C2
PANORAMA
THE ITEM
WEDDINGS
SUNDAY, JANUARY 5, 2014
Kolb-homas
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Ard-Smith Rebecca Ard and Kevin R. Smith, and lilies. both of Pinewood, were united in Melissa Ard and Kristen Ard, sismarriage at 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, ters of the bride, served as maids of 2013, at San Souci Farms in Sumter. honor. Bridesmaids were Rachel SorThe bride is the daughter of Mr. rells, Tiffany Morris, Tiffany Matand Mrs. David Mithews, Lauren chael Ard, and the Pritchard, Tianna granddaughter of Powell and Jonni Mr. and Mrs. Glen Smith. Raegan Belew and Mr. and Smith, niece of the Mrs. C.W. Ard, all of bridegroom, and Sumter. She graduMaggie Harper, ated from Laurence cousin of the bride, Manning Academy. served as flower She is employed by girls. Carolina Children’s Patrick Smith, Dentistry of Sumter. brother of the brideThe bridegroom groom, and Adam is the son of Mr. and Hall served as best Mrs. Charles Hinmen. Groomsmen son and Mr. and were Chad Arrants, Mrs. Robert Smith, Stevie Davis, Richard all of Pinewood, Matthews, Jamie and the grandson of Richardson, Witt MR., MRS. KEVIN SMITH the Rev. Sim Smith Dority and Burke and the late Carolyn Lester. Brantley Smith of Sumter Smith, nephew of and Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Hudson of Pinethe bridegroom, and Jackson Harper, wood. He graduated from Laurence cousin of the bride, served as ring Manning Academy. He is employed bearers. by Santee Cooper Power. Also participating were Victoria The bridegroom’s grandfather, the Arrants, Megan Bradley, Emilie AmRev. Smith, officiated at the ceremony. erson and Dalyn Smith. Music was provided by Joseph McThe bride’s parents held the recepIntosh, vocalist. tion at San Souci Farms. Escorted by her father, the bride The bridegroom’s parents held the wore a strapless A-line gown of ivory rehearsal party at the Sublette Pond taffeta featuring a sweetheart neckline House in Mayesville. and ruched waistband accented with Following a wedding trip to Gatlinbeaded and crystal applique. She car- burg, Tenn., the couple resides in ried a bouquet of roses, sunflowers Pinewood.
Rebecca Graham Kolb and Doug- is an attorney with the Thomas Law las Edward Thomas, both of Colum- Firm in Columbia. bia, were united in marriage at 6 The Rev. Dr. John MacReadie p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014, at The Barr III and the Rev. Dr. James FrasChurch of the Holy Comforter in er Lyon IV performed the ceremoSumter. ny. The bride is the Music was prodaughter of Mr. vided by Mr. Walter and Mrs. Wade Samuel Wilson, orStackhouse Kolb ganist. Jr. of Sumter, and The bride was the granddaughter escorted by her faof Mr. James Warther. ren Skardon and Sally Kolb Pittthe late Mrs. Skarman served as madon of Walterboro tron of honor. and the late Mr. Bridesmaids were and Mrs. Wade Ashley Mims DuStackhouse Kolb mont, Elizabeth of Sumter. She Skardon Garrison, graduated from Kathryne Lane the University of Knight, Lauren CoSouth Carolina thran Roach and Honors College Michelle Singer with a degree in Thomas. MRS. DOUGLAS THOMAS English and The brideearned a master of groom’s father library and inforserved as best man. mation science from the University Groomsmen were John Phillip Anof South Carolina. She is the youth gelos, William Smith Brockington services supervisor for the Richland III, Wade Stackhouse Kolb III, ZachLibrary system in Columbia. ary Brooks Pittman, Mark Alexander The bridegroom is the son of Mr. Pitts, Phillip Christopher Rogers and Mrs. John Frederick Thomas of and Mark Stephen Thomas. Francis Aiken, and the grandson of the late Patrick Garrison Jr. served as usher. Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Clyde Jones Jr. The reception was given by the of Virginia Beach, Va., and the late bride’s parents at Sunset Country Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Edward Club. Thomas of Waverly, Ohio. He gradThe rehearsal party was given by uated from the University of South the bridegroom’s parents at The Carolina Honors College with a deMain Room, Hamptons. gree in political science and reFollowing a wedding trip to Caliceived a juris doctor from Wake fornia, the couple will reside in CoForest University School of Law. He lumbia.
Don’t be that wedding guest that wears white BY LISA A. FLAM Associated Press Writer Of Tiffany Schutt’s 250 wedding guests, one surely stood out. Not only was she not invited, but the young guest, a relative with whom the couple wasn’t particularly close, turned up in a white dress — and a short and sexy one at that. In fact, she was one of five uninvited relatives whose names were added to invited guests’ response cards. Schutt, who married in Indianapolis, was flattered but also in disbelief that they so badly wanted to attend. “We are very laid-back, thankfully, so that day I took it in stride,” she said. “It just seemed not to be the best etiquette.” When it comes to manners, experts say wedding guests do well overall but are still causing headaches on a few fronts. “The No. 1 thing that I hear about from frustrated brides is guests not RSVPing, not RSVPing on time or RSVPing for more than one person,” said Anna Post, great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post and coauthor of the upcoming new edition of “Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette”. “It’s all about
the RSVP.” Blame it on the relaxed culture, busy lives or the hope of a better Saturday night offer, but some people just can’t get it together to mail the response card back. And don’t get brides started on the guests who say they will attend, only to end up as no-shows. “People have gotten casual about this,” Post says. “When it comes to the wedding they think, it’s not a big deal. I’m just one person, it’ll be fine. And it’s really not. It’s a lot of money and a lot of stress for the couple.” Brides and grooms might want to add a cushion of a week or so before they have to give a headcount to the caterer or venue so they can chase people down. “The key is to keep the frustration out of your voice,” Post says. “It can’t be those sweet words with a nasty tone because that defeats the purpose of wanting to invite them in the first place. You can’t say, ‘I’m so annoyed with you, you’re uninvited.’” New York wedding planner Marcy Blum suggests adding an enclosure with the invitation listing an email address people can use to RSVP or ask questions.
