Richard & Kelly Garin
Bride
Kelly Marie Spoon, 25
Groom
Richard Charles Garin, 26
Parents of the Bride
Steve and Katherine Spoon
Parents of the Groom
Alan and Marie Garin
Hometown of the Bride
Fort Mill, SC
Hometown of the Groom
Weddington, NC
Wedding Date
4/10/2010
Wedding Location
Belk Chapel and Longview (Charlotte, NC)
Occupation of the Groom
1st Lt. in the United States Air Force - Fighter Pilot
Alma Mater of the Bride
University of South Carolina
Alma Mater of the Groom
University of South Carolina
How they met:
Rick and I met the first semester of our freshman year at the University of South Carolina. His friend was in my English class and several of us would go get lunch after class. Rick met us sometimes, but I didn’t think that he was interested in me… I just thought he was really cute!During our first Christmas break our mutual friend invited me and some of my friends over. Rick was there and we started talking.I actually asked him for his phone number first. He then got mine and said he would call me about the plan for New Year's Eve. Our first kiss was at the ball drop to ring in the new year!! We started dating shortly thereafter.
The moment they realized they wanted to be a couple for life:
I wouldn’t say there was any one particular moment when it “hit” me that we were destined to be together. When we first started talking, I knew that there was something special about this guy and that we could be together for the long haul. The more time we spent with each other, the more I knew that suspicion was right!
The Proposal:
We got engaged on December 27, 2008. Rick was going through pilot training in Columbus, MS and Phoenix, AZ while I stayed in Charlotte and worked. He was only able to come home a few times.While he was home, we did go look at rings but did not purchase anything. During his Thanksgiving visit we were pretty much together the whole time. He had always said that he would never propose on a holiday, so I was not expecting anything to happen when he came home for Christmas.Our 5-year “dating anniversary” was on Jan. 6, but he had to go back to Phoenix on Jan. 2nd. He told me to pick somewhere I wanted to go for dinner to celebrate. It really didn’t matter to me, but he was emphatic about finding somewhere nice.We decided on The Fig Tree in Elizabeth, NC. We went upstairs where we had this little room all to ourselves. A beautiful fireplace was decorated for Christmas. We had two servers, but I still didn’t think anything about it.After dinner we ordered dessert and the waitress asked if we wanted coffee or anything with it. Rick said, “No, but we would like a couple of glasses of champagne.” I looked at him all weird and said, “We don’t drink champagne.”After sitting for a moment, Rick started telling me how proud he was of me and saying really nice things, but I stopped listening because all I could think was, “THIS IS IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”He pulled the ring out of his pocket, got down on his knee and asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes and started crying.The waitress brought our champagne and dessert, and I must say, that is the least amount of dessert I have ever had!!! I was so excited and happy that I couldn’t even eat.We went back to his parent’s house and told them the news and enjoyed the rest of the evening sitting out by the fire. It was perfect!
The Wedding:
Our wedding was unique because it was actually our second wedding! Rick and I were legally married on August 27, 2009 in Phoenix.We got married in a little chapel on Luke Air Force Base with Rick’s parents, brother and a couple of our good friends there with us. Rick was graduating from pilot training that weekend.His family had come out and we just thought it was the perfect time. It was so intimate and special.We still wanted to celebrate with everyone at home when we were able to move back. When we sent out the invites, they said a “renewing of vows” ceremony.The ceremony was still a traditional ceremony and everything was the same as a normal wedding. We wanted our guests to experience this special time with us.For our wedding, we had 3 of the most spectacular venues in Charlotte, starting with the Duke Mansion. Our out-of-town guests, Rick, his family and I stayed there. Everything was in bloom and the Mansion itself is just incredible!Our ceremony was held at the Belk Chapel on the campus of Queens University. We had a beautiful ceremony and everything went off without a hitch.We proceeded to the reception at truly the most picturesque place I have found in this area -- The Club at Longview. It was something out of a fairy tale.We had several passed hors d'oeuvres as well as chef-attended stations. We wanted a casual, fun feel in a fairy tale location…AND WE GOT IT!Our DJ was incredible! He kept everybody going and made the reception a huge success!Longview was decorated with tons of votive candles, green and white hydrangeas, and a couple of large beautiful arrangements. The décor was simple and elegant…just how I like it!It was my dream wedding that I never thought in a million years could happen
The Honeymoon:
Due to Rick’s deployment, we have not gone on our honeymoon yet, but we have booked it!! We will be going to St. Lucia this fall.
Their Plans:
We will stay in Columbia, SC for a while. Rick wants to be full-time at McEntire and I want to find a job in health and wellness.
Advice to Others:
PRIORITIZE!! Make sure you book the things that are most important to you first! Certain vendors book well over a year in advance. I would say that venue and photographer/videographer should be at the top of the list.If you are on a budget, try to pair everything down to the necessities. For example, do you really need monogrammed napkins, mints and koozies?? Also, if you pick venues that are beautiful on their own, then you won’t need to spend a lot of money on décor.Wedding planning can be very stressful, so still take time out for yourselves to just relax and enjoy each other.