Kimberly Hamrick, Maj. Zachary Counts marry

Kimberly Sue Hamrick and Maj. Zachary Francis Counts, both of Lexington, were united in marriage Oct. 29 at First Baptist Church in Columbia. The Revs. Wesley Derek Church and Stephen Eugene Phillips officiated the 4:30 p.m. ceremony.

The bride is the daughter of William Sim Hamrick Jr. and Susan Hamrick of Irmo. She is the granddaughter of Theodore Weaver and Doris Weaver of Grand Rapids, Michigan and William Sim Hamrick Sr. and Georgia Hamrick of Augusta, Georgia. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Bob Jones University in Greenville, and she is employed with QBE the Americas as a commercial insurance underwriter.

The groom is the son of Mrs. Connie Chalk Counts of Clover and the late Capt. Edward Wheeler “Buddy” Counts. He is the grandson of the late Rev. Harry Chalk and Mrs. Eula Mae Chalk of Columbia and the late Edward Wheeler Counts Sr. and Mrs. Frances Counts of Prosperity. A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, he is employed with Delta Air Lines as a commercial pilot. He also serves in the S.C. Air National Guard as an F-16 pilot.

The bride was escorted by her father and given in marriage by her parents. Soloist Anna Mills Pollatty; a string quartet composed of Sarah Jackson Evanovich, Courtney Elizabeth Jackson, Jill Jackson Holt and Kamaria Michelle Baxter; pianist and organist Joshua Allen Evanovich; and pianist Jake Stevenson Counts provided music.

Matron of honor was Heidi Wood Brown of Lexington. Bridesmaids were Amanda Bowden, Amy Fitzsimmons Kinard, Kimberly Habben Barringer, and Catherine Chapman Caldwell, all of Lexington; Jessie Kirchner Mobley and Megan Lowe Moody, both of Columbia; Brittany Roark Barfield of Jacksonville, Florida; and Christy Altier Hawkins of Clayton, North Carolina. Madelyn Kate Brown and Claire Elizabeth Brown, both of Lexington, were flower girls.

Best man was Martin Grant Erskine of Atlanta. Groomsmen were Edwin Russell Rotan II of Palm City, Florida; Jake Stevenson Counts of Brooks, Georgia; Quay Carlton Snyder Jr. of Monument, Colorado; Herbert Todd Clamp of Irmo; Earnest Guy Shealy Jr. of Lexington; and Walter Perry Shealy of Hermatage, Tennessee. Jacob Porter Mobley of Columbia was ring bearer.

Ushers were Joseph Moody of Columbia and Michael Scott Brown of Lexington.

A reception followed at Spirit Communications Park.

After their honeymoon abroad (location is a surprise!), the couple will reside in Lexington.

In their own words

Q: How did you meet?

A: At a Labor Day picnic on Lake Murray.

Q: When did you know your fiance was “the one”?

A: About 10 days after the first date.

Q: Tell us about the proposal.

A: Zach took Kim out on Lake Murray by boat and decided to anchor in a cove that he and his late father (also a pilot) used to fly over. He asked Kim to try to unravel the anchor in the front of the boat while he got down on one knee to propose.

Q: What part of the wedding day are you most looking forward to?

A: Friends and family from all over the U.S. will be traveling to spend the weekend with us.

Q: How did you choose the venue where you will be married?

A: First Baptist of Columbia is the bride’s home church and very special to her.

Q: What was the significance of the music played during your ceremony?

A: The string quartet, the organist and the soloist are the bride’s longtime friends. “How Great Thou Art” will be played on piano by Steve Counts, the brother of the groom’s late father. It was his favorite hymn.

Q: Will you have something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue? What are they?

A: The bride will wearing a brooch that belonged to her grandmother; new pearl earrings, a wedding gift from the groom; and a blue ribbon sewn into the hem of her wedding dress.

This story was originally published October 30, 2016 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Kimberly Hamrick, Maj. Zachary Counts marry."