The Murray State News

Bridal 201322 FFeebbrruuaarryy 1155,, 22001133TThhee NNeewwss

Bridal 2013 33FFeebbrruuaarryy 1155,, 22001133TThhee NNeewwss

2609 University StationMurray State UniversityMurray, Ky. 42071-3301

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&TheNews.orgThe Murray State NewsMMeegghhaannnn AAnnddeerrssoonn

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Weddings are definitely notmy thing. It’s not like I don’t likea good wedding – the flowers,the happy family, the ... yeah, no,I just do not like weddings. But I’d be foolish to say that

you don’t. Every year, TheMurray State News publishesthis special section, and stu-dents across the campus use itto help make plans for whatmany consider the “next bigstep” after graduation.

And admittedly, as I reach thelatter half of my undergraduatecareer, I won’t pretend asthough my girlfriend and Ihaven’t discussed bigger plansfor our future together (asscary as it seems).I’m sure there are plenty of

guys on campus who share mysentiment. It is, however, areality with getting older. Iremind myself of that as Iwatch my childhood friends

tie the knot one by one.So, that’s where “Bridal

Tabloid” comes in. Every year,we use this section to help stu-dents ailed by debt and studystress take on the huge respon-sibility of organizing everythingabout a wedding. With that, wehighlight some engagements oncampus, to keep our ownrecord of the next few additionsto the Shoe Tree in the Quad. Yes, no matter how much I

may hate it (as, it seems, I’monly genetically inclined to do),wedding bells are a realityabout getting older, and I’m justgoing to have to be willing toaccept that. As a point of respect, con-

gratulations to those who mettheir lifelong mates here inMurray. I hope all of you – notonly those we featured in RacerEngagements – enjoy a lifetimeof happiness.

AAuussttiinnRRaammsseeyy

Editor-in-Chief

FFrroomm tthhee EEddiittoorr

Monday - Friday: 10 A.M. - 6 P.M.Saturday: 9 A.M. - 3 P.M.

403 Chestnut St.Murray, KY

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44 FFeebbrruuaarryy 1155,, 22001133TThhee NNeewwss

Meghann Anderson ||News [email protected]

College students have a tightbudget. College students planning a

wedding have an even smallerone.Many brides-to-be love the

idea of do-it-yourself projects,and thanks to Pinterest the ideasfor every last detail of a weddingare endless. A tip for cutting back on wed-

ding expenses is to prioritizewhat you think is important. Meredith Bodgas from

theknot.com listed several tipson how to cut expenses such as:shortening the guest list, makingthe cake and emailing your save-the-dates.Many students have the task of

planning a wedding while takingclasses full time and strugglewith how to spread the moneyacross the board. Katharine Bivin, junior from

Owensboro, Ky., is one of those

students who are having to jug-gle the expenses of a wedding.“I will honestly tell you that

planning a wedding and going toschool is a challenge,” Bivin said.“Although it was such a chal-lenge, I was thankful for my fam-ily and friends that supportedme through the entire process.When it came to the budget, Ireally wanted to keep it smallconsidering that I was stillattending classes and had otherexpenses.”Many students agreed one of

the main things they did toreduce cost was to make theirown invitations, RSVP cards andthe programs that were to behanded out at the ceremony. Bivin said she and her brides-

maids also did their own makeupto save money. “It wasn't all fun and games

and was definitely time consum-ing,” she said. “But it gave usmore money to spend in otheraspects of the wedding.” She said she became a bargain-

shopper when it came to sup-

plies and decorations. “When it came to the details,

Pinterest played a large part indecorating,” Bivin said.She said weddings can be cost-

ly, but with budgeting and bar-gain shopping, it doesn’t have tobreak a college student. A wed-ding is about the couple and thestart of the rest of their lives, notabout an extravagant presenta-tion that costs thousands of dol-lars. Another tip to save money

comes after the wedding. Many places such as Walmart

and Target give couples dis-counts for items for which theyregistered but did not receive.This can help if the couple didnot receive everything they needto start their life together. “My wedding was perfect and

it didn’t destroy my bankaccount,” Bivin said. “The thingsI did without at my weddingdon’t matter now and almost oneyear later they definitely don’tseem as important as they did atthe time.”

Haley Russell || Contributing [email protected]

So, you have the ring. And if you happen to be thefuture groom and you still have the ring – go pro-pose and then come back and then we can talk. Congratulations! You are engaged to be married.

