Lake Magazine February 2023

THE BRIDAL ISSUE

Heart Month Screenings

CALCIUM SCORE HEART SCAN - $90

A non-invasive CT Scan that provides enhanced 3D heart images to find the presence, location, & extent of calcified plaque in the coronary arteries

STROKE PREVENTION SCREENING - $75

Carotid Artery Ultrasound that detects thickening of the artery walls that lead to stroke

ECHOCARDIOGRAM - $125

Ultrasound generates 3D moving images of the heart to assess the functionality of chambers & valves

CALL (256) 329-7826

TO SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY!

Indicate Heart Month Screening when calling. Payment options are available during scheduling. Appointments must be scheduled during February.

A copy of your test results will be sent to one of Russell Medical's Cardiologists and your primary care physician.

Ahealthy lifestyle has always been top priority for Lake Martin couple, Jan and Matt Hare, so it was no surprise that the two of them chose to participate in Russell Medical's annual Heart Month screenings last February. The results of Matt's heart scan, however, did come as a surprise seeing that he had not experienced any symptoms that would indicate coronary artery disease. Matt's calcium score was fatally high which quickly led to triple bypass heart surgery at UAB followed by weeks of cardiac rehabilitation at Russell Medical. "Chances are, he would not be here today if not for the Heart Screening," says Jan. Thanks to a quick and simple test, Matt is here today to share his story and celebrate another Valentine's day with his sweetheart of 51 years. The Hares hope to encourage others to prioritize heart health and take advantage of Russell Medical's annual Heart Month screenings. It could be a life-saving decision!

Every dream in the weddings featured in this annual bridal edition of Lake magazine takes on a life of its own, according to the relationship it sanctions. From the music festival wedding at which Abby Brown and Jay Glass wed to the family celebration that bonded Olivia Leonard and Corey Freeman, the photos explain the choice of a Lake Martin wedding. Most of the couples in this issue conducted part of their courtship on Lake Martin and wanted to marry here for the idyllic memories.

Caroline Elliot and Eddie Hill met at a Children’s Harbor camp for just five minutes. But when they ran into each other a few months later, they remembered their brief time together on Lake Martin. Those memories sparked the love they now share and the wedding featured on page 32.

Virginia Cook and Andrew Gwaltney created many happy memories visiting his family on the lake – so many that when he planned the proposal, Andrew chose the view from his grandmother’s Lake Martin home as the place to pop the question. Their breathtaking wedding story is told on page 42.

When Brock Hodson married Hayden Scales at Willow Point Golf & Country Club last summer, the weekend revolved around playing golf at the lake, from the bachelor party round to the reception. And who won? The happy couple, of course.

We feature a historic venue at the lake for the first time in this issue. Caroline Keyes and Isaiah Fuller were wed at New Hope Church, which predates the lake by a hundred years. Talk about a symbol of longevity. Read their story on page 24.

It is such an honor for us to tell these stories and more from local and lake-loving brides and grooms, to share their happiness and showcase our little corner of heaven as the ideal location for the day that lasts forever.

This issue then is a juxtaposition of memories made at the lake because we also feature memories of a different kind – those of a long-track tornado that ripped through the lake area last month, destroying homes instead of making them. Jim Denney’s drone photo on page 14 showing some of the damage at River Bend only tells part of the story. As soon as the storm had left the area, TPI’s news crews put feet on the ground to bring that story to you as well.

We talked to homeowners about their experiences and their needs. In the Quick Guide to the Lake on page 9, you’ll find a variety of ways you could help the recovery efforts. And on page 14, you’ll find a report of damage and near misses as the tornado left it's mark across the area.

What strikes me most profoundly is the hope I heard that day and continue to hear as the stories play on – the breath by which lives were spared and the quick response of volunteers, utility companies, city employees and local businesses.

Strong relationships hold families and communities together, celebrating the joys together and helping each other through the storms of life. It’s a poignant reminder for all of us who make memories at Lake Martin.

Chairman

KENNETH BOONE editor@lakemartinmagazine.com

General Manager

TIPPY HUNTER editor@lakemartinmagazine.com

Editor in Chief

BETSY ILER editor@lakemartinmagazine.com

Art Director

AUDRA SPEARS audra.spears@alexcityoutlook.com

Business & Digital Development Director

ANGELA MULLINS angela.mullins@alexcityoutlook.com

Audience Development Director

ERIN BURTON erin.burton@alexcityoutlook.com

Marketing

RENEE TRICE renee.trice@alexcityoutlook.com

MARILYN HAWKINS marilyn.hawkins@thewetumpkaherald.com

SHERYL JENNINGS sheryl.jennings@thewetumpkaherald.com

EMILY GREGG emily.gregg@alexcityoutlook.com

HIDEY ARRINGTON hidey.arrington@alexcityoutlook.com

Contributors

KENNETH BOONE

BREANNA MANLEY

JULIE HUDSON

GREG VINSON

CLIFF WILLIAMS

PETE MCKENNY

JODIE MCGIRL

STEPHANIE COLEY

WILLIAM MARLOW

KAITLIN FLEMING

RILEY FRANCIS HARRIS

HENRY ZIMMER

ABIGAIL MURPHY

EMILY GARMON

MEGAN MULLINS PHOTOGRAPHY BELIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

ERIC & JAMIE PHOTOGRAPHY

WESLEY & EMMA

CHELSEA & RUSS

EMMILEE EVANS & SCOTT BAKER

EMMA HLAD

TIFFANY HALLMARK

JOHN DENNEY

JIM DENNEY

CAROLINE RICE

Betsy Iler, Editor-in-Chief

Sarah and Johnson Dooley were thrilled to learn they could exchange their vows on the grassy hillside at Lake Martin Amphitheater, just one of the spectacular wedding and event venues in the Lake Martin area. This issue of Lake magazine - the Bridal Issue - showcases more venues and wedding ideas at East Central Alabama's popular desti nation for dreamy weddings.

Photo by Wesley & Emma.

Recruiting Top Quality Healthcare Professionals

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18. A WINNING PROPOSAL BRHS football coach celebrates the successful season with a post-game proposal.

20. A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY

The groom takes a road down Memory Lane to propose to Hayden Dooley.

24. NEW HOPE

Their waterfront wedding was a classic case of 'when you know, you know.'

28. BOOGIE JAM WEDDING

Abby Brown and Jay Glass turned their music festival plan into a wedding at the AMP.

32. A CHILDREN'S HARBOR STORY

A five-minute meeting at a Children's Harbor camp leads to a Lake Martin wedding.

Playing golf was central to this local bride's dream wedding weekend at Willow Point.

42. ETHEREAL ELEGANCE

Sparkling chandeliers and a flower-laden 16-foot cross set the tone for a SpringHouse ceremony.

46.

Olivia and Corey Freeman incorporated their families' dreams into their Marsgate event.

50.

Time together outdoors during COVID was the perfect way to build a relationship.

54. NATURALLY

A matchmaking friend succeeds in pairing nature lovers for life.

58.

This

LAKE

Lake magazine also features an online, digital edition, available 24 hours a day, free of charge. This edition is perfect to share with friends and family and provides you complete access to stories, photos and advertisements from anywhere in the world with Internet access. View our digital edition today at www.lakemagazine.life.

38. COURSE FOR THE FUTURE

STEPPING OUT FRONT

wedding videography duo steps in front of the camera for their own special day.

