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Think being socially relevant in Springfield is a drag if you’re not a swinging single? These five happy and happening couples are here to prove you wrong.
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 Photo Kevin O'Riley Ethan Forhetz and Sara Sheffield revisit the scene of their ultimate “live remote”: Their April 2007 wedding at Springfield’s Close Memorial Park. |
A Prime-Time Pairing
THIS IS WHY THEY’RE HOT
In the small but TV-talent loaded Springfield, it’s surprising we don’t see more television “It” couples (Joe and Christine Daues were the last in our memory). Ethan, 35, and Sara, 25, fit the bill, though. Both ex-soccer players, both on-air stars for KYTV (Ethan’s an evening and prime-time anchor, Sara a dayside reporter), they’re making newscast names—and a home—for themselves in Springfield.
THE SAPPY DETAILS
How they met: At work. “I remember his audition,” says Sara. “He was upbeat and real friendly, and I liked that he had played soccer. We went to some work group functions and hit it off.
First date: Nov. 19, 2005. Missouri State basketball game and dinner at Bambino’s.
Who kissed whom?: Ethan kissed Sara. “But I think she held my hand first,” he says.
Engaged: June 17, 2006
Married: April 21, 2007 (also Sara’s birthday) in the hosta garden at Close Memorial Park.
Best anniversary: Honeymoon in Aruba
Favorite restaurant: Aunt Martha’s Pancake House
Favorite activity: Cooking, walks with their rat terrier, Maggie
Favorite TV show or movie: The Closer
ADVICE
On surviving the singles scene: Forget timetables—happiness comes exactly when you’re not looking for it. Says Ethan: “You have to be open to it, but not on the prowl.”
On workplace relationships: Both Ethan and Sara had co-workers and mentors who strongly recommended they not date in the workplace, since TV romances tend to be short-lived (haven’t they seen Anchorman?) But, as Ethan puts it: “When the big man sets it up, what are you going to do?”
On surviving monogamy: Planning getaways, even small ones, to look forward to is important, but so are little rituals—like Ethan and Sara’s weekly Saturday trips to Aunt Martha’s.
On the transient nature of TV people: Ethan and Sara were both on the get-to-a-big-market-ASAP track, but now that they’ve found each other, the network ladder has taken a back seat to family. Springfield is about halfway between their respective families, and they’re willing to think about staying. “We could end up like Ned Reynolds,” Sara says with a laugh.
On surviving money problems: Get on the same page and get pre-marital financial counseling; agree on how much to spend and how much to save. “It’s not bullet-proof,” Ethan says, “but [not communicating] is a recipe for disaster.”
 Photo Kevin O'Riley |
I fell for her because… “I’d been waiting for her for so long, and I knew it when I found her.”
Best features…
Physical: “Her bright smile.”
Non-physical: “Her personality—she’s energetic, not so much on-camera but behind the scenes.”
Her most annoying habit… “She quickly moves on from the current topic. She’ll switch the subject on me.” [Sara: “That’s true.”]
The sweetest thing she’s done for me… “She threw me a little party for me at home on my dinner break [Editor’s note: Sara and Ethan work opposite shifts] with streamers and only one person. And a carrot cake.”
She looks best when… “We are hanging out on a Saturday and we go to Aunt Martha’s.”
SHE SAYS
I fell for him because… “Of his athleticism. We both played soccer. Plus, he’s a strong Christian and has a kind of dry sense of humor.”
Best features...
Physical: “His smile. There’s a difference between relaxed Ethan’s smile and on-air Ethan’s smile.”
Non-physical: “His sense of humor.”
His most annoying habit… “He won’t work out with me anymore. He uses his MCL injury as an excuse.”
The sweetest thing he’s done for me: “Our engagement was AWESOME. He took me to Eureka Springs.”
He looks best when… “He’s wearing a baseball hat and a T-shirt at Aunt Martha’s. NOT in a suit. He’s cuter with no makeup and with a hat.”
See how Ethan and Sara faired in our game of Know Your Partner!
Get GO at home!