But, now what? Where do you go from here? Whatkind of dress do you want? Do you want a suit or atuxedo? And what about those favors they hand outat weddings? Deejay or live band? It is nice to believe the beginning of wedding

planning is a dream – you already have (or havegiven) the ring and you are set to marry the love ofyour life. But oftentimes, wedding planning can benothing short of absolute insanity. It is your sole job to pull together in-laws, a min-

ister, distant cousins, high school friends, collegefriends, work friends and your closest family mem-bers and ensure a flawless and enjoyable ceremonyand reception. Yes, it is a big task. So, how do youswing it? By focusing on two super easy and basic things,

your wedding will not only be a success, but a dayyou can happily remember for the rest of your life. 1.) Set a budget. A budget determines your wed-

ding, plain as that. Wedding Wire cites this as being the most inte-

gral part of wedding planning. “Before the fun part can truly begin, it’s impor-

tant to set up your wedding budget,” Wedding Wire

states. “With this in place from the beginning youwill, hopefully, plan more efficiently throughoutyour engagement.”Do not be discouraged if you decide your budget

is smaller than you had anticipated. The craft worldhas recently exploded with do-it-yourself optionsfor couples to consider that can save tons of money. If that isn’t enough, budget calculators are offered

on major wedding websites like theknot.com. Havea conversation with your fiance and your family

and decide on your budget.2.) Have fun with it. So Murray does not have a bridal salon?Take a day trip to Nashville and knock out dress

shopping and bridesmaids and groomsmen attire aswell. Pick out some invitations. Have a nice lunch.Register. Trust me, it is the most fun you can have during

your engagement. Take your fiance, or a couple offriends, and check out Anne’s Bridal or David’sBridal in Paducah, Ky. There are all kinds ofoptions. Recently engaged couple Shannon Russell, junior

from Marshall, Mich., and Nolan Mark, senior fromAuburn, Ind., have run into a few hiccups whileplanning their summer 2014 vintage peacock wed-ding. More and more, couples are choosing outside

venues such as parks, backyards and meadows to tiethe knot. Not only can these provide an excellentbackdrop for pictures, but it can also be cost effec-tive. “We found this amazing barn just a few minutes

away from the church where the ceremony was,”she said. “We had planned to get married May 31. Itwas going to be perfect; that was the day Nolan firstkissed me. But, we loved the barn so much that wedecided to push it back a week.” And just remember: if you come out of the cere-

mony with an extra ring and a marriage license, youhave done your job. Enjoy it.

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Photo courtesy of sxc.hu

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Wedding planning creates stress for many couples

Photo courtesy of sxc.hu

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Bridal 2013

Samantha Villanueva ||Staff [email protected]

Most of the general publicis familiar with commonweddings traditions like theplaying of Richard Wagner’s“Bridal Chorus” when thebride walks down the aisle,the bride and groom havinga wedding party and ricebeing thrown at the mar-ried couple.Most, though,

might not befamiliar withthe traditionsof a tea cere-mony, havinga dowry forthe bride orhaving aF r e n c hc r o q u e m -b o u c h einstead of acake, unlessyou live in China,India or France.I n t e r n a t i o n a l l y -

themed weddingshave been a growingtrend.Although customs

and traditions differgreatly within ethnicgroups, religions,countries and socialclasses, all ceremoniesshare three commontraits: an exchanging of aform of wedding vows, a pre-sentation of a gift, such asrings, and a public announce-ment of marriage by anauthority figure.In the year 2012, approxi-

mately 115,000 weddings tookplace every day, with Chinaleading the charts.In the United States alone,

more than 2.3 million wed-dings took place in 2012,averaging 6,200 weddings inone day.Asia, with more than 40

million weddings on record,is in the lead for the mostwedding ceremonies.In South Korea, 6.2 thou-

sand weddings took place in2009, with most ceremoniescombining both Confucianistand religious traditions.