A COVID COURTSHIP

A WEDDING FOR FAMILIES

Lake’s Quick Guide to the Lake

Lake Martin Area Real Estate Indicators

How to help local victims of the Jan. 12 tornado

Lake Martin Area United Way is collecting monetary donations for local victims of the Jan. 12 tornado that cut a swath of destruction through southeast Coosa County and northern Tallapoosa County (see the article on page 14). Make contributions online under the orange ‘Donate’ tab at unitedwaylakemartin.org or send checks to LMAUW, P.O. Box 876, Alexander City AL 35011 or drop money at the LMAUW office at 17 Main St., Alexander City.

The Salvation Army at 6800 U.S. Highway 280 in Alexander City is accepting donations of toiletries, blankets, jackets, canned meats, peanut butter and crackers, as well as clothing, socks and underwear for all genders in all sizes. Salvation Army also is accepting monetary donations that will be used to help victims pay for hotel stays.

In Coosa County, BridgeWays is especially in need of clothing for boys ages 3 to 12. New undergarments and socks for all ages and genders also are needed. Deliveries

can be left on the front porch of the program center at 9922 U.S. Highway 231 in Rockford. Monetary donations can be made at secure.givelively.org/donate/BridgeWays-Alabama; please designate the donation for Coosa tornado victims. A Facebook group that was founded last March has been helpful in returning found items to victims of Alabama tornadoes. If you have found items, join the Missing Items/ Documents/Photos from Alabama Tornadoes group and post a photo of what you have found. If you have lost items, peruse the posts on the Facebook group page to search for your belongings.

Additional organizations helping with the recovery effort include the Tallapoosa Baptist Association, Flint Hill Methodist and the Red Cross.

The Alabama Association for Justice has created the ‘Lawyers Care’ effort, which assists storm survivors with the filing of insurance claims and FEMA paperwork for free.

Weather Outlook for February

February 2023 Forecast

Historically, the Lake Martin area experiences average high temperatures in the upper 50s and lower 60s with average lows in the mid 30s and about 5 and a half inches of precipitation in the month of February.The National Weather Service has predicted that temperatures will lean above average and rainfall will be normal or lean slightly above average this month.

Year-to-Date

Precipitation: minimal

Avg. high temp.: 71.5

Avg. low temp.: 46.0

Avg. temp.: 58.8

Information from the National Weather Service.

Our Normal February

Precipitation: 5.49 inches

Avg. high temp.: 60.1

Avg. low temp.: 35.2

Avg. temp.: 47.7

Last Month's Lake Levels

Summer: 491 MSL

Winter: 481 MSL

Highest: 485.36

Lowest: 483.72

Lake depth is measured in reference to mean sea level. For up-to-date water levels at the lake, visit lakes.alabamapower.com.

Lake elevations are subject to change. Individuals who recreate below Martin Dam and those with boats and waterrelated equipment on the lake should always stay alert to changing conditions.

The above numbers are derived from raw sales data from the Lake Martin Area Association of Realtors MLS. The sales noted above are for Lake Martin waterfront residential (single-family and condominium) sales only. This information is provided courtesy of Lake Martin Realty, LLC (a Russell Lands, Inc., affiliated company).

Several local agencies have stepped up to collect donations for tornado victims

Photo by Henry Zimmer

READER SUBMISSIONS

(1) Kade Walls enjoying the water. (2) Sir Bentley takes the boat out for a spin. (3) Susan Griffin, Sue Leonardi and Linda Moore celebrated New Year's Eve at Coppers Grill in Stillwaters. (4) Belinda and Andy Hepburn's granddaughters, Ellie, Ruth Anne and Avi Grace Hepburn, explore the Point Windy shoreline on New Year's Day. (5) Lines of pink clouds glow with the last light of day near New Hope Church on Lake Martin. (6) Tony Johnson gets to look at this view every day.

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Feb. 3

Favorite Songs with Matt Campbell

Locally known singer/guitarist Matt Campbell will entertain with a variety of musical styles and a great sense of humor. The show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 at the door. Children attend free with a ticketed adult. Purchase tickets or find more information at dadevilleperformingartscenter.com.

Feb. 6-10

Learn to Burn Workshop

Wind Creek State Park will host this Alabama Extension course from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Attendees will experience a day long start-to-finish prescribed burn. Up to 30 participants will be accepted and assigned to crews. Each crew will be led by experienced, certified burn managers. This is a live fire event in the field. Participants will be on their feet most of the day. Clothing should include natural fiber materials, no synthetic fibers. For details, contact Drew Metzler at drew.metzler@auburn.edu.

Feb. 10

For Heaven’s Sake

This local band has drawn a following with their spiritually uplifting traditional country music. The show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Children admitted free with a ticketed adult. Tickets and information available at dadevilleperformingartscenter. com.

Feb. 15

Open Studio Panel

Feb. 21

Dadeville Community Chorus

Rehearsals resume at 7 p.m. for concerts scheduled for late May. No auditions required, but regular attendance is expected. Register early, so there is enough music to share. Scholarships available for music and membership fees. Contact Dadeville Performing Arts Center for more information.

Feb. 25 Russell Forest Run

Register now for this year’s run through Russell Forest to benefit the Alexander City Schools Education Foundation. Join the 10K or the 5K race at Russell Crossroads or run the race virtually. Entry fee is $40 for all options. This is an out-and-back race over a certified course that includes sand, clay and gravel roads designed for runners, bicycles and electric cars. The race will finish near The Stables for the postrace party, including the World Famous Grits Bar, live music and more. This annual race has raised more than $100,000 for local schools. For details, visit russellforestrun.com.

Feb. 25

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

WHAT’S HAPPENING ON LAKE MARTIN

Artists Association of Central Alabama will host a panel of successful artists in different mediums, as well as a gallery business owner, to talk about their paths to success and answer questions from the audience. The event will start at 9:30 a.m. at the Alexander City Senior Center at the Sportplex. Lunch will be served after the panel presentation. Cost to non-members is $10, which can be applied toward AACA membership. Call June Dean at 334-313-7533 or email her at junedeansart@gmail.com.

Feb. 20

Lake Martin Wedding & Event Expo

The Mitchell House is the perfect setting for this annual event for Lake Martin brides. Meet with caterers, florists, event center representatives and more to plan your dream wedding at the lake in one day. Admission is $10 and helps to support Lake Martin Area United Way agencies.

Lake Watch Annual Meeting

Lake Watch will hold an annual general membership meeting at First Baptist Church in Dadeville, 178 S. Tallassee St. Registration begins at 1:30 p.m. with business conducted from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Please use the Cass Street entrance. New members welcome. Visit lakewatch.org for information.

Feb. 26

Daddy-Daughter Dance

The Friendship Fire Department will host a DaddyDaughter dance from 6 p.m to 9 p.m. at the fire hall in Tallassee. Get dolled up for an enchanting evening under stars with dinner, music, formal pictures and memories to last a lifetime. Entry is $35 per couple. Text 334-415-9034 for details. Order tickets at daddydaughterdancetallassee.eventbrite.com.

March 4

Love is in the Air

Mistletoe Bough in Alexander City will host this spring wedding market with Forever A*men Wedding Planning Services from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with live music, food, drinks and more than 50 wedding vendors. There will be a $5,000

Russell Forest Run attracts 400-plus runners to benefit the Alexander City Schools Education Foundation

bridal drawing at the end of the event. For questions and ticket information email lauren.fussell777@icloud.com.

Season-long Events

Dulcimer Club

All levels of mountain dulcimer and blending traditional instruments are invited to gather at Dadeville Performing Arts Center from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday to rehearse for performances at a variety of community events. Club fee is $25 annually. Performer memberships, patron memberships or quarterly memberships are $30. For more information, email kim.walls@dadevilleperformingartscenter.com.

