MAY 2020 | COBB LIFE 49
Robert Hayne &
Sydney Marie Adams Woodward
February 29, 2020 - Factory Atlanta
Photographer: Rob and Zach from Square 8 Photography
From the groom:
Our love story started with a, “no.” Actually, it started with a
bunch of “nos.” Sydney and I were friends. Ugh. Friends. The worst
place for a guy like me to be with a girl I thought could really be
something special. We hung out in groups of friends at my
fraternity house and, no matter how many times I asked her out on
a date, the answer was always, “no.” But I kept on trying, hoping for
the time she would say, “yes.”
Unfortunately, that possibility was looking pretty bleak. Sydney
was a nursing student, up to her eyeballs in studying and classes.
Sydney kept reminding me that she didn’t have time to date. But I
didn’t lose hope. I figured that one day, she would have time. Well,
one day, while Sydney and I were hanging out with some friends,
she asked all of us to do her a favor. The nursing students were
giving flu shots at the infirmary and they needed students to
practice on, so she wanted us to come get shot. This time it was me
that said, “no.” Absolutely not. I wasn’t going to get a shot from
anybody, much less a student that was giving her first shots ever.
Plus, I hate needles.
And then it hit me. She wanted me to get a shot. I wanted a date.
So, I negotiated. I told her that I would get a shot if she would go on
a date with me. A real date – not just our usual time with our
friends. She said “yes, but on one condition.” It was one date. No
more than one. But, at least I was going to get one date – and I
certainly hoped that one date would lead to another – and another
– then, who knows.
So, the day came and I picked Sydney up at her apartment. I
knew she loved sappy Christmas movies, so I did what any college
guy on a budget would do: I took her to see a sappy Christmas
movie. I didn’t tell her which movie, so it would be a surprise. We
went in the theater, got our popcorn and settled in to watch a
Christmas movie: “Frozen.” Why didn’t anybody tell me that it was
an animated movie for kids? Five minutes into the movie, I thought
I had botched my only chance at a second date. Thankfully, she
loved it. We had a great time and laughed a lot at the fact I had no
idea I was taking her to see a cartoon.
I figured I had nothing to lose at this point, so I asked her for a
second date. Much to my surprise, she said yes. This time, I took
her to a nice restaurant for dinner and didn’t waste any time
asking for that third date. Thankfully, the third date led to a
fourth date and it wasn’t long before we considered ourselves to
be a couple. We continued to date through college and, after
graduation, I realized that I wanted the nurse who gave me a flu
shot to be my wife.
We got married on Leap Day at Factory Atlanta. It was the best
day ever. The venue was perfect – what was once an old warehouse
was transformed into a fantastic setting for our special day. The
flowers and table decorations were amazing. The day was full of
special moments, but one of the highlights was our first look. I’ll
never forget how beautiful Sydney looked, and I couldn’t wait to
see her walk down the aisle to say yes to me.
Brent Shoemaker, Pastor at City Church Marietta, was the
perfect choice to perform the ceremony. He was Sydney’s youth
pastor when she was in middle school and at Harrison High
School. He made sure everyone there knew that marriage was one
of God’s ways of showing His love for us. The ceremony practically
flew by and, almost before I could blink, I was a husband.
Walking back out the aisle with my wife is a memory I’ll never
forget. Another highlight was the food. When Sydney and her
parents began planning the wedding, they asked her what she
absolutely had to have on that day. Sydney gave them two answers.
The first was good food and she already had what she wanted in
mind - fried chicken with mac and cheese from the Marietta Local.
Her second answer about “must-haves” for the wedding day was a
band. She and I looked around and found a fantastic band. The
Emerald Empire Band kept the dance floor packed all night long,
playing all of our favorite songs. They even let Sydney’s Grampa
sing lead on “Uptown Funk.” And while there are tons of other
things that happened that day that are etched into my memory, the
last highlight of the reception was being chauffeured away by
Sydney’s grandfather in her great-grandfather’s 1969 Buick Skylark
convertible. Leap Day 2020 is one I’ll never forget!