Boyoung Moon, a sopho-more from Gwang-Ju, SouthKorea, said although mostweddings, which are calledhonryes, are not religious,they are very respected cere-monies in the Korean society.“The wedding is paid

mostly by the groom’s fami-

ly,” shesaid. “Oneway theKorean wed-dings differ fromUnited States wed-dings is prior to theactual ceremony, couples arenot considered responsiblefor each other; for instance ifone gets drunk in public thatchanges after they areannounced married.”Moon said wedding attire

is another place where theweddings differ. Men oftendress similarly to westerncustoms with a jacket,

trousers and overcoat worn.In more traditional settings,the groom would wear agwanbok, or robes.Most brides wear the tradi-

tional jeogori, which is asleeved jacket, and a floor-length, high-waist skirt calleda chima, with other garmentscompleting the look.Risa Totani, sophomore

from Chiba Japan, said somecouples decide to go a moretraditional route, rather thansomething non-traditional.“Our wedding ceremonies

depend on the family struc-ture,” she said. “In my family,for instance, the bride’s fami-

ly takes charge of the wed-ding.”In traditional Japanese cer-

emonies, are done inBuddhist temples, both thebride and groom wear spe-cially made weddingkimonos.During the celebration side

of the ceremonies, which areset in wedding halls or otherspaces, the bride and groomusually dress in American-

style dresses and suits.

“I think this way of divid-ing the two distinct aspectsof the wedding ceremonydoes reflect on Japan’s mod-ernized culture and respectfor its past,” she said. “Thetraditional time is awesome.The celebration time is setaside for the family to really

enjoy and celebrate the com-ing together of both sides.”More than half of married

couples agreed that religionis important for a successfulmarriage in 2012.Hanin Yousef, sophomore

from Siblin, Lebanon, saidbeing a Muslim Sunni helpsset a form of structure to life.Yousef said all of the wed-

ding arrangements anddetails are based on theIslamic religion.She said Muslim weddings

have a distinct proposalprocess.“One different aspect

might be one of the firststeps, which is paying theMahr or in English, thedowry,” she said. “The Mahris an amount of money that ispaid by the man to his wife.It is paid to the wife, onlyas an honor and a respectgiven to her, to show

that he has a seriousdesire to marryher. It is notsimply enter-ing into themarriage con-tract withoutany sense ofresponsibili-ty, obligationor effort onhis part.”Yousef said

it varies withcountry andgroup, but main-ly the bridewears a whitedress and thegroom wears asuit. All wed-

dings, though, in theIslamic faith share the

common detail of publicannouncements, vows, mar-riage contract and theMahr.Said Yousef: “The Muslim

weddings can be differentaccording to the culture butin our weddings, it’s kind ofsimilar to the weddings inthe States. After the vows,the marriage contract hap-pens in private with a Sheikhpriest and only the bride andgroom with their immediatefamilies.”

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Global weddings trendingBridal 2013

Bridal 201366 FFeebbrruuaarryy 1155,, 22001133TThhee NNeewwss

Racer EngagementsPlanning a proposal can be

difficult. Planning a propos-al on Senior Night at RoyStewart Stadium for a foot-ball player is even crazier. Roderick “Roddy” Tomlin,

senior from Jackson, Ky., hadto go to extraordinarylengths to make the proposalto girlfriend Ashuah Kerr,senior from Jackson, Ky.,special. Initially, Tomlin had

hoped to propose in front ofthe crowd when Kerr walkedhim to the field to be recog-nized for the annual seniorday. After talking with hiscoach, however, Tomlindecided to focus on thegame and propose after-ward. “All the football players

were psyched about it,”Tomlin said. “Because thering was sitting in my lockerthe whole time and theywere all looking at it andstuff.” Kerr said she had her sus-

picions about the proposalwhen her colleagues atVanderbilt Chemicals had

joked that Tomlin wouldpropose when she walkedhim out on the field forSenior Night. “They were telling me that

I should get ready – that he’stotally going to do it on thefield,” Kerr said, laughing.“So then, when we walkedout there and he didn’t do it,I’m like, ‘okay, well, I guesshe’s not.’” After the game ended,

though, Kerr was told shewas needed on the field totake pictures with Tomlin.When she got down there,she turned to hand her purseto one of her friends whileTomlin dropped to one knee. “I just lost it,” she said.