Wellborn Musclecar Museum

Housed in a restored vintage auto dealership in downtown Alexander City, the Wellborn Musclecar Museum collection of great American automobiles of the 1960s and 1970s is open for public viewing Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission for adults is $11; children ages 7 to 17 admitted for $7, and children ages 6 and under are admitted for free. To arrange discounted tours for groups or private tours, email wellbornmusclecarmuseum@gmail.com.

Dadeville Community Chorus

Rehearsals will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays at Dadeville Performing Arts Center for a performance in late May. Email kim.walls@dadevilleperformingartscenters.com.

Clean Community Partnership Cleanups

Volunteers in Alexander City and Dadeville are encouraged to participate in community partnership cleanups every month. In Alexander City, the cleanups are held on the third Saturday of the month. Meet at Our Town Volunteer Fire Department at 8:30 a.m. to pick up supplies and area assignments and help clean up the roads within Alexander City. For more information, contact John Thompson at 334-399-3289. In Dadeville, the monthly cleanup is held on the second Saturday of the month, and volunteers can pick up sanitized pickers and bags at 8 a.m. at Dadeville City Hall. There also will be a trash bag drop-off on site. Contact Mickey Forbus at 334-329-0905.

Lake Martin Creativity

This group meets every Monday at 1 p.m. in the downstairs community room at the StillWaters Residential Building. Anyone interested in arts and crafts is encouraged to join. Bring something to work on or come see what others are doing. A monthly fee of $5 is charged to help pay for the use of the space. For more information, contact Kay Fincher at 256-825-2506.

Fiber Fridays

Bring your knitting, crochet, needlepoint, embroidery and other fiber art projects to The Yarn Shop Around the Corner in Dadeville from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Fridays to meet fellow fiber artisans, share tips and techniques and talk with others who share your interests. Call 334-444-1038 for details.

Library Storytimes

Storytime for children ages 5 and younger is held at the Dadeville Public Library every Tuesday at 10 a.m. Mamie’s Place Children’s Library in Alexander City holds themed storytime every Wednesday at 10 a.m. for preschool-aged and younger children.

Children’s Harbor Treasures and Thrift Store

Located on state Route 63 just south of Lake Martin Amphitheater, the Children’s Harbor Thrift Store is open Thursday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. You never know what gems you might find – from clothes and household items to boats. Proceeds are used to help fund the activities at the Lake Martin campus of Children’s Harbor and the Family Center at Children’s Hospital. Call 334-857-2008 for more information.

Memory Makers Quilt Guild

This group meets the second and fourth Mondays at the Senior Center on the Charles E. Bailey Sportplex campus. Participants come and go between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. with a business meeting at 5 p.m., followed by show-and-tell. Bring sewing projects, machines and questions.

Naturalist Presentations and Guided Nature Tours

Naturalist Marianne fills the Naturalist Cabin at Russell Crossroads with children and adults to see and listen to her lively nature presentations with critters, insects, snakes and fowl, just to mention a few. There is never a dull moment with this wildlife biologist as she educates on the beauty of nature in the wild and the outdoor classroom. Check the calendar at RussellLands.com/blog/events for the scheduled subject matter, dates and times.

Charity Bingo at Niffer’s Place Lake Martin

Niffer’s, 7500 state Route 49 in Dadeville, hosts charity bingo every Tuesday at 6 p.m. Cards are $1 each, and funds go to participating charities.

Second Friday Open Mic Night

The Equality Performing Arts Center invites all musicians to its monthly jam sessions on the second Friday of each month from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. There is no cover, but donations are greatly appreciated. There will be an intermission for snacks, and people are encouraged to bring a dish to share. The EPAC is located at 560 state Route 9 in Equality. For more information, visit the EPAC Facebook page.

Tallassee Lions Club

The Tallassee Lions Club meets every Tuesday at Cozumel Restaurant, across from the football stadium in Tallassee, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. The public is welcome to join for an hour of humor, information, civic pride and patriotism. For more information, call Marilyn Speake at 334-283-6864 or email her at marilyn.speake@tcschools.com.

Lake Martin News

Jim Denney's aerial photo shows some of the widespread damage in the River Bend area

Fifteen Minutes

STORY BY BETSY ILER & PHOTOS BY JIM DENNEY, BETSY ILER & HENRY ZIMMER

Fifteen minutes is all it took for a longtrack tornado to wreak havoc and destroy homes and property across the upper Lake Martin area last month. Rated as strong as EF-3, the tornado swept through southeastern Coosa and northern Tallapoosa counties just after lunch on Jan. 12, scattering building materials and personal possessions in its wake.

“There’s still insulation in the trees,” Dr. Mary Battistella said at Lake magazine’s presstime.

A resident of the River Bend neighborhood on Lake Martin’s northeast shoreline, Battistella said no trees are left in her formerly wooded lakeside lot.

“Our pier is completely destroyed. There were two pontoon boats turned upside down in the lake. Our house isn’t too bad, but our neighbors’ house was picked up and dropped down again in the same place. You could tell because there were wires coming out from the inside,” she said.

Several homes in the River Bend area were destroyed and their contents strewn across the area.

In the Cedar Creek area, the storm demolished all but the interior closet where residents sought shelter in their home. And on state Route 63, just a quarter of a mile north of state Route 128, brothers James and Justin Moore hid in the basement while the tornado ripped the southside roof from the house.

“It was very dark and very loud,” James said.

Alicia Brown, who also lived in the home, was not there when the storm hit. She had just picked up one of her children at Jim Pearson Elementary School, but when she arrived at Alexander City Middle School to pick up her daughter, she was told the area was under a tornado warning.

“They took us inside to wait out the storm,” Brown said. “When I got out, I heard that my house was hit.”

After the storm passed, Brown’s work shed was little more than a pile of trees and mangled metal roofing. One section of the roofing was bent around a fencepost. Her children’s trampoline was lodged on her neighbors’ roof.

The tornado was on the ground for more than 76 miles. Having dropped in Autauga County and causing several deaths and injuries more than an hour before it reached the lake area, the twister traveled a relatively straight line through Jackson’s Gap and beyond. Sturdivant Road was closed to traffic until the weekend.

Courtney Vernon in the Rehobeth community near Equality lost everything.

“I was at work in Wetumpka and watching the radar. It looked like I had 25 minutes to make it home to get my dogs, but when I got to Santuck, the sirens were going off. I could feel the tornado pulling my car. I was running 93 miles an hour trying to get out of it,” Vernon said. “I couldn’t get down 14, so I cut over to county Road 18; and then, I took off running to my house, which was about another mile and half. There was a lineman or a volunteer who grabbed me and said I couldn’t go any further because there were live wires. I told him where my house was, and he told me my house wasn’t there anymore.”

When Vernon’s husband, Nick, arrived, the two of them set off through the downed trees toward their homesite.

“At the top of the hill, I could see our place, and I just sat down and cried. My dog pen was mangled up in a ball. I couldn’t hear the blue healer barking. Turns out he was in the front yard, just standing there. The Yorkie-poo pen was crushed up. My husband had to kick the door in. We thought he was dead, but he wasn’t in there. It took four hours to find him, and there wasn’t a scratch on him.

“The shop where my husband built race cars is completely gone. All the tools, the toolboxes were wrapped around the trees. The trampoline was 500 yards in the opposite direction.”

The house, though still standing, was later condemned.

“I think there were so many trees on the house the tornado couldn’t lift it, but the house was shifted,” she said.

