Strike up the bands

One couple is getting ready to experience what many people only dream of.

Slade Ponder and Katie Oliver, both Auburn alumni, have been announced as the winners of the War Eagle Wedding.

"(We're) so relieved," Ponder said. "Because campaign, it was a job, you had to work at it, so it's a relief that it's over and that we were the winners."

Ponder and Oliver will be given a nearly all-expenses-paid wedding, with the use of Samford Lawn for the ceremony and the Hotel for the reception. Other provided services include bridal and bridesmaid dresses, tuxedos, photography and food for the reception.

According to Teresa Whitman-McCall, director of campus and community events for the Department of Communications and Marketing, the War Eagle Wedding is the result of a partnership between Auburn University, the Hotel at Auburn University, the Opelika-Auburn News and WRBL News.

The wedding is sponsored by Metabolic Research Center and Prudential Preferred Real Estate.

"We decided to give away a wedding," Whitman-McCall said. "And we asked that any couple that was looking to get married, engaged, fill out an application or submit a two-minute video, or they could fill out or write us a letter on why they should win."

Afterward, a committee met to narrow the applicants to five couples. From there, the committee interviewed the couples and selected three. The Auburn community was then invited to vote online for the winning couple.

"You could just tell, each of the couples that we selected, they came from long generations, third generations of Auburn men and women," Whitman-McCall said. "You could just tell how much they loved Auburn, and they were just dynamic, young individuals who really wanted to, in some way, give back to the University, as well as make one of the biggest moments in their lives happen at Auburn."

Although candidates for the wedding were not required to be Auburn alumni, Ponder and Oliver both graduated from Auburn in December 2010. Ponder received his degree in supply chain management and Oliver received hers in early childhood education.

The couple became engaged on Dec. 18, 2010. Slade and Ponder both grew up in Lanett, Ala., where they live now.

"Our families have known each other, we've both known each other, for all our life," Ponder said. "Our dads actually went to high school together."

Ponder said he and Oliver had originally intended to be married in the church where they grew up.

"You know, it did cross our mind to have the wedding (in Auburn), but we're definitely glad to have it (here) now," Ponder said.

Details for the wedding are still not complete, however.

In the time leading up to the wedding, the Auburn community will have the chance to vote online for various aspects of the wedding, including the bridal gown design, bridesmaid dress design, jewelry and reception menu.

"Having that takes a lot of the planning part off it and the stress of doing it, so we're just happy for that part, and we'll be glad to win anything," Ponder said.

Whitman-McCall said several local and national vendors have agreed to provide the products that will be voted on.

Voting for the bridal dress has already begun and will continue until 8 p.m. Monday.

"We have three students from the advanced apparel design

program within the College of Human Sciences that actually have designed the dresses," Whitman-McCall said. "We have those online at wareaglewedding.com.

You can also go to the Hotel at Auburn University and see half-scale models that the students have sewn and put together of the dresses, so if you wanted to be a little closer and get a close look at them, they're on display over at the Hotel."

Ponder and Oliver will be married May 26.

"Katie and Slade, from our point of view, they were just a fabulous couple," Whitman-McCall said. "And they really went above and beyond to promote themselves to win the wedding, and it was very evident in their numbers how many people voted for them.They're just a great couple."