“But the funny thing is, is henever asked me. He just satthere and smiled. So some-one behind me asked if I wassaying yes and I just shookmy head yes, but he neverasked me.” “It didn’t matter then,”

Tomlin said, grinning. “Youalmost died from not breath-ing.” Kerr said her favorite part

about being engaged so far isthe future and knowing shewas going to spend the restof her life with Tomlin. “Paying off the ring is

going to be my favoritepart,” Tomlin joked.He and his fiance

exchanged looks and Kerrlaughed before he said hisfavorite part would be plan-ning the wedding.“On a more serious note, I

guess my favorite part wouldbe planning the wedding andgetting to spend the rest ofmy life with Ash,” he said.“Everybody has their upsand downs, but Ash alwayshas more ups than downs. Iwouldn’t do it if I didn’t loveAsh.” Kerr said her favorite part

about planning the weddingwas planning the honey-moon. “Actually, I won a free hon-

eymoon,” she said. “Wedon’t know where we’regoing, but we can go wher-ever we want: DominicanRepublic, Hawaii, theBahamas – we just have topay for airfare and food.”

Tomlin said he has beentrying to help with the wed-ding planning.“I’m trying not to be the

groomzilla,” he said. “But Ithink the best part for me isI just want to break the moldof the guy never helping out

so she’s trying to pick herbridesmaids and I’m tryingto pick through my grooms-men that will actually actright on the day.” Tomlin and Kerr have ten-

tatively set a date for May 17,2014.

Roderick “Roddy” Tomlin & Ashuah Kerr

Photo courtesy of Tab Brockman

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When Shannon Russell, juniorfrom Marshall, Mich., met NolanMark, senior from Auburn, Ind., shehad no idea that she would not onlybecome engaged to him, but alsomove to Murray to attend schoolwith him. Russell said she and Mark were

introduced via a mutual friend onesummer. “When he came home one summer,

she pretty much made us be at thesame place at the same time,” shesaid. Russell, though, did not attend

Murray State at the time she andMark met. “I didn’t know anything about

here,” she said. “I didn’t know thisschool existed and then when hecame back for the summer and we

were introduced, we were talkingabout school … and he was telling meall about Murray State and I wasdone with school at my communitycollege. After I got home, I looked itall up and was googling Murray andseeing what it was all about becauseI didn’t understand why he would goto school so far away.” She said when Mark suggested

they move to Murray together for thefollowing semester, she did notbelieve him.“I thought he was kidding, but I

came down when he wanted me tovisit and I decided that I would movehere with him,” Russell said. After the suggestion, Mark decided

he was going to propose. Two weekslater he bought the ring and the nextnight, he popped the question.

“I drove up to her house and wegreeted each other like usual, andwere just watching TV and talkingand having a conversation and then Idecided, ‘bam, do you want to marryme?’” he said pretending to hand

Russell a ring. “And she said yes andcried and cried and cried.” “Pretty much,” Russell said, laugh-

ing. “I didn’t believe him at all, buthe asked and there it was.” Mark said that so far, he has been

taking a more supportive role whenit comes to planning the wedding.“I want to make sure it’s a perfect

wedding for my future wife and thatshe’s happy on our wedding day” hesaid. Mark and Russell both said they

were looking forward to gettingspend the day with friends and fami-ly. “Seeing his reaction when he first

sees me will be interesting,” she said. The couple will tie the knot in

South Bend, Ind., in the summer of2014 at Mark’s home church. Thereception will be held in a rustic barnjust minutes away from the cathe-dral.

Nolan Mark & Shannon Russell

Photo courtesy of Haley Russell

NNoollaann MMaarrkk aanndd SShhaannnnoonn RRuusssseellll sshhaarree aassmmoooocchh oonn tthhee sstteeppss ooff PPoogguuee LLiibbrraarryy..

Written by Haley Russell

Bridal 2013 77FFeebbrruuaarryy 1155,, 22001133TThhee NNeewwss

Racer EngagementsBlake Holt & Lauren Hendon

Lauren Hendon, junior fromPaducah, Ky., met Blake Holt, seniorfrom Paducah, Ky., in middle schoolwhen she cheered on a competitiveteam with Holt’s sister. The fall break of Hendon’s sixth-

grade year, Holt’s family coinciden-tally stayed in the same condomini-um. “I saw him and I had the biggest

crush on him but he was in eighthgrade,” she said, rolling her eyes,laughing. Holt and Hendon’s friendship

sparked during Hendon’s freshmanyear of high school when Holt askedfor her autograph while she wascheering at a basketball game. “He was joking because I had been

tumbling and stuff, but then we start-ed texting and talking and I jokedaround that he’d always promised mehe’d take me to school because I wasso young I had to ride the bus,”Hendon said. Hendon said when Holt graduated

high school two years before she didand attended Murray State, it washard, but Holt made the trip toPaducah, Ky., nearly every weekend. Currently, Holt works in Paducah,