Brides put thought into addressing their invitations, which spell out exactly who is invited. When guests treat the RSVP card like a write-in ballot, a phone call is in order, Post said, so they understand that their date or child was not invited. Some parents don’t like leaving their children home, but experts urge couples to resist such pressure. “Do not cave to this, because it’s completely unfair to all the guests who do find child care and respect your wishes,” Post says. Besides RSVPs, another etiquette trouble spot is smartphones — in particular, those guests who crowd the aisle to take pictures and then post the images online before the ceremony is even over, scooping the couple’s wedding photographer. “A bride is very particular about how she looks at her wedding, and she does not want the photo that isn’t the most possible flattering photo to be all over Facebook before she gets to look at her wedding shots,” Blum said. Photos aside, phones detract from the solemnity of the ceremony. “If you’re so busy tweeting and Instagraming, you’re not
paying attention,” Blum said. “It’s almost a cosmic faux pas. People want your energy with them and focused on what they’re doing.” Blum, who has planned the nuptials for notables like LeBron James and George Soros, says couples can try to head this off by including a note in the welcome gift or on the program. The officiant or best man can make an announcement, or you can place a sign at the entryway. Keeping guests from snapping away at the reception, though, may be a losing fight, Post says, though couples can ask guests to refrain from posting the photos online. “I would pick and choose your battles,” she said. “The ceremony is the right place to focus.” Other do’s and don’ts for guests: DRESS
Don’t be too informal, and avoid wearing anything that’s too sexy, too over-the-top or too white. Blum notes a resurgence of women wearing white to weddings, and says brides don’t appreciate that on their big day in white. “For many, many years it was never an issue because etiquette was stricter all around,
so people didn’t do it,” Blum said. “Now that things have loosened up a bit, that is something that brides still get very upset about.” GIFTS
Some regional traditions may call for bringing the gift to the wedding, but experts say that in general they are best sent ahead of time, avoiding the possibility of theft and the hassle for the couple of hauling them home. If not, a gift should be sent within three months, Post says. BEHAVIOR
Arrive early, and stay to dance, mingle and converse at dinner. “Being social and engaged is one of the best ways to be a good guest, along with not getting too drunk, or drunk period,” Post says. TOASTS
Toasts to the couples can get out of hand if guests, sometimes tipsy ones, start asking for the microphone. Proper form says guests should not speak unless they are asked or receive permission. Despite reality shows sensationalizing crazy wedding behavior, Blum says guests do seem better behaved today as couples create their guest lists with great care.
Will you be physically active in 2014? BY DEBORAH KINNARD USC Prevention Research Center The New Year is here! Many are busy making resolutions about how to improve and better their lives. A New Year’s resolution that includes exercise and physical activity is a GREAT way to start. Sumter County on the Move! (SCOTM!), a group-based walking program, has a few useful tips to help with achieving your exercise goals! • Make a realistic plan and avoid overwhelming expectations.
• Select physical activities that you enjoy. They don’t have to be boring! Some people prefer jogging on a treadmill, while others find walking outdoors, alone or with friends, more appealing. Whatever your preference, you will be more likely to stick with an activity if you like it. • Make exercise a convenient part of your weekly routine. • Set goals that are measurable and specific. A measurable goal will include an easily documented specific activity and time period, like walking on three days per
week during lunch hour, bicycling one day in the neighborhood after work/during the weekend, or climbing the stairs for 10 minutes, three times per day, on one day per week. • Get moving towards achieving your goals. Start low, and go slow! Don’t run a marathon after only a week of exercise! Instead, begin by doing what is healthy and safe, even if it’s just a few extra steps in your house. Challenge yourself to work toward meeting the national physical activity recommendations for healthy adults! For good health benefits, aim for at least 150 minutes (30 minutes a day, five days per week) of moderate-
intensity aerobic activity such as brisk walking. Try to engage in activity for at least 10 minutes at a time. Set yourself up for success by breaking larger physical activity goals into smaller goals. In no time, you may find that you can remain active for longer periods. • Put your plans and goals in writing and track (log) your progress over time. Monitoring your activity will help you track successes and areas that need improvement. A log doesn’t have to be anything special, just an easy way to jot down your activity and time. Visit the SCOTM! website, http://www.sumtercountymoves.org/ to download a personal
goal contract, a userfriendly exercise log and additional resources such as the Sumter County Walk Map. •As with any plans for increasing physical activity, be sure to consult with your doctor or health care professional before beginning. Many a New Year’s resolution has been dropped due to muscle soreness or injury. Be careful not to overdo it. SCOTM! congratulates Rachel McCain who recently completed the 12 month program and has made walking a regular lifestyle habit. These SCOTM! members recently finished their first six months in the program: Lady Bell,
Johnnell Colclough, Margaret Greene, Linda Heishman, Katherine Howard, Sarah Mathis, Wendy Martin, Michelle Miller Timothy Samuel, Marguerite Wilder and Katrina Wright-Allison. Sumter County Active Lifestyles (SCAL) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote health and quality of life in Sumter County by advocating for a community environment that supports physically active lifestyles for all citizens. For more information, contact Catherine Blumberg at (803) 774-3860 or cblumberg@sumtercountysc.org, or visit SCAL’s website: www.SumterCountyActiveLifestyles. org.