COLUMBIA, SC (WBTW) – One lucky couple is going to win a free wedding worth about $38,000 in exchange for letting hospitality students at the University of South Carolina plan and put on the ceremony. This will be the 22nd time USC has given away a free wedding as a way to give students hands-on experience.
“We’re the only one in this country and in the world right now that gives hands-on experiential learning,” says Annette Hoover, adjunct professor in USC’s School of Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Management.
The students plan every detail of the wedding, while vendors supply everything from the rings to wedding dresses to tuxes to flowers.
USC student Nichole Wegrzyniak (pronounced wee-grin-ee-ak), who hopes to open her own wedding planning business when she graduates, says the hands-on training is invaluable. “You kind of just get a different feel for it when you’re actually calling up people on the phone and have the pressure of, like, this actually really needs to get done for people so their wedding can be exactly the way they dreamed of it to be.”
There are 65 students in the class this semester. Professor Hoover says they put in about 400 hours of work each. Culinary students make the wedding cakes and the food.
The winning couple must have some affiliation with USC, which means either they or some member of their families have to be students or alumni.
To apply to win the free wedding ceremony, which will take place on March 21st in Columbia, a couple must submit a photo and either a 500-word essay or 3-minute video explaining why they should be selected. The applicants will be narrowed down to three couples and then the USC class will choose the winners. That should be submitted to: apply.usc.lovestory@gmail.com by January 31. Winners will be announced February 4.