Ky., and said via email that keepingthe proposal a surprise was difficult.“Honestly, the hardest part was

keeping it a secret,” Holt said. “Iknew that the proposal was some-thing Lauren wanted to be a com-plete surprise, but at the same time,she kept snooping around and pes-tering me about when I was goingto.” Hendon and Holt had taken a trip

to Patti’s 1880s SettlementRestaurant for their anniversary cel-ebration – a tradition – and walkedaround the pier across the streetfrom the restaurant prior to the pro-posal. “We went and walked around like

we always do and then we drove overto the sailboats across the road onthe water,” she said. “Usually we justdrive over there on our anniversaryand exchange gifts, but we never getout.”She said that when Holt pulled

over and got out of the car she knewsomething was different about thatanniversary celebration.“I thought, ‘something’s up, wenever get out of the car,’” she said.Hendon said Holt had given her a

big box after she had given him hispresent – a Bible. “Inside the box was this album I’d

made him back in high school – itwas so janky and it had a wholebunch of pictures of us in it,” shesaid. “I probably hadn’t updated itsince my junior year of high school.He and his mom had updated it andput some recent pictures in it.”While Hendon and Holt were

exchanging gifts, Holt said a familycame up to skip rocks in the water.He said it was unexpected.“At the time of the proposal, every-

thing was going as planned until afamily with two small kids came outonto the pier where I was about toget on one knee,” he said. “To top itoff, the kids decided they wanted toskip rocks on the lake about 10 feetfrom where we were – just my luck.Who goes to the lake to skip rocks at8 o’clock in the middle of January?Luckily, I think they got the hint andleft after a couple of minutes.”Hendon said she noticed the fami-

ly, as well. “The kids were yelling and scream-

ing and I see Blake’s eyes get big andthey’re skipping rocks. Luckily by thetime I got to the end of the album,they were gone and he had written aletter,” Hendon said. On the last page of the album,

there was a picture of a bride andgroom, Hendon said. “I saw it and I was like, ‘oh dang,’”

she said, grinning. “I don’t remembermuch after that, except that I wasbawling.” Holt had arranged for their fami-

lies and friends to meet them after hehad popped the question and rows ofcars were waiting for, and honking at,the couple as they walked back fromthe pier. She said he planned everything

perfectly and she could not be anyhappier.“It was perfect,” Hendon said, smil-

ing. “He did a really good job.” Hendon and Holt both said they

were looking most forward to thereception. “I’d have to say (I’m looking for-

ward most) to the reception,” Holtsaid via email. “No, I’m kidding. I’m looking most forward to seeingmy beautiful bride for the first timeon the day of the wedding walkingdown the aisle.”

Photo courtesy of Stacy Hendon

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Bridal 201388 FFeebbrruuaarryy 1155,, 22001133TThhee NNeewwss

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99FFeebbrruuaarryy 1155,, 22001133TThhee NNeewwss

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Lexy Gross || Assistant News [email protected]

Studies by the American PsychologicalAssociation claim that stress for those be-tween the ages of 18-33 has increased dra-matically over the last year. The studies show that when students add

event planning to their lives – such as wed-ding planning – the stress can be immense.Sarah Kerrick, counselor in the Murray

State counseling center, said having realisticexpectations in a wedding situation is vitalto anyone planning a ceremony.“I think it's tricky because at least in our

culture, weddings are blown up to be a mag-

ical thing,” Kerrick said. “Each person hastheir own idea of what it's supposed to looklike and it can bring the control freak out inthe best of us.”The APA also reports the media places a

spotlight on weddings and how they areplanned. TV shows such as “Say Yes to the Dress”

and “Platinum Weddings” can add to thedreams many have had since childhood.According to The Wedding Report, a

market research publication, the averagecouple spends $29,000 on a wedding. Sincemany aspects of a wedding revolve aroundmoney, it is often the most stressful com-ponent.

Here are five tips to help keep the stresslow when planning a wedding:

11.Eat and sleep. It sounds simple, butthese simple can really make a differ-ence in stress levels. TLC says the best wayto avoid falling into bad habits, is to make asleep schedule and meal plan. Start early, sogood habits will form before stress does.

22..Try to give small roles to other people.It is important to keep in mind that thebride and groom should not be in charge ofevery minute detail.

