The fairytale of Caedmon Bunch and Heyward Owens kicked off with Clemson football
Heyward Owens & Caedmon Bunch
July 19, 2025 • Belin Memorial United Methodist Church
The love story of two Clemson Tigers, Caedmon Bunch and Heyward Owens, was first brought to life in Death Valley.
“We first met at Clemson University through mutual friends and spent almost a year in the same circle, but never really talked,” says Heyward. “This all changed after our first date to a Clemson football game, and from that day forward, what started in Death Valley grew into the most special love story.”
The next chapter of their story would happen three years later, and again set in Death Valley. Heyward headed to the football stadium, where she thought she was taking marketing pictures for work, but when she walked into the bathroom to freshen up, she noticed the dress she mentioned to Caedmon that she wanted to get engaged in, along with a letter from him.
“After I changed into the dress and rounded the corner, I found Caedmon standing in the West End Zone overlooking the field, and he eventually got down on one knee,” says Heyward. “Again, Clemson has had a huge impact on both of our lives, and has played a huge role in our relationship, so it was only fitting for us to get engaged at a place we hold so close to our hearts.”
The couple’s wedding took place on July 19, 2025, with the ceremony held at Belin Memorial United Methodist Church and the reception at Wachesaw Plantation in Murrells Inlet.
Heyward walked down the aisle in a dress by Maggie Sottero, featuring a flirty, feminine bow on the front, which she says perfectly married with her vision of the day. Her bridesmaids donned a bouquet of Bon Bon Pink and Fuchsia gowns from Birdy Grey, while her sister, as her maid of honor, stood out in an elegant Sachin & Babi gown. And the groom and groomsmen wore classic, timeless Calvin Klein black satin-edged tuxes.
“Our wedding was a traditional southern celebration in the Lowcountry with romantic touches,” says Heyward, who planned it all. “Getting married in my hometown was something I had always dreamed of, and it created the perfect backdrop for the start of our life together. From the colorful florals to the sweet bow details, everything came together in a way that felt timeless and personal to us. Our goal was for guests to not only see the love we have for each other, but to also truly feel the love we have for everyone who is part of our lives.”
For the reception, the menu was a fusion of Southern comfort food with a twist, such as passed hors d’oeuvres of deviled eggs, vegetable spring rolls, and Southwestern shrimp cocktail cups. For dinner, stations served up shrimp and grits, braised beef short ribs, and chicken and waffles. Dessert was a refreshing raspberry custard cake.
The couple’s signature cocktail was the “Tiger Tini,” of course, a fun nod to Tiger Town Tavern in Clemson, one of their favorites. And a late-night snack of French fries was a nice surprise for hungry guests.
Heyward says their special day was so meaningful, with added touches to remember family members who are no longer with them.
“I had a tiger paw sewn into my dress, above my heart, to honor my grandaddy,” she says. “And Caedmon had a lapel pin close to his heart to remember his mother, so she could be with us every step of our special day. We also had remembrance vases at the altar for our grandparents and Caedmon’s mother, so they could have front row seats to our ceremony.”
The Bunches’ love story lives on happily ever after in Pendleton, South Carolina, where they live and work as an event coordinator at Clemson University (Heyward) and a pediatric nurse at Prisma Health (Caedmon).
