College students find love on campus

Being a college student is no simple task, but when planning a wedding on top of that, it can make life a little more complicated.

With weddings there are often many details that need to be planned in advance such as the cake, decorations, food, flowers and of course what everyone will be wearing. With everyone’s ideas clashing, it can make the bride’s decisions a little more stressful.

“So far the preparations for my wedding have been crazy,” said Kayla Carter, senior anthropology major. “People are trying to tell me what to do and what they want is just not going to happen.”

Katelyn Tebben, a senior elementary education major, is going to be a bridesmaid for her friend’s wedding which isn’t for another year, but Tebben said there is already some drama.

“The bride’s stepmother basically told her to pick a different maid of honor,” said Tebben. “Her stepmother wants it to be her daughter but the bride wants it to be her long time best friend. It’s your typical bridal party drama but the bride is pretty chill so I think it will all work out.”

According to the Yale Daily News, about 15 percent of married or divorced women meet their first spouse in college. And with nearly 7,000 students on Washburn’s campus, that doesn’t seem impossible.

“I met my fiancé at a party at Sigma Phi Epsilon,” said Sarah Hickel, senior kinesiology major. “But it wasn’t until a few months later that we actually hit it off. We became friends then later on we started dating.”

Carter briefly met her fiancé Timothy Lake, senior English major, in high school, but it wasn’t until the two met again in college that they really got to know each other and become close.

“[In high school] I didn’t know her name but she would randomly run up and hug me,” said Lake. “We then met again in college when I was sitting on a couch in the Union one day until she came over and kicked me off because it was her ‘nap couch.’ After that we started talking on Facebook and about a month or so later we made it official.”

According to Kathy Lane, a wedding planner and business owner of Kat’s Kreations since 2007, approximately 10 of the 25 weddings she helps plan every year are for college students.

“Each wedding is going to be different,” said Lane. “There’s going to be different amounts of stress and that’s why it is nice to have a wedding planner or consultant to step in and help because there’s going to be stress no matter what.”

Lane said her major advice for anyone planning a wedding is to first work out a budget of how much you can spend, then sit down and make a list of what one wants as far as theme, colors, people, etc. She said this is the best way to be organized and stay on track.

“I think it’s smart to plan a wedding once you’re done with school,” said Hickel. “Sometimes it takes my focus away from school because I’m so excited about getting married. But when you find the right one you just kind of know and everything else goes with the flow.”

For those who are struggling with the planning of their wedding check out the helpful suggestions on how to plan a wedding by contacting  Kathy Lane of Kat’s Kreations at 785.338.1684 or check out her website http://katskreations-topeka.vpweb.com/