33..Do something for yourself. Get a mas-sage, exercise frequently or go out withfriends to relieve anxiety. Do these morefrequently than you normally would, since

weddings can be high-stress situations.

44..Be organized. Real Simple Magazinesuggests the details can overwhelm abride and groom if they are not well-docu-mented. There are many online wedding or-ganizers including time-tables andspreadsheets for budgets.

55..Focus on what is important. Make sureyou do not forget the reason a weddingis being planned. Forget the details if it is necessary to be

happy during a rare time in your life.Utilizing these tips and focusing on stress

control will help you remember your wed-ding for all the good moments, not thestressful ones.

Bridal 2013Photo courtesy of sxc.hu

Bridal 20131100 FFeebbrruuaarryy 1155,, 22001133TThhee NNeewwss

Racer Engagements

Lauren Kapfhammer, senior fromLouisville, Ky., remembers meetingher fiance at Hardin Baptist Churchtheir freshman year at Murray State,but Alonzo Crawford, senior fromMadisonville, Ky., struggles with thememory. “I remember meeting you,”Kapfhammer said, laughing. “And I don’t remember that,” hesaid. “But officially, we met at a NewYear’s Conference in Nashvillethrough Campus Outreach.” Crawford said that was when theyreally got to know each other. “We were all quoting lines from‘The Hangover,’” he said laughing.“And that’s when I knew I loved her,because she could quote lines from‘The Hangover.’”Kapfhammer laughed, andCrawford said their first date was atWinslow Dining Hall. “He came up to me at a CO meetingand ... asked what my lunch schedulelooked like,” she said, smiling. “I waslike, ‘who asks that? What does thateven mean?’”Crawford and Kapfhammer saidthey got to knoe each other through astrong friendship then began dating. Crawford said he had been plan-ning the proposal for nearly twomonths. “I went about it like a normal date

night so she wouldn’t be expectinganything,” he said. “We went toJasmine (Thai Cuisine and Sushi Bar)and got dinner and drove to campusand parked near Pogue (Library) andI asked her if she wanted to take awalk on campus with me, so we did.” The couple had taken several walkson campus before, and Crawfordknew Kapfhammer would not beexpecting anything. “We stopped at Pogue and I took

her up the steps and I had my back-pack on,” Crawford said. “Which was awkward,”Kapfhammer said, interrupting andlaughing. The couple laughed together andCrawford said he pulled out aniHome and asked Kapfhammer todance. At the end of the song, Crawfordsaid he told Kapfhammer he had a giftfor her and gave her a book: “The

Meaning of Marriage.” “I told her how much I loved herand got down on one knee and pro-posed,” he said. Kapfhammer said she was trying tobe a part of the moment as much asshe could.“I was trying so hard to be all in themoment, but it was like an out-of-body experience; I can’t even explainit,” she said. “I felt like I was hoveringover myself watching it all happen.”Kapfhammer and Crawford saidbefore they told their friends andfamily about the new proposal, theycelebrated on their own at a friend’sapartment with champagne, rosepetals and gluten free brownies. After their private celebration,Crawford arranged for a group of 50of their closest friends and family tosurprise Kapfhammer at her apart-ment. When planning the wedding,Crawford said he has definitelyplayed a part, but has also beenKapfhammer’s stress reliever. “I think mainly when she gets real-ly overwhelmed, I’m there to say thateverything’s going to work out,” hesaid. “It’s once the ring is on, andwe’ve said our vows, we’re good. Ifstuff messes up after that, it’ll be acool story to tell.”

Alonzo Crawford & Lauren Kapfhammer

Kylie Townsend/The News

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Photo courtesy of Melissa Harrell

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After a year and a half of living intwo different states, the word “unit-ed” will take a completely differentmeaning for Murray State alumniWhitney Wicker and AdamPrescott, who have been engagedsince Oct. 12, 2012 and are planningto tie the knot in July. The couple completed theirundergraduate studies in May of2010. Wicker went on to complete amaster’s degree at Murray State,while Prescott attended theUniversity of Tennessee. Wicker and Prescott met in classat the University, but becamefriends when a mutual friend askedif they would put on a concerttogether in Hart Coffee Shop. “She told me I would have to findsomeone to play guitar. I knewAdam, and I knew he played guitar.” After the concert and a trip to

