The moment that Stephen Bandstra first laid eyes on Mahalia VanDeBerghe in their graphic design class at USC, Bandstra knew it was love.
Now, they've both recently graduated from USC, and their wedding day is becoming a reality with the help of USC’s HTRM 362 Wedding Planning and Management class — a class that meets only a few classrooms down from the very room where Bandstra and VanDeBerghe met.
“When she walked in, I told myself that I was going to marry her,” Bandstra said. “So, I got up and moved to a seat right next to her and told her that I liked her shirt. But she didn’t respond to my comment.”
VanDeBerghe, who was dating someone else at the time, showed no interest to him.
Out of the 44 couples that applied for the wedding, Bandstra and VanDeBerghe, who now live in Muncie, Indiana, were the winners.
Annette Hoover, the HRTM 362 professor remembers having VanDeBerghein her class.
“She was very friendly but uninterested,” she said. “He didn’t give up.”
Fate intervened at the end of the semester when VanDeBerghe became single.
“His pickup line for me when we ran into each other on the Horseshoe was ‘Hey, how did you do on your final?’” VanDeBerghe said. “We then planned for our first date at the zoo on New Year’s Day.”
Fast-forward a few years, and the lucky alumni couple’s wedding will be paid for and planned courtesy of the HRTM course.
For most recently graduated students, throwing a wedding may not be feasible when it comes to budget and necessary planning, but the Bandstra-VanDeBerghe wedding will be free of charge, thanks to the class’ partnerships with over 70 local vendors.
“I’m familiar with all of this planning, and I’m in awe of the generosity of the local vendors,” Ali Herlong, the general manager of social media for the class, said. “All of these vendors donate year to year.”
For VanDeBerghe, marrying Bandstra is her dream — but she knew from the beginning she wanted the HRTM class to plan her wedding. In fact, she'd been banking on it years before she was even engaged. And her fiancé isn't complaining either.
“I felt a wave of relief," Bandstra said. "Now, I don’t have to worry about my bride-to-be stressing."
The wedding date is set for March 30 at The Farm at Ridgeway. The couple was certain that they wanted to get married in South Carolina.