‘The Voice’ Alum Emily Ann Roberts Marries Longtime Boyfriend Chris Sasser

The Voice alum Emily Ann Roberts is officially married, having tied the knot with high school sweetheart Chris Sasser over the weekend at Marblegate Farm in Friendsville, Tennessee. As was the case with hundreds of other weddings this year, the coronavirus pandemic forced the couple to alter their plans, and they made the decision to get married outside two weeks before the big day.

“We decided two weeks before to get married outside, which was never the original plan, but we knew it would be the best decision for everyone’s safety,” Roberts told PEOPLE. “There were also many guidelines set in place by our venue we had to abide by, but we’re so thankful to the team at Marblegate and every single vendor we worked with for helping us through the planning… and sometimes re-planning process.”

Roberts and Sasser met in Spanish class in high school just months before Roberts left to compete on Season 9 of The Voice, where she finished as runner-up. The couple dated for five years before becoming engaged in October 2019 when Sasser proposed on Roberts’ 21st birthday.

“The fall season has always been a favorite of ours, especially with growing up so close to the Smoky Mountains,” shared Roberts, a native of Knoxville, Tennessee. “We always make trips to the mountains to see the gorgeous colors of the leaves before they fall, so when we were picking our wedding date and colors, we knew we wanted to pull inspiration from the beautiful colors of fall in East Tennessee.”

The 22-year-old walked down the aisle to a song she wrote with Stephanie Chapman called “Infinity,” and Roberts’ lifelong pastor Todd Halliburton served as the wedding officiant. The couple recited traditional vows, which Roberts shared have a special meaning for her.

“My mom and dad memorized their [vows] for their wedding and my mom still repeats them to this day to my dad,” she explained. “I’ve grown up hearing them and dreaming of saying those same words to the man God had for me.”

Roberts and Sasser are now preparing to road trip to a ‘quiet little beach town’ in South Florida for their honeymoon, and they’re planning on taking an important lesson with them.

“A piece of advice we’re taking into our marriage with us is to always talk things out,” Roberts said. “We’ve both learned in every other relationship in our lives how important honesty and communication is. We know it is even more important to always be on the same page to make a marriage work.”