USC’s Annette Hoover and her wedding planning class annually choose one lucky couple to give a free wedding and honeymoon. This year’s event at Senate's End was not actually a wedding, but the first vow renewal in the Love Story tradition’s 26 years. The wedding planning class chose this little first and everything else by voting for John and Nicole Dozier to be this year’s lucky couple, the theme to be “Garden of Love,” and everything in between.
Nicole and John Dozier will have been married for 10 years this April. This will be their first wedding ceremony, however, as a decade and three children ago they had to cancel their original wedding to have a small service, and their plans to have a vow renewal ceremony for their tenth anniversary encountered difficulties. Shortly after the friends-and-family-only service, Mr. Dozier, a Lance Corporal in the Marine Corps, was deployed. He later worked with the Wounded Warrior Battalion for two years while recovering between being injured in Afghanistan and his resulting honorable discharge.
“We just really kind of fell in love with their story, with his service and everything they went through, and they were pretty gracious and fun to work with,” said Christine Scheipe, a fourth-year tourism and management student and marketing committee member. “And today is a kind of a big party for everyone."
Every couple chosen for the event is connected to the University of South Carolina in some way. The Doziers’ connection was through John Dozier’s father, who worked in the disability and special education department, and who passed away three years ago.
“Every single thing is donated from vendors in Columbia … Nothing has been paid for at all; it’s just been completely donated by all kinds of local vendors and alumni," explained Scheipe. Even the week long honeymoon in Mexico was donated with the help of Richard Markel from the Association for Wedding Professionals International, which assists students in the class in becoming certified wedding planners.
The event would have not been possible without the contributions of the over thirty donors who offered their assistance and services free of charge. It was a wonderful night, and a heartwarming example of the possibilities that arise when a community comes together.