Marriage Proposal At South Carolina State Fair
A marriage proposal at the South Carolina State Fair circus took center stage Saturday. It’s certainly not the first marriage proposal the fair had a front row seat for. In…


A marriage proposal at the South Carolina State Fair circus took center stage Saturday. It's certainly not the first marriage proposal the fair had a front row seat for. In doing research, I found several. But, in reading the story, it's what Steven Murray said of his now fiance that drew me in. Murray says he "saw his whole future " once he met Tierra Belcher. We always talk on the air about marriage proposals and the danger of "going big." There's a number of things that can go wrong when couples choose to go big. However, Murray had no doubt he wanted to take the chance. Tierra loves the circus and the fair, so that made his choice easy. His marriage proposal would take place at the South Carolina State Fair. But, he pointed out that she always catches on to surprises. So, that made the planning and execution a bit tougher. He realized the season was about to wrap up, and he needed to act fast. He placed a call to the fair director and the plan was in motion.
Once at the show, Murray excused himself to the restroom. However, Tierra then noticed during the final bow, Murray walked out in the ring with the cast of the show. Murray dropped to a knee as someone escorted Tierra to center stage. Family and friends watched as the proposal took place. As you might imagine, tears flowed and she said, "Yes!" The couple set a date of May 25, 2024. Murray says of his now fiance, "when you know...you just know that person is the right one." I'm so happy this man's decision to go big paid off in a big way! It was a great ending to this year's fair season. And now, the fairgrounds readies itself for more holiday events ahead!
The Best Cities To Get (And Stay!) Married In Are Not In North Carolina
The 2022 Wedding Season is in full swing. In fact, I just returned from one I was at this weekend. But as someone who seems to be perpetually single, I'm always looking for something to blame that on. And I found something. LawnStarter ranked 2022’s Best Cities to Get (and Stay) Married and North Carolina has none near the top. In fact, only one is in the Top 50 percent. The rest are all around the 100 mark in a ranking of 196 cities.
So if not NC where should you settle down for the best chance at a happily ever after? Hope you're ready to switch coasts for many of them. If you want to stay in the south Atlanta or Orlando will have to do.
But where did these rankings come from? LawnStarter "compared 190 of the biggest U.S. cities across nine key indicators of nuptial success — from current marriage rates to 5-year divorce rate comparisons to wedding-venue access."
Check out where each of the North Carolina cities ranked as well as the top 10 nationwide. No judgment from me if you choose to move since the best cities to get married in are not in North Carolina.
Read the full LawnStarter study here.
Where North Carolina Cities Rank
59. Cary, NC

Overall Score: 48.35
Marriage Stability: 43
Marriage Potential: 171
95. Durham, NC

Overall Score: 44.13
Marriage Stability: 71
Marriage Potential: 165
103. Charlotte, NC

Overall Score: 43.42
Marriage Stability: 105
Marriage Potential: 101
124. Raleigh, NC

Overall Score: 41.37
Marriage Stability: 144
Marriage Potential: 100
159. Winston-Salem, NC

Overall Score: 37.32
Marriage Stability: 137
Marriage Potential: 148
172. Greensboro, NC

Overall Score: 34
Marriage Stability: 173
Marriage Potential: 143
186. Fayetteville, NC

Overall Score: 30.85
Marriage Stability: 176
Marriage Potential: 167
The Top 10 Cities To Get And Stay Married In
10. Naperville, IL

Overall Score: 57.34
Marriage Stability: 30
Marriage Potential: 41
9. Washington, DC

Overall Score: 57.42
Marriage Stability: 11
Marriage Potential: 86
8. Atlanta, GA

Overall Score: 57.42
Marriage Stability: 78
Marriage Potential: 73
7. St. Louis, MO
Getty Images / YaroslavKryuchkaOverall Score: 58.94
Marriage Stability: 74
Marriage Potential: 30
6. Newark, NJ

Overall Score: 59.18
Marriage Stability: 3
Marriage Potential: 32
5. Orlando, FL

Overall Score: 59.42
Marriage Stability: 74
Marriage Potential: 30
4. Grand Rapids, MI

Overall Score: 62.99
Marriage Stability: 12
Marriage Potential: 27
3. Fullerton, CA

Overall Score: 63.28
Marriage Stability: 5
Marriage Potential: 20
2. Pasadena, CA
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)Overall Score: 65.56
Marriage Stability: 44
Marriage Potential: 105
1. Bellevue, WA

Overall Score: 68.77
Marriage Stability: 2
Marriage Potential: 49