Seven of her family’s homes were damaged in the storm, and yet, Vernon said they found faith in all of it.

“We had a wooden cross next to the house that was still

there, standing straight up in the ground. A cousin has a son with some serious medical issues, and they hid in the hallway. The storm destroyed their house, but they weren’t hurt and none of the medical equipment was damaged,” she said.

Though the storm passed through the Real Island and Parker Creek areas, only minimal straight-line wind damage was reported. J.T. Jones, manager at Real Island Marina, said the marina escaped boat damage but lost several RVs to fallen trees. No one was on site when the storm hit, Jones said.

Trees were down throughout the Real Island area, closing many roads. Residents lost power for several days, but road crews and linemen worked around the clock to restore access and electricity.

In Parker Creek, The Landing owner Herb Winches said the storm apparently lifted briefly just before reaching the container kitchen and dining pavilion.

At River Bend, power has been restored, and residents are picking up the pieces of their lives with the generous help of volunteers. Chain saw crews and tractors showed up minutes after the storm passed and began clearing the roads. Two unidentified gentlemen pulled up and spent a whole day sharpening chain saw blades at no cost to volunteers and city work crews. Big Mike’s BBQ, Koon’s Korner and Papa John’s Pizza fed crews, volunteers and residents, refusing offered payments.

“This scene was repeated over and over along the track of the storm,” Mayor Curtis ‘Woody’ Baird said. “Coming together in times of adversity in Alex City is the norm, not the exception. The road to recovery for some will be long, but recover we will.”

A section of metal roof on what used to be Alicia Brown's shed was wrapped around a fencepost

Residents wait for a tractor to remove a fallen tree from the roadway at River Bend

Several homes at River Bend and in other parts of the area suffered extensive damage

Fallen trees in the Cedar Creek/Elkahatchee Road area caused severe damage

A Winning Proposal

STORY BY HENRY ZIMMER & PHOTOS BY EMILY GARMON

A BRHS football coach, Jacob Walls proposed on the field after his team won the last game of the season

Lifelong football junkie Jacob Walls was more concerned with getting his team to the playoffs than getting married. He had games to win, plays to call. Proposing to his girlfriend was going to have to wait; however, as Benjamin Russell High School rolled towards its best finish in years, complete with a playoff berth, Walls thought there was no better way to cap off his year than to pop the question.

Heading into the Wildcats’ final home game against Valley, the team had an undefeated home record on the line. The week of practice before the game was anything but ordinary, as the flu ravaged the team.

Much of the week was spent practicing in makeshift groups, as 30-plus kids were in and out of school with the flu. If the Wildcats dropped the game against Valley, Walls was going to have to call an audible on his proposal.

“I was really nervous going into that game,” Walls said. “I already had my proposal planned out. But we needed to get through that Valley game.”

The team made it to the Oct. 28 game against Valley, at as full strength as they could be. Now it was time to put his plan into action.

Walls had every last member of both his and his girlfriend Emily’s family at the game.

“They all knew if we won, I was going to propose,” Walls said. “I did not want it to be too obvious that I had all these people showing up for the game.”

Emily and all the players were kept in the dark. Walls did not want to add anything more to his team’s plate.

“I kept it a secret from the players just for the fact because I didn’t want them to think they had to do anything extra,” Walls said. “I did not want this to be about me. I wanted this to be about the win and the kids. That is why I waited until well after the alma mater. I didn’t realize there were still so many kids around me.”

As the fourth quarter rolled around, and the Wildcats were en route to winning 48-7 and finishing the regular season 8-2, Walls had one of the freshman players run to the locker room and grab the ring.

Walls and his confidant offensive lineman, Jackson Padgett, hid the ring on the sideline amongst the team’s equipment. No one was the wiser.

“The clock hit zero, and I ran and grabbed the box, so I

could put it in my pocket,” Walls said. “I stuffed it in there with my towel and my play sheet, so it could not be seen.”

After the handshake line, team prayer and alma mater concluded, Walls and his family were still on the sidelines taking pictures. He and Emily were hugging and celebrating when he finally made the ultimate move.

“I tried to be sneaky,” Walls said. “I put the box in my play script and put it behind her back and made a move to my family. I brought it around and asked her, and that’s when everyone noticed what was going on. Luckily, she said ‘yes.’ It was a very exciting moment when all the players jumped in and enjoyed the moment, too.”

Walls acknowledged that on a week-to-week basis, he probably spends more time with the players than with his bride-to-be. He called the team his family and having them with him on his special moment was something he won’t soon forget.

“Everyone just went crazy,” Walls said. “It was truly awesome. Especially because I was able to hide this all so well. I got the ring in June and just waited for the right time. No one knew.”

The second-year coach said proposing at the end of the season was always a potential goal, but the season had to play out right.

He played football at Huntingdon and had previously coached at Montgomery Catholic. He knew no matter what, his proposal was going to be in or around something football related. Proposing at the end of a game was perfect, because it would yield the most authentic and surprising reaction.

“Doing it then, I did not have to hire a secret photographer or go out on a beach and do a big photoshoot,” Walls said. “It was easy to do it this way. We kept it simple, and I just thought it was the right time. It capped off the regular season and ended it on something exciting. It all worked out perfectly.”

Walls did acknowledge that if the Wildcats lost to Valley, that ring box may still be hidden somewhere.

“Winning was more important,” Walls said. “I honestly was more nervous to win the ball game. This was a really big highlight though, and I will cherish this forever.”

The duo, who have now been together more than three and a half years, will look to set a wedding date sometime in the spring of 2024. There is no football in the spring.

If his

team

had lost, Walls didn't know when he would pop the question

Walls kept his plan a secret from the players to avoid adding pressure to the game

A Sentimental Journey

STORY BY BREANNA MANLEY

PHOTOS BY CAROLINE RICE OF ERIC & JAMIE PHOTOGRAPHY

Carey Clark and Hayden Dooley might have met during missions week at Auburn or at lunch with mutual friends, depending on who's telling the story

SSentimental touches have always been important to Hayden Dooley, so when it came time to plan the wedding of her dreams at Children’s Harbor last May, she incorporated as many of them as she could.

Dooley met her husband, Carey Clark, while attending missions week at Lakeview Baptist Church in Auburn as an Auburn University student, though Clark has a different story.

“I remember meeting her I guess my first week on campus, but she doesn’t remember. We went out to lunch with mutual friends,” Clark recalled.

No matter when they met for the first time, the couple easily connected through church and other shared interests.

“We connected through our relationship with the Lord, knowing Christ. That was our first and foremost connection. Also, I think humor. We have the same humor. We love to read together; we love to go to the library and check out a book, and we’ll just sit there and read or go home and read. We used to have dates where we would just go outside, set up an Eno (hammock) and read outside at a park or something,” Dooley

explained.

When it came to the proposal, Clark was successful with the lead up – a Zoom call with Dooley’s loved ones. He popped the question atop a mountain peak in Dooley’s hometown of Birmingham.

“He knows I’m very sentimental about my family and where I grew up. I was on a bachelorette trip for my friend’s wedding, and we were driving home on a Sunday through Birmingham. My friend and I pull into a Whole Foods, and she had an excuse for us to go inside. When I come back outside and open the door to my car, all of my closest friends were in there. They handed me a Starbucks drink I love, and it said ’Bride’ on it.

“Carey set up a scavenger hunt of spots, or little landmarks in Birmingham, and they had read something Carey had written, so he was kind of preparing me ahead of time for the proposal. That night, my friends drove me to my high school and dropped me off to my family. They took me around to some more landmarks before they drove me to a spot where he was going to propose,” Dooley explained.

