Sometimes, it really is love at first sight. It’s not just for fairy tales; sometimes you just know. For Clyde and Sydney, they came to an almost immediate realization that their chance encounter would become their forever.
Where it All Began
Clyde and Sydney met during a Christian retreat during their first semester at Appalachian State University. “We met each other on the first day, and instantly there was a connection,” explained Clyde. “She was all that I could think about.”
While the initial butterflies kept both Sydney and Clyde infatuated, the flutter grew into something deeper: genuine admiration and respect and a deep desire to build a life together. “When I first met Clyde, I was taken aback by his looks and his ability to make me smile,” Sydney recalled. “As we started dating, I fell in love with his heart ... The way he loves other people and takes care of them is so beautiful to me.” She continued, “I love every part of him, and I couldn’t do life without him.”
Clyde agreed, “I have never experienced someone so loving and so caring not only to me but to those around her. From the moment we started dating, I knew that there was something different about her and that I had entered a lifelong relationship.”
Planning for Forever
Clyde wanted to begin forever with Sydney with a ring as special as she was. Clyde came to Fink’s after witnessing his brother purchase an engagement ring the year prior. Clyde worked with Ike HatziSavvas, just like his brother, to select the perfect ring for his bride.
“The decision process was one of the easiest of my life because of Ike,” Clyde recalled. “He made a very complicated and stressful process seem simple and easy. He presented me with a perfect diamond in our first meeting: the perfect diamond for my perfect fiancé.”
Getting to “Yes!”
After Clyde worked with Ike to choose the perfect engagement ring, he set to work planning how he would ask the biggest question of his life. Clyde’s parents own a stylish wedding venue in Greensboro, North Carolina, called the Cadillac Service Garage. An open house event at the venue served as an idyllic backdrop to foreshadow the days to come.
Toward the end of the event, Clyde ushered his sweetheart to a quiet corner of the gardens and dropped to one knee. Presenting the diamond he so carefully selected, he asked Sydney to step into forever at his side.
Recalling that dreamy evening, Sydney shared, “I was overjoyed and, of course, said yes! My favorite part of the proposal was celebrating with Clyde and our families. That’s when the excitement and reality of the engagement really set in!”
Sydney continued, “I love my ring because it was given to me by my favorite person, and it signifies that I get to spend forever with him. Clyde put so much thought into picking it out, and Ike and Anna did an incredible job of helping Clyde give me the ring of my dreams.”
Looking to the Future
Sydney and Clyde are eagerly planning their wedding and the future that they have envisioned since their early college days. Clyde gushed, “I am looking forward to seeing my bride walk down the aisle and realizing that I will always have her by my side. I only hope that my tears don't make it too hard to see her.”
Sydney has her eyes set on the future and the love that lives in the little things. She explained, “I’m excited to do life with Clyde. I can’t wait to wake up next to him every morning and fall asleep next to him every night. I am so happy that I will get to be the one supporting him and taking care of him. Clyde makes life so beautiful, and I am so excited to experience all God has in store for our lives.”
