Hayley Whatley and Craig Lyons
April 25, 2026
Hayley Whatley and Craig Lyons’s story shows the importance of timing in relationships. They met at a Clemson football game through mutual friends, but after a day of tailgating, they weren’t quite ready for a deeper connection. After 10 years, they reconnected at a Fourth of July party and spent hours talking on the porch after everyone else had gone to bed.
Craig proposed exactly two years later, surprising her with a suite at the Grand Bohemian and dinner with friends at Jianna. They were married on April 25 at the Samuel J. Cadden Chapel at Clemson University, followed by a reception at the lakeside Owen Pavilion. In lieu of a traditional wedding party, Hayley and Craig honored nieces and nephews as bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girl, and ring bearer. Hayley, a senior property accountant, and Craig, who works in sales, now live in Greenville.