A weathered cross hung with roses made a simple, beautiful statement for the wedding

They tied the knot at the Children's Harbor waterfront

When Dooley finally made it to the destination that would change everything, Carey presented her with flowers, pictures of them and a finished scrapbook Dooley had gifted to him on their twoyear anniversary, including a picture of the spot where they were standing for the proposal.

With an unforgettable engagement to look back on and cherish, the couple began planning a wedding at Children’s Harbor, the same place where Dooley’s parents tied the knot.

“My parents got married at Children’s Harbor, and all I cared about was getting married on the lake at Children’s Harbor. As a little girl, that was my dream. The lake is my favorite place in the whole world. There’s no other place I’d rather be,” she said.

Four words described the vision and the end result of the ceremony: simple, classic, understated and elegant. Dooley included family memories and keepsakes throughout the ceremony.

“The cross that was on our altar was my grandfather’s, who passed away, his cross that he made. We wanted to honor him and put it there. We had program touches. My grandmother designed the art on them; it was actually a drawing of my grandfather’s cross. She drew it to honor him. There were just a lot of sentimental touches just because that was a huge thing for me. I wanted it for the wedding. I wanted it to be very meaningful,” said the bride.

Dooley, her mom and her grandmother took on the wedding dress shopping and found her dream dress at McLendon’s Bridals in Sylacauga. The satin gown featured appliquéd lace and after catching the eye of the trio, it was measured as a true timeless, simple dress that was perfect for Dooley’s big day.

“I just felt like myself in it, if that makes sense. It was perfect,” Dooley said.

Following the beautiful ceremony at Children’s Harbor, guests joined the newlyweds at Marsgate for a stunning reception, which included another homage from Dooley to her family. The sawing of a log is a German wedding tradition signifying the need for a couple to work with each other through obstacles. This specifically honored the German heritage from one of Dooley’s grandmothers.

wWith so many special touches implemented into the ceremony and the reception, this one-of-a-kind day created fond memories for years to come.

The couple celebrated at Marsgate after the lakeside ceremony

The sawing of a log is a German tradition attesting to working together in a marriage

STORY BY BREANNA MANLEY & PHOTOS BY TIFFANY HALLMARK

Caroline Keyes and Isaiah Fuller’s love story is the epitome of ‘when you know; you know.’ A young newlywed couple straight out of Dadeville were drawn together, and it only took a little over two months to realize they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. With a beautiful, historic church set as their wedding venue, the couple tied the knot on Sept. 4.

“We actually met in high school. He’s two years younger than me, but we really didn’t get to know each other until we started working at Renfroe’s Market in Dadeville together, and we became friends,” Keyes explained.

Soon they were discovering a very important connection they shared – being involved in church. Keyes and Fuller enjoy being homebodies and discovering new series and movies to watch from the comfort of their home.

“I don’t know if we really have much in common,

p New Hope

actually. He’s very reserved, and I’m very outspoken. At the beginning of our relationship, we went to the movies all the time, I mean I spent a lot of money at the movies,” Keyes recalled.

When it came to the proposal, Fuller made sure to have both families present to make it all the more special.

“He has eight acres of land, and we were going to look at houses to put there or get ideas of what we wanted. We were with both of our families, and we were at Peach Park. We walked underneath a gazebo, and I was looking at the water. I turned around, and he asked me. I was not expecting it at all. We had talked about sometime that year getting engaged, but I wasn’t expecting it at that time,” Keyes said.

Wedding planning can be stressful, no matter the bride or groom, but with help from their parents, this couple had their dream ceremony at one of the most

An array of beautiful shades of green framed the wedding

An artist painted the waterfront wedding at New Hope Church

Their courtship was a classic case of 'when you know, you know'

historical churches on Lake Martin.

“Isaiah probably let me take the reins on the planning, but the truth of it is, our parents handled it more than what we did. I was more set on how I wanted both of our parties to be,” she explained.

Nestled on prime Lake Martin shoreline, New Hope Baptist Church predates Lake Martin itself by almost 100 years. Though Keyes always dreamed of an outdoor ceremony, other factors played a role in the couple’s choice of this venue for their big day.

“We actually looked at a lot of places. Amanda Fuller got married there, and she just talked about how she loved the place. She loved the church. So we started looking into it, and the first time we went there, we just knew this is where we wanted to get married,” Keyes said.

Keyes decided to let Fuller choose the date for their wedding, and with a sentimental aspect in mind, he wanted to tie the knot on their anniversary.

“He actually wanted to get married on Sept. 22, which is our anniversary. I told him ‘no’ because it was on a Wednesday. Nobody was going to come to our wedding if we were doing it in the middle of the week. I told him he could pick a day on the weekend in September, so we went with Sept. 4,” Keyes said.

With a deep appreciation and love for nature, Keyes wanted to incorporate beautiful greenery and wood elements into the ceremony. Though the amazing view and lush greenery was already provided in the outdoor setting, she wanted to enhance it through décor.

“I’ve always wanted an outdoor ceremony just because of the scenery. I think I wanted more of a

greenery kind of feel to the day because it was in the fall season. I just love the green look,” Keyes explained.

Along with the greenery, Keyes drew inspiration from nature for her bridesmaids’ dresses, which were a deep shade of green.

She found a dress that checked all of her boxes at David’s Bridal in Birmingham. Her mom, who accompanied her to the dress shop, brought the dress to her attention. Featuring a long train and sleeves, the dress made a classic statement, exactly what Keyes wanted.

“When I put it on, it was beautiful, and I knew I could see myself in it,” Keyes said.

The intimate ceremony included handwritten vows, a portrait of the ceremony, and prayer over the union by both the bride’s and groom’s fathers. One unique element Keyes added to the bridal party was that her brothers stood on her side for the ceremony, sporting green ties to match the bridesmaids’ dresses.

“I could be normal and say the girl next to my brother, Kevin, is my best friend, and she is, but my brothers are my best friends. They’ve always been there; they’re going to be there for me no matter what. It meant a lot to me to have them on my side because the groom normally gets to have his brother by him. I wanted that to be something for me and them, to show them how much I love them,” she explained.

With a charming, historic, lakefront venue at which to tie the knot, the couple had a beautiful, intimate, ceremony filled with memories to last a lifetime.

The couple bonded over their faith and fondness for quiet evenings

The crosses on the point provided a poignant background

The bridesmaids' attire complemented the bride's penchant for the color green

Abby Brown designed her head piece for the Boogie Jam wedding at The Amp

Boogie Jam Wedding

STORY BY BREANNA MANLEY

PHOTOS BY EMILEE EVANS AND SCOTT BAKER

Beautiful wedding ceremonies with Lake Martin backdrops are common around the area, but a beautiful wedding ceremony with a Lake Martin backdrop coupled with a music festival at Lake Martin Amphitheatre? That’s what local bride, Abby Brown and her nowhusband, Jay Glass, pulled off last June.

Brown was born and raised in the Lake Martin area and first met Glass in 2010, over a decade before they tied the knot. The couple met on 30A where Brown was living then.

“I was teaching yoga and working as a massage therapist in Seaside, while writing my future business plan. My yoga, Thai massage, clothing and lifestyle business got its name, A Lotus Connection – which means ‘connecting with the pure inner light that resides within your heart space.’ This is synchronistic in how we got to know one another: paddleboard yoga in a lotus pond,” she said.

Finding common ground and relating to one another was never an issue for the couple who shared a passion for music and yoga. They maintained a friendship throughout the years and began dating New Year’s Day 2020. They were engaged a year later.

