After her dad’s stroke, CJ Lake was not sure if she could afford the wedding of her dreams, but after she and her fiancé Jon Tamasco won the Love Story Wedding put on by Professor Anne Hoover’s class in the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management, she knew that her wedding day would be perfect.
“Each semester, students in Professor Annette Hoover’s wedding planning class gain hands-on experience in event management by planning and implementing a real wedding,” said USC spokesperson Allen Wallace said in a press release. “From rings to dresses and tuxes to rehearsal, reception and honeymoon, the bride and groom need not spend a dime.”
The chosen bride for the fall 2018 wedding is CJ Lake, a USC social media strategist. She met her fiancé, Jon Tamasco, in Cool Beans, and the two immediately connected over coffee and walks around the Horseshoe. Even though Lake worked long hours at USC while taking care of her father, Tamasco stayed by her side.
“He was patient with me during the many crazy times and, quite quickly, as he was falling in love with me, he couldn’t help but fall in love with the place that occupied such a large part of my heart,” Lake said in her application essay. “He often joked that he knew I wouldn’t accept his proposal unless it was on the Horseshoe.”
The couple was selected from 58 applicants who submitted essays and videos to share their love story. The announcement of the winning couple took place in Spirit Communications Park.
The Love Story Wedding is completely free for the couple thanks to local vendors that the students in HRTM 362 work with. These students learn to plan wedding details, work with vendors and satisfy clients through hands-on experience.
“In exchange, the bride and groom turn over all decision-making for the wedding to the students,” Wallace said. “The couple is invited to attend classes and their wishes are taken into account, but the student event planners make all the final calls.”
The wedding will be held in Spirit Communications Park on Oct. 29 as the culmination of the students’ work and the beginning of Lake and Tamasco’s life together.
“I’ve honestly never met anyone who loves any school more than CJ loves USC,” Wallace said. “There’s a 100% chance she will cry when we announce that she’s the winner.”