Southerland's Matt Chase Is Engaged to Girlfriend Abbie Beineman — Inside His 'Perfect' Proposal

Southerland's Matt Chase popped the question in Arkansas after almost two years of dating

and

Published on April 18, 2022 03:55 PM

Southerland's Matt Chase Engaged to Girlfriend Abbie — Matt Chase and Abbie Beineman. Photo: Julia Stroud Photography/Instagram: @juliastroudphoto

Congrats are in order for Southerland's Matt Chase!

The musician, who is one half of the country duo, is engaged to girlfriend Abbie Beineman following a romantic outdoor proposal in Arkansas, PEOPLE can exclusively reveal.

Chase, 29, popped the question to Beineman, 27, on Friday at The Inn at Carnall Hall in Fayetteville — and had to battle some nerves to get there!

"All I'll say is, I'm glad Abbie's momma, Tonya, is a nurse practitioner, because I don't think my heart rate has ever been so high," he tells PEOPLE. "I was really nervous leading up to it, but once we got to the location it was all a blur from there."

Chase says that although he had a speech prepared for Beineman, it all went out the window as he grabbed her hand and got down on one knee.

"Not sure what I said, but I hope it was sweet," he jokes.

Though Beineman, a senior account manager at Futureshirts, had an inkling that a proposal was on the horizon from her boyfriend of just under two years, she was "shocked" in the moment, and had no idea what was in store for her that day.

"I realized what was about to happen when we turned the corner and saw the setup and photographer," she says. "I started crying and couldn't stop! It was perfect and I couldn't be happier."

While the day wound up going "perfectly" to plan, the weather nearly threw a wrench in things, and Chase says he was checking the forecast "every five minutes" to make sure it wasn't going to start raining.

He and his now-fiancée first met at a Halloween party after being introduced by a mutual friend.

"This is cliché and a little cheesy to say, but it truly was when you know, you know," the pair says. "I think that night we knew it was going to be a forever kinda thing."

They add: "We're really looking forward to taking on life together and living each day to the fullest. We have so much to look forward to and are so thankful for our friends and family that have been by our side since the beginning. Excited to see what is to come!"

Chase and his Southerland bandmate Chris Rogers, who married wife Katie last June, are set to release three new songs next month, and will spend the summer on tour.