“We were in Telluride, Colorado, for New Years 2021 during the height of the pandemic. Telluride was a red zone at the time, so there was a total lockdown. Town was very quiet, and it was snowing like crazy, which made for a romantic getaway. New Years Eve, we spent a good part of the day at the spa; and then, decided to take a gondola ride up the mountain. The gondola stopped halfway up, and Jay fell to his knee. He proposed at 1,300 feet over the tiny town of Telluride that stole my heart years ago. His words I will never forget. It was surreal and just perfect.”

Early in the new relationship, they began planning a music and yoga festival.

“We wanted to bring a music and yoga festival to Lake Martin. I wanted to bring the yoga community together, and Jay already had the experience of producing music festivals. He produced the Cukko Rakko music and arts festival at Horsepens 40 for about five years. We began sketching out the perfect festival for us and the Lake Martin community. We played songs from our favorite bands as we made festival plans. He told me, ‘I’m only going if I can boogie with,’ the lyrics to a Widespread Panic song. He began calling me ‘Boogie,’ and he still does. He’s My Jam, after his name, Jamie. After he proposed, we decided we were going to create our yoga and music festival. We called it the Boogie Jam Wedding Festival,” Brown explained.

They planned a small festival centered

z z B

The Amp was the perfect venue for the music festival wedding

Jeff Long brought life and color to the Bohemian theme

Lake views provided a spectacular backdrop

The newlyweds danced the night away

The music festival was the perfect theme for the celebration

around the wedding and the artist they love. Dear friend and bridesmaid, Anne-Lauren Graham, lead a heart-centered yoga class at the Amp at 9 a.m. the morning of the wedding and the Boogie Jam. Local arts and crafts vendors lined the backside of the Amp, selling their handmade Boogie Jam merchandise. The Boogie Jam Allstars played the Friday night private event.

The Mountain Grass Unit kicked off the Saturday fest with high energy and a funky vibe. The Stolen Faces, a Grateful Dead tribute band, headlined the Boogie Jam wedding festival with a set list created by Brown and Glass.

“We are lifetime lovers of the Grateful Dead and couldn’t imagine any music more perfect to celebrate the union of our marriage with our friends and family,” she said.

The Brown and Glass wedding ceremony began at 6 p.m. at the Lake Martin Amphitheater, orchestrated by Jeffrey Long. His detail-oriented décor of dried palms, macramé and neutral tones captured the organic, Bohemian wedding style. Brown’s brother, Nolen, and her mother, Sheila Brown, escorted her down the aisle. Stewart Wilbanks officiated the wedding. Jonathon Bloom provided the music during the ceremony and at the reception to follow.

The event elegantly showcased Brown’s style, developed from years of travel and her creative background. With an intimate crowd of about 60 people for the ceremony, Brown and Glass shared their style and love for each other.

One of the most noteworthy displays of Brown’s style is the featured headdress she wore during the ceremony. She made the headdress herself and also made a similar piece for Glass to sport on his hat at the boogie jam.

Following the ceremony, the newlyweds held a reception for friends and family before inviting them to join in for the remainder of the celebration. Brown and Glass could be seen near the front of the stage, dancing and enjoying each other’s company during the music festival.

“We never lost sight of each other throughout the night,” Brown said.

The jam featured music from Mountain Grass Unit

Photos connected the couple to their families

The couple met in Florida, where Brown was teaching yoga

The nuptials were designed with a festival flare

Her mother and brother walked the bride down the aisle

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A Children's Harbor Story

STORY BY BREANNA MANLEY & PHOTOS BY MEGAN MULLINS PHOTOGRAPHY

SSometimes five minutes is all it takes. Back in 2015, Caroline Elliott met Eddie Hill while working at a Children’s Harbor camp together. Though their first encounter lasted only five minutes, it led to a beautiful wedding just across the street at Church in the Pines years later.

“Fast forward two months, and I’m moving into my apartment in Auburn and out of the first floor walks Eddie. We were neighbors for two years after this chance meeting two months prior. We both remembered each other, so clearly, it meant something,” said Elliott.

The two began dating in 2017, and by 2020, they were ready to tie the knot.

“He proposed at the lake at my parent’s house. They have a peninsula that goes out in the water, and a pretty

view,” Elliott explained. “My whole family was there, and it was on Thanksgiving. I thought, ‘Well, it could happen. My family’s all here, and he knows I want to be around my family to share in that experience,’ so I suspected it.”

According to Elliott, the two had talked about marriage and getting engaged beforehand, so she knew it was coming, she just didn’t know when.

“Our parents were all in on it, but I don’t think he told any of our siblings. I think my mom might have been the only person who knew it was happening, because if anyone else in my family would have known, they would have spoiled it or acted weird around me,” she explained.

When it came to the wedding planning, the couple agreed fully on their vision for their big day.

The Hills met at a Children's Harbor camp in 2015

“We knew we wanted it to be elegant and to feel like a fancier night. We wanted people to have a reason to get dressed up. I mostly took on the planning alongside my mom and planner, Rita Falk, because we were in agreement with what the overall theme was. The hardest thing for Eddie and me in planning was what plates to put in our registry,” she said.

Elegant the day was, indeed. More than 300 loved ones turned out at Church in the Pines on Nov. 20, 2021, dressed in their Sunday best to celebrate the couple’s nuptials. Along with the well-dressed guests attending, the groomsmen sported black and white tuxedos while the bridesmaids showed out in steel blue velvet dresses, adding the day’s elegance.

As far as the most important dress for

the event, Elliott did a little bit of research before hunting for her wedding dress.

“I got my dress at a bridal salon in Huntsville called Birch on Main. I knew I wanted to go there because the owner of the shop only allows one bride to be in there at a time, in the whole store. I looked on the website ahead of going, and I already kind of had a vision of what I wanted, and I found it the first time I looked on their website. I wanted a

Clockwise from Above: The bridesmaids wore blue velvet for the November event; More than 300 turned out in their finest to celebrate the couple; The reception was held at Marsgate; A variety of charcutherie ingredients were offered to guests; The groom proposed on Thanksgiving with the bride's family there to share the moment; While elegant, the reception was all about the celebration; Venue host Rita Falk and the bride's mother helped the couple plan the event; Since they met at Children's Harbor, it was the perfect place to pledge their future.

fitted silhouette. Just a long, simple, elegant dress – no lace, no jewels. The owner pulled a few different things for me to try, just to be certain, but I knew the one I had found beforehand was it.”

With a wedding date set between fall and winter, the weather couldn’t have been more perfect for an outdoor wedding on Lake Martin.

“I can’t say that I really wanted a winter wedding. That was definitely more Eddie’s preference. I would have probably chosen spring, but he didn’t want to be sweaty, and I agreed on that. If there’s something Eddie hates, it’s being too hot. The more I thought about it the more I was thinking about fall in the South, outdoors, makes a little bit more sense than spring or summer for us. It worked with our timeline of when we got engaged better and gave us a full year to plan, so we didn’t feel rushed,” Elliott said.

Church in the Pines was almost meant-to-be as a wedding venue for the couple. Elliott, originally from Montgomery, grew up taking weekend and holiday trips to Lake Martin and oftentimes visited Church in the Pines. Hill, an Alexander City native, grew up with the awe-inspiring Lake Martin shoreline everywhere he looked.

“He worked at Children’s Harbor camps every summer, and his family goes to Mass at Church in the Pines in the summer. It was a place that was special to

both of us. I love the natural setting of the colorful fall trees and outdoors, seeing the water. It’s a sacred place to us,” Elliott said.

