Sammie Riley, Eric Crane marry
Samantha Maggie “Sammie” Riley of Blythewood and Eric Bettis Crane of Columbia were united in marriage Oct. 8 at New Kirk Presbyterian Church in Blythewood. James “J” Thompson of Cedar Creek Baptist Church officiated the 2 o’clock ceremony.
The bride is the daughter of Richard and Sharon Riley of Blythewood. She is the granddaughter of Richard and Frances Riley of Blythewood, Bill and Delora Hunter of Richburg, and Jim and Betty Whitesell of Anthony, Florida. She earned a degree in theater from Converse College in 2014, and she is employed with Broom Heating and Air.
The groom is the son of Nancy Bettis of Columbia. He is the grandson of Ann Bettis of Greenville. He is employed with Unitrends.
The bride was escorted and given in marriage by her father.
Maid of honor was Kristen Hixon of Blythewood. Matron of honor was Robyn Drebenstedt of Newberry. Bridesmaids were Susan Waldrop, Kayla Barker and Madeline Tesh, all of Spartanburg. The bride’s grandmothers, Frances Riley of Blythewood and Delora Hunter of Richburg, were flower girls.
Best man was Brian Bell of Atlanta. Groomsmen were Scot Bell, David Miller and Josh Gomez, all of Columbia, and Shane Collins of Spartanburg. The bride’s brother and sister-in-law, Alex and Jillian Riley of Wilmington, North Carolina, were ring bearers.
Honorary mother of the bride was Heather Winkleman.
A reception followed at the church.
After their honeymoon cruise to the Bahamas, the couple will reside in Irmo.
In their own words
Q: How did you meet?
A: Online.
Q: Tell us about the proposal.
A: We got engaged on Dec. 13, 2015, in front of the big Christmas tree at the State House. It was magical – it happened so fast, no one noticed he proposed.
Q: What was your favorite part of the wedding day?
A: My favorite part was seeing him at the end of the aisle and knowing I was about to marry my best friend! We also got married during the hurricane. I woke up to no power at the hotel (it came back on). My parents also had no power. It was a memorable day!
Q: How did you choose the venue where you were married?
A: We knew someone who went to that church, and they offered it. It was a big open space and just worked perfect for us.
Q: Did you have something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue? What were they?
A: My new was my dress, old was my mom’s veil, borrowed was a pair of my mom’s socks to wear with my cowboy boots, and blue was my underwear.