'I Do' HUF students experience Italian wedding ceremony S emesters spent at Harding in Florence were famous among the international programs for the beauty of the landscape, the richness of the food and the antiquity of the buildings and art. HUF students experienced all that and more during the summer 2012 program. An Italian wedding ceremony was added to the events of the trip. Seniors Bryce and Brittany King came to HUF as an engaged couple with a wedding planned for after they returned from Italy, but they also celebrated with the friends they had spent three months with in a mock, traditional Italian wedding at the end of the semester. During their time in Italy, the students became a close-knit group and wanted to celebrate with Bryce and Brittany because they could not attend the real wedding. "We made lots of close friends, and we wanted to celebrate with them because they couldn't come," Bryce King said. Because the group planned the ceremony at the end of the semester, the students had already shipped their excess luggage home and had to make do with the clothing that remained. Brittany borrowed a white dress from a friend for the ceremony, which took place on the roof of the Villa overlooking Florence. Junior Tyler Gentry served as Brittany's father and walked her down the aisle. The director of the program, Robbie Shackleford, officiated the wedding. According to junior Amanda Emmet, it was special for both the Kings and Shackleford. "[Shackleford] was the one just talking about them and how they've grown over the summer," Emmet said. After Shackleford shared his thoughts, the couple exchanged vows that they had written. They were not traditional marriage vows but rather statements of why they loved each other. The HUF group was supportive of the couple and excited to celebrate their marriage with them. The planning that went into the celebration demonstrated how close the group was, according to Brittany. "Everyone planned the whole thing for us," Brittany King said. "We literally just showed up." The students wrote words of advice to the couple in a guestbook that served as a keepsake of their Italian wedding. The Kings read through the 20 pages of advice when they wanted to reminisce, according to Bryce. At the end of the ceremony, the students blew bubbles, instead of tossing rice, as the couple walked down the aisle. The reception that followed included food cooked by Mona Shackleford, Italian cake and yelling. Italians traditionally shouted the word "bacia" which meant, "kiss" in Italian. Every time the guests said it, the bride and groom Mad to kiss. "I don't think you're supposed to say it that many times, but we probably said it about 20 times, so they had to keep kissing over and over," Emmet said. The HUF semester ended with a memorable celebration of the Kings' new life together and of the relationships formed during the trip. The way the group supported the Kings and planned a celebration cherished by everyone demonstrated how close people became while studying abroad. "It was special that we were able to come together and celebrate their lives because we had grown into a family over the summer, Emmet said. "So it was kind of like two of our family members getting married." The Kings celebrated their marriage again in a traditional wedding ceremony on Aug. 11, shortly after their return from Italy. Kimberly Miller HUF Spring '12: Row 1: A. Bryan, B. Kimrey, M. Shackelford, A. Moore, M. Bumpus, K. Morris, A. Rice, K. Fieth, L. Graham, S. Kee. Row 2: B. Glover, B. Adair, M. Fisher, P. Weeks, R. Belew, W. Gentry, E. Cook, P. London, K. Good, M. Ellis, K. Hugge, P. Spiller, B. Burton, K. Kirkpatrick, T. Kee, K. Thompson. Row 3: H. Bohnet!, K. Blickenstaff, E. Davis, W. Beggs, J. Lillich, A. Lloyd, J. Alexander, K. Hopkins, R. Shackelford. HUF Summer'12: Row 1: C. Moore, R. Owens, M. Giesemann, E. Dobnikar, K. Schultz, G. Allen, J. Jones, H. Stinnett, A. Ezell, C. Graves, J. Bonham, A. Doyle, R. Shackelford. Row 2: E. Wood, A. Vinzant, S. Wallis, K. Lake, L. LaCava, M. Rowlett, A. Pentecost, M. Jones, A. Emmet, M. Pickens, A. Fielder, L. Bartee, K. Bartee, L. Gibson, S. Gibson, T. Gentry. Row 3: HUF Fall '12: Row 1: B. Conder, M. Morehead, M. Coble, D. Williams, M. Sword, J. Shock, T. Willis, J. Whitlock, E. Harper, T. Pruitt, S. Barbieri, C. Merry. Row 2: L. Carrai, S. Guiduci, S. Hipp, M. Wallace, K. Miller, D. Delong, M. Stapleton, R. Shackelford, C. Loftis, K. Nolte, E. Keith, M. Shackelford, P. Graziani. Row 3: M. Bartz, L. Helms, C. Savage, L, King, G. Schol, C. Kendrick, C. Sims, M. Wiles, S. Rackley, K. Baldwin, K. Tavernit, K. Thompson. Row 4: 44 !International A. English, W. Krech, R. Royer, N. Mynatt, A. Westjohn, N. Crumbaugh, E. Coburn, D. Ramsey, C. Riggs, B. King, J. Hale. M. White, C. Thompson, W. Richter, J. Hardin, W. O'Neal, C. Fonville, M. Thompson, C. Whitfield, J. Turner, D. Woodruff.
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