The ceremony, nothing short of amazing for the couple and their family and friends, included a beautiful touch. Elliott’s mom took it upon herself to find an artist from Montgomery, Barbara Davis, to paint the ceremony. Davis, known for her portraiture, captured the beautiful ceremony in a painting.

“I talked to Barbara beforehand and told her a little of my vision, and she captured it completely. It was amazing to watch. She did the whole thing while she was watching the ceremony. The painting is at my mom’s house now and will be until I get it someday,” she said.

The reception, held at Marsgate, is something the couple remembers fondly. After being introduced to the venue by the groom’s sister, everything fell into place for the couple.

“My favorite part of the day was the reception. That part was the best, just dancing, being with our friends and family, and getting to enjoy the music. We just had fun. As a couple, we’re really big on enjoying ourselves and laughing and having fun, not being so serious. It’s one of the things that defines us as a couple. We like to really just not take ourselves seriously and laugh.”

In their life together, the bride and groom hope to not take themselves too seriously and to laugh a lot

Course for the Future

STORY BY BETSY ILER & PHOTOS BY EMMA HLAD

IIn last year’s bridal edition of Lake magazine, Ohio native Brock Hodson had proposed to the beautiful girl behind the mask at the Russell Medical screening desk during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this year’s issue, Hodson married Hayden Scales on the seventh tee at Willow Point Golf Course, where she had always dreamed of being wed. The June wedding revolved around golf, a sport the bride and groom both love to play.

“We stayed at the Villas at Willow Point from Thursday through Sunday with our families and our bridal party. I had my bachelorette party there on Thursday, and the boys played golf on Thursday for the bachelor party. It was nice. Very relaxing and fun,” said the new Mrs. Hodson. “We wanted to show them all around the

lake; wanted to hit the good spots, so we took them by Kowaliga, where we had our first date, and the bridge where we got engaged. Chimney Rock. We went to some friends’ houses on the lake, just showed them the beauty of it. The bridesmaids’ luncheon was at my cousin’s house. We all played golf and got ready for the wedding.”

Many rounds of golf were played throughout the weekend between the activities leading up to the main event, an afternoon wedding in which the bride’s only input was stipulating a color and a flower.

“I wasn’t allowed to look outside to see what it looked like,” she said. “Jeff Long decorated. I just told him I wanted it to be airy and blue and that my favorite flower is the hydrangea. I didn’t know about the arches. I just trusted him and went with the flow.”

The couple were wed during a golf-focused weekend at Willow Point

Long created an aisle crowned with four ivy-laden vaulted arches between rows of white chairs arranged over the pristine fairway. Each arch was anchored in flower boxes brimming with white, blush and blue blossoms.

The result was a stress-free wedding day with all of the events taking place at Willow Point Country Club. The couple married mid-afternoon on a sunny June day with a reception following the nuptials. Wanting their guests to mingle and get to know each other, they chose a menu of hors d’oeuvres over a sit-down meal. Willow Point catered the entire event, including the strawberry and lemon wedding cake.

“It was great,” Mrs. Hodson said. “Jeff incorporated some yellow tints. He put a beautiful lemonade stand in the courtyard for the reception. It was a nice touch with the blues.”

To achieve the intimate, airy gathering the couple hoped for, Long arranged round tables, as well as tall cocktail tables, across the lawn. Topped with white umbrellas and surrounded by six chairs, each table was covered with a floor-length cloth in soft hydrangea blue and held a complementary flower centerpiece.

For reception entertainment, the couple engaged pianist Tim Tyler through Music Garden.

“That was one of my favorite things,” the bride said.

In lieu of planning the décor, the bride spent her wedding energy on more personal matters, like finding a dress with a very long train. She bought it on her birthday in Fairhope.

“My sister lives there, so I went down with my mom and some friends, and we had a great time. I just really wanted a very long train.”

After anticipating their wedding for close to a year, the Hodsons decided to exchange traditional vows, rather than write their own.

“I was tearing up just watching her come down the aisle. I would have been a real mess if I’d had to write something to read,” the groom explained.

Most special to them both was the opportunity to share their special day with loved ones who came from far and wide to celebrate the event. Among them was the groom’s great-grandfather, who traveled from Ohio.

“Just having him there made it that much more special,” the groom said.

Of course, his favorite thing about the day was the reason for the gathering.

“My favorite thing about it was just to be married to Hayden,” he said.

Following a weeklong honeymoon at a Sandals Resort in Curacao, the Hodsons have settled in Alexander City and are expecting the birth of their first child at the end of next month.

“We’re both drawn to this area. So many special events have happened here for us, and with a young one on the way, we don’t see going anywhere else. We think we will stay here and give our son the opportunity to enjoy the lake as much as we do. We look forward to us being together, just really happy,” Hayden Hodson said.

Many rounds were played to celebrate the couple's new course in life together

Flower-laden arches defined the ceremony space

His favorite part of the day? Being married to Hayden

The bride's gown hung on an arch in the clubhouse hall

Jeff Long created the spectacular spring decor

Ethereal Elegance

STORY BY BETSY ILER & PHOTOS BY BELIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

VVirginia Cook met Andrew Gwaltney briefly one Auburn game day through a mutual friend who Andrew knew in high school. Though their conversation was short-lived, the two college seniors knew they wanted to see each other again. A year and a half later, Andrew proposed at Lake Martin’s SpringHouse Restaurant, a favorite throughout their courtship. The engagement at SpringHouse was just the beginning of their beautiful story.

“We were going to the lake that weekend to stay with his family,” the new Mrs. Gwaltney said of Andrew’s proposal. “We left work early on Friday. We had done that many times before. We were going to have dinner at SpringHouse, one of our favorite restaurants. We pulled up in the parking lot early and walked down to the green space by the Wellhouse. When he opened up his jacket and fiddled with his pocket, I knew what was happening and started crying.”

The Gwaltneys married at SpringHouse, where he had proposed

Because SpringHouse was such a special place for the couple, they chose the venue for the wedding of their dreams.

“Andrew is in pharmacy school in Auburn. He only had Christmas or spring break for the wedding. The weekend right before spring break was the best option,” Gwaltney said.

The groom went to great lengths to find the perfect bourbon for the occasion – a bottle of Weller’s CYPB.

“In Auburn one weekend, there was a first-of-themonth bourbon drop. Andrew got to the liquor store at 3:30 a.m. He was 15th in line when he got there. He waited until the store opened at 9 a.m. and was lucky he made it into the store to be one of the lucky participants to get a bottle of this bourbon before it sold out,” she said.

But bourbon had nothing to do with the beautiful weather on the day of the big event. The bottle was not buried in keeping with the tradition of warding off bad weather. The bride’s family put their trust for good weather elsewhere.

“A lot of people hesitate having an outdoor wedding, but I have seen many sunsets over Lake Martin. That sunset during our ceremony was the most beautiful I’ve seen at the lake. It was a perfect 70 degrees,” she said.

Gwaltney credited the beautiful weather to her late mother, who had passed away during the bride’s freshman year of college. During his speech at the rehearsal dinner, the bride’s father acknowledged his late wife’s presence in the thoughts and hearts of family attending the wedding.

“That was her up in heaven shining over us,” Gwaltney said. “I had my bridal portrait beside hers inside SpringHouse next to the guest book.”

She chose white and gold as the primary theme to keep the palette neutral, classy and elegant.

“SpringHouse is so beautiful, I didn’t want anything to take away from the décor,” she said.

