Last August, after a 10-year romance that started at Fort Mill High School, auto mechanic Justin Sotir and his fiancee, Kristin Morgan, set a wedding date.
Considering that the couple had been engaged for five years, Sotir needed no arm-twisting – like the bolts he twists at work – to know he’d better act.
The date was set for Saturday, April 30, 2011.
Then, a prince had to blow the whole special deal by getting married today and taking up the attention of just about the entire civilized world.
“She said right then, when she heard of their date, ‘Those royals are stealing my thunder!’” Justin said. There will be no horse-drawn carriages for this couple. No furs or queens or silks. No million people lining the route to the church or live TV coverage with billions watching. No crown jewels worth unknowable sums.
Just a ring bought with money made fixing transmissions.
Which makes this local wedding far better.
Kristin’s mother saved for years to help pay for the wedding at the historic Armstrong-Mauldin House in Rock Hill.
The families and friends agreed to take care of the reception food to save money, and in Kristin’s words, “I asked everybody to volunteer to help decorate, too.”
Because this York County wedding, 24 hours after the royals get hitched, without gold epaulets or TV or British accents, has the one thing that matters:
“Love,” said Kristin, 26. “I just plain love him so much.”
And Justin, 28, who gets a few days off from the grease pit at the car dealership to get married, even says plainly, as only a guy who turns a wrench for a living can say:
“I love her, and it is time to get married.”
Probably nobody alive in York County has married more people than the guy who is marrying Kristin and Justin, the Rev. Brian Keith.
In the past dozen or so years, Keith has married at least 1,000 couples in ceremonies from big churches filled with onlookers to just him and the couple.
The worldwide fascination with the royal wedding hasn’t been lost on Keith, who said that behind all the fancy clothes and buckets of money, is the only thing that matters in any wedding.
“Love,” said Keith. “You can tell when they are beside you. If a couple loves one another, you can feel it.”
America threw off royalty for independence more than 230 years ago. Yet, even if millions in America want to honor bluebloods taking the plunge, the blue-collars in York County can get married with more love than any prince.
Other than Dillon County along Interstate 95 in the northeast corner of the state, no South Carolina county has married more people than York County.
South Carolina’s quick one-day turnaround for weddings without requiring a blood test has meant uncountable tens of thousands of couples from the Charlotte area heading down S.C. 49 and U.S. 321 to get hitched in York.
Sometimes lovebirds in search of wedded bliss head down York’s Congress Street to Flowers Etc., where both Joanne Lentz and her daughter, Michelle Dawson, are notary publics.
In South Carolina, any notary can marry couples.
“Sometimes we have three or four weddings in a week,” Dawson said. “We’ve had people get married here in bare feet, weddings with just a couple – or 20, 30 people crammed in here.
“We’ve had weddings where someone held open the door so they could play the wedding music on a boombox outside on the street.”
And from those quick weddings that cost almost nothing can come great love.
Dawson’s own grandparents, the late Alma and Van Lentz, came to York from Concord, N.C., after World War II, the same night of their first date, because they missed curfew. It was either face an angry father or get married, Van Lentz said that night.
“They knew they would be in big trouble for being late, so he talked her into getting married,” Dawson said. “They were married – happily and in love – for more than 60 years.”
Even now, it only costs $40 at the probate court to get a marriage license in South Carolina.
‘I just knew’
Thursday afternoon, in off the street to the probate desk came Travis Collins and Chasity Aycoth.
They came from Fort Mill, exactly one month after they started a whirlwind romance that hit like a thunderclap and required no jewels or carriages.
“We knew each other in elementary school – he even wrote me love letters,” said Chasity, 34. “He had a crush on me – big time.”
But both went their separate ways for years and years until Facebook reunited them a few weeks ago. They met for a walk at Elisha Park in Fort Mill, held hands and walked into the sunset.
“Man, I just knew it then that we’d get married,” said Travis. Chasity said the feeling was “incredible – amazing!”
Chasity has no riches like today’s bride in England. Collins has no palace – he is a cook at Beef O’Bradys restaurant in Baxter Village.
“I have a woman I love,” said Travis – and he wouldn’t trade her for any palace.
A York County wedding that befits royalty needs no jewels. It needs no furs or silks. It just needs love. Especially today, anytime after 2:15 p.m. when the 24-hour waiting period is over for Travis and Chasity. Travis can’t dawdle after saying, “I do.”
He is no prince who has his own tropical island to fly off to aboard his private jet. Bride or no bride, he has to work tonight on the grill at Beef’s.
Toast the royals
Six Pence British Pub in Fort Mill's Baxter Village is having champagne toasts, "coronation chicken" and British-themed drinks as part of its all-day viewing party after the royal wedding in England. Doors open at 11:30 a.m.
To follow the royal wedding live stories, photos and video, go to heraldonline.com.
