On The Move
They'll always have Paris
Sep 27, 2012
By Frenche Brewer
What are the odds that you would meet your future wife on a blind date as a wing man for your best friend? For Sterling Dye, in this case, the odds were pretty good.
But, it took another chance meeting with his future bride in a pumpkin patch two days later for fate to step in. While Dye was waiting to make the next sale, a familiar face drove up.
“I was listening to music, reading a book, when a car pulled up and a beautiful woman got out and began browsing the pumpkin selection. It was Whitney James. From that day on, we have been together, almost two years,” Dye said.
While the two had talked about getting married, it was on a surprise trip to Europe, at the invitation of Dye’s father, that he decided that Paris was the perfect backdrop for a wedding proposal.
Dye told James they were going to dinner, so with James dressed up in three-inch heels they set out for a romantic evening, when Dye convinced her to stop at the Eiffel Tower. After a tour of the iconic attraction, Dye asked a couple to take their picture.
“We smiled for the first picture together and I said one more please, then I quickly hit a knee. The girl taking our picture started screaming and giggling, Whitney started to tear up. It was magical,” Dye said.
The couple returned to Columbia with plans to elope this year to avoid burdening their families with wedding debt. But even an elopement became out of the question after James lost her job as a medical assistant. She returned to nursing school at USC and Dye, a Wofford graduate, is supporting them on his personal trainer salary.
Their love story won the hearts of the students in Annette Hoover’s event planning class which conducted a contest to find a couple for the 14th wedding class project. They will provide at no charge everything for the couple, including flowers, photography, entertainment, décor, invitations, even the rings and the honeymoon.
The ceremony is set for Nov. 18 at the Mitchell House in Lexington.
How Your Business Can Participate in this Event
USC-Hospitality, Retail and Tourism Department. Almost any business or service would be utilized by the newlyweds or their family at some point in this before, during, and after.
Contact Annette Hoover at aahoove@mailbox. sc.edu for more information about becoming a sponsor at any level.
GREAT marketing opportunity, tool and collaborative effort possibility...it takes a village.
69 students in the class will graduate and be WEDDING PLANNERS and all that is associated with the dream wedding. For more information, contact Annette Hoover at aahoove@mailbox. sc.edu.
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