Orlando with Campus Outreach,Wicker and Prescott began datingon Homecoming weekend in 2009. “The night before (Homecoming2012), he proposed on the Quad,”Wicker said. “So, the next day, wewere at the Homecoming (game),exactly three years after we hadstarted dating.” Because Prescott is currentlyattending the University ofTennessee, he said via email that hesurprised Wicker on the Quad bytelling her they were only going totake pictures. “Whitney loves pictures andalways complains that we don’t haveenough together so I wanted theengagement to involve some photosof us,” he said. “I decided to havesome pictures taken of us by one ofWhitney’s best friends in the Quad.”Prescott said he also made

Wicker’s best friend believe theoccasion was nothing special. “I tricked her best friend intothinking she was taking some pic-tures for Homecoming,” he said.“After the pictures were done andwe parted ways with her friend, I gotdown on one knee.” Wicker said she had no idea thephoto shoot would end with a pro-posal.“It was exciting; I wasn’t expectingit,” she said, smiling. The hardest part about theirengagement has been the distance,Wicker said. “Long distance is hard,” she said. Wicker said she and Prescottoften talk about how their engage-ment does not seem real but theirtrials have made their relationshipstronger, and that July cannot gethere fast enough.

Adam Prescott & Whitney Wicker

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Savannah Sawyer ||Assistant Features [email protected]

Weddings seem to be popping upeverywhere and the media is noexception.Over the years there have been a

plethora of movies, books andeven songs created with weddingthemes.The most recent movie is 2013’s

“The Big Wedding.” The movie hasbeen released in select theaters. Itwill be released in other theaterson April 26. The movie stars big name

celebrities including Robert DeNiro, Katherine Heigl, DianeKeaton, Amanda Seyfried, TopherGrace, Ben Barnes, SusanSarandon and Robin Williams. In “The Big Wedding,” Don and

Ellie were long divorced by thetime their son Ben gets married,but their children don’t know this.At the wedding they must pretendto be a happily-married couple inorder to convince their childrenthey are still together.“Bridesmaids” is another movie

based around a wedding theme.The film, which was released in2011, stars Kristen Wiig as Annieand Maya Rudolph as Lillian. The movie centers on their

friendship during the time ofLillian’s wedding. There is an important lesson to

be learned here and that is thatfriends stick together. No matter what the other person

is going through in their life,through thick and thin, friendsshould always be there for oneanother.Films aren’t the only form of

media that are based around wed-dings. Music plays a big role inthat field as well. But instead oflisting which songs to play orwhether a band or a deejay shouldbe at the wedding, here is a compi-lation of songs and types of song totry to avoid when planning a wed-ding.Shy away from using songs that

have the dance moves plastered

into them. Case in point, the“Macarena.” Sure they can be funat first, but after one too manyweddings it can start to get old.Shy away from songs using for-

eign languages, unless of courseyour spouse is from a foreigncountry. Not being able to under-stand what a song is even about isnever fun.“Unless they have some pro-

found significance for you orsomeone else in the family, pass onmusical numbers that are likely toleave the guests scratching theirheads,” Sarah Elliot, writer forTLC.com said.Another big blunder is using

songs where the lyrics aren’t fit-ting. Screening songs may be timeconsuming and you don’t have todo it for every song that plays, butavoid using songs that sound sweetbut are really about breaking upwith someone.Elliot said a common misconcep-

tion is Whitney Huston’s “I WillAlways Love You,” a song that’sactually about a breakup.“Your wedding day should

reflect happy sentiments withinspiring songs about finding yourspecial someone,” Elliot said. “‘IWill Always Love You’ makes itonto a lot of wedding music lists,but it’s not a good fit.”Next to movies and music anoth-

er medium has recently made itsway to the wedding scene and thatis social media.In the past few years the social

networking website, Pinterest, hasbeen on the rise and a lot of itsusers, both male and female, areusing it to pin wedding tips andtricks for their future nuptials.Said Samantha Murphy on the

Mashable website: “Pinterest is aneasy way to make planning a wed-ding more manageable. It’s likeripping the pages out of weddingmagazines and taping them to yourbulletin board – but digitally. Evenbetter, each picture is typicallylinked to a site where you can buythe styles you want, learn DIYcrafting tips and become informedabout the latest trends.”

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Photos courtesy of IMDB

Bridal 2013

Bridal 201312 February 15, 2013The News