two split for good after a year and a half of dating on and off. “I just think our age difference put us on different paths,” Luke revealed, admitting that he was “heartbroken for many years” about the breakup. Luke moved home to be with his family, who was still mourning Chris, for a bit after that. Eventually, though, his father encouraged him to go to Nashville and follow his dreams for real.
