WHO: Brie Owens, 28, wedding planner; Stephen Owens, 30, graduate assistant and Uber driver
Flagpole: Stephen, what are you in school for?
Stephen Owens: I am working on a doctorate in education policy. Georgia is about to rethink the formula they use to finance public education, and the way they are going about it might be a little sketchy. We haven’t funded our schools adequately since 2002.
FP: Brie, how did you get into wedding planning?
Brie Owens: I got my degree in hospitality management and have always been in the service industry. Catering, waiting tables, and that led me to wedding planning. I just kinda found that I do not get stressed very easily. I’ve ran across a lot of people who hired a wedding planner who said it made their day worse because they got really stressed. So, I thought, “I can help out in that field.”
FP: How did you guys meet?
BO: We met at church when we were kids. It was Flat Creek Baptist.
SO: And we went to the same high school. Sandy Creek.
FP: Why do you love Athens?
SO: We have an affinity for optimistic cities. There is a lot of cool stuff to do in Atlanta, but you get the feeling that if Atlanta had a mood, it would be a little bit of a downer, or a sad businessman. Athens has better music. And it’s helpful to have the university. Athens has a generally optimistic view of life and of city culture.
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