A dear family friend crafted the 16-foot flower-laden cross that served as the ceremony backdrop. The cross will be used for family weddings from now on. In addition, chandeliers and flower arrangements hung from the ceiling of the large tent that had been raised on the SpringHouse lawn. A white carpet was spread down the center aisle, and a string quartet and two harpists played prior to the ceremony.

Gwaltney worked with Catherine Wayman Designs of Atlanta for her flowers.

“She does the flowers for events at Auburn University, so I met her in Auburn and never had to travel to Atlanta,” she said.

The couple chose some of their favorite hors d’oeuvres from the SpringHouse menu, so it would be easy for guests to eat as they mingled. Pimento cheese stuffed peppers were among the selections.

“The biggest hit with food was the oysters. We hired a company from Mobile, and they came dressed up in vintage clothing and carried around buckets of oysters. They had all the sauces on their belts and shucked them right there in front of you,” she said.

The bride had grown up playing sports in school and worked with the Auburn football team in recruiting during college. She majored in communications and was looking forward to a career in sports broadcasting upon graduation. But there were no sports to broadcast during COVID-19 closures. She took a job as assistant manager

A family friend made the 16-foot flower-laden cross, which now will be used in all the family weddings

at a friend’s boutique and found she loved sales. A few months after finding the perfect wedding gown at Carriage House, she was offered a job there.

“I just love it. My goal is to treat every bride the way I was treated when I shopped there. I had the most wonderful experience,” she said.

When she selected Be Light Photography for her wedding photos, she knew the day would be documented with the classy, elegant look she’d hoped for. Portraits and other pictures were taken at several venues, each with a special significance.

“We took some of the pre-ceremony photos at the Children’s Harbor Chapel. Andrew’s family’s house is across the lake from there, and whenever we visited, I always thought the lighthouse was beautiful,” Gwaltney said.

The couple honeymooned at Turks and Caicos before returning home. Andrew now is finishing his fourth year in pharmacy school. After a two-year residency, the couple hope to make their permanent home in Birmingham.

The SpringHouse fireplace showcased the six-tier wedding cake

They met on an Auburn game day and became engaged a year and a half later

The bride chose a color palette of white and gold for its classy elegance

Harp music added an ethereal air to the event

The groom went to great lengths to find the perfect bourbon for the occasion, Weller's CYPB

Bridal party photos were taken at the Children's Harbor Chapel, across the lake from the Gwaltney family home

A Wedding for Families

OOlivia Leonard Freeman married her best friend at Marsgate on a Saturday in April last year. She’d always known the man she married would have to be extra special. He would have to go above and beyond for her family, and she knew she would do the same for his family, too.

So their special day was as much about making their families’ dreams come true as it was about their own, the bride said.

“My family means a lot to me. We wanted the day to be just as special to them. I wanted to live out their vision for the day as well,” she said. “I wanted my sister, Kathleen, to have a special moment. She has Down Syndrome, and this day was a big deal for her. She got to walk down the aisle by herself and have her moment. She had a dance with my dad. They practiced forever for this dance, and she was doing better with her spins and turns than I was.”

The evening before the big day, Freeman’s bridesmaids, including Kathleen, spent the night at the wedding venue, a stately Southern home with wide patios and sprawling lawns in Eclectic. The groomsmen stayed at a nearby lake house.

“We agreed that Marsgate was the most beautiful place we had ever seen,” Freeman said. “The day went so smoothly. I can’t imagine it going any better.”

Because Freeman was in school at University of South Alabama in Mobile, her mother, Katy Leonard, did the planning.

“I knew she would fulfill my vision, and it all came through on the wedding day,” Freeman said.

From the white and blush roses that draped the Robinson Iron fountain as a backdrop for their vows to the sparklers that sent the couple off to Nashville for their honeymoon, it was a perfect day. There was a violin quartet on Marsgate’s veranda, and the newlyweds shared an intimate post-wedding dinner together off the mansion’s second floor balcony before stepping outside to greet their friends and family for dancing, laughter and celebration.

“I knew there would be things that happened. I knew that was always the case, but it didn’t matter. I was married to my best friend at the end of the day,” she said.

When their honeymoon cruise was canceled due to

STORY BY BETSY ILER & PHOTOS BY CHELSEA AND RUSS

Marsgate was the most beautiful place the couple had ever seen

a resurgence of COVID-19 three weeks before the big day, Freeman and Corey made last minute plans to spend time together at Nashville’s Opryland instead.

“We had the best time,” she said.

But their story began six years prior to the bright spring day of their wedding. They met when Freeman was 16 years old.

“My friend was dating his friend. She invited me to a dinner, and he was there. We became friends and just hung out for about six months,” Corey Freeman’s bride said. “I think I knew way before he asked me that I wanted to marry him.”

Corey’s proposal was perfectly planned as a great surprise.

“It was Feb. 27, the day after my birthday. He said he was taking me to breakfast with my friends because we didn’t get to celebrate the night before. The place was going to be a surprise, and my friends came over and helped me get ready. I asked a lot of questions. I thought we were meeting my parents,” she said.

They arrived at SpringHouse in Russell Crossroads at Lake Martin and walked to the courtyard at the Wellhouse.

“Corey said he had reservations, but we would have to wait, so we should look around first. My friends just walked away, and I had this feeling something was going to happen. He started talking to me about how much he loves me, and he wanted to marry me. I was so shocked. Then he said he didn’t really have reservations at this restaurant, so we should go somewhere else,” she said, laughing.

They video-chatted with Freeman’s parents who were at the lake and decided they would stop in for a visit.

“We had just a few friends with us, but all the family and friends were at the lake house when we arrived. I was so shocked that he was able to pull this off.”

Freeman grew up in Opelika and graduated Columbus State University in Georgia before enrolling in the master’s program at USA in Mobile. Corey, an electrician, followed her there.

“He was willing to go wherever I needed to go for school,” she said.

The bride will graduate in May and hopes to become a school counselor.

“I want to be in a position to help others, to be an advocate for the child in all areas,” she said.

At the end of the day, what mattered was that Olivia had married her best friend

The families' vision of the wedding was just as important as the couples'

The picturesque lawn was the perfect setting for the elegant reception

They exchanged vows in front of the Robinson Iron fountain

A COVID Courtship

STORY BY BETSY ILER & PHOTOS BY TIFFANY HALLMARK

Kylee Cooper Farms provided the idyllic backdrop Meadows had always dreamed of for her wedding

Mutual friends set up Brooke Blackwelder Meadows and Tyler Meadows in March 2020, just before the first extensive wave of COVID-19 shut down social lives. The couple were engaged in December of that year and married Oct. 9, 2021.

“We just knew it was real,” Meadows said. “My friend was dating someone who was in firefighter school with Tyler, and they thought the two of us would be perfect for each other.

“For all the bad that happened during COVID, one good thing that came out of it was being able to focus on each other along with being able to grow in our relationship. We were the couple that was inseparable. Tyler and I loved doing anything together that involved outdoors, spending time with family and friends, and having that time with each other,” she said.

So when Tyler proposed in front of both of their families, there was no question of Meadows’ answer.

“We had planned with our families to go see the Christmas lights in Wetumpka together. Everyone arrived, and it didn’t even click with me that everyone was all dressed up except for me. My mother-in-law handed me this red bag with an ornament shaped like a heart in it. And on the ornament, it said, ‘Brooke, will you marry me? Christmas 2020.’ Tyler pulled the ring out of his shirt pocket and proposed to me. I was in complete shock and couldn’t hold back my tears. I was so excited that my best friend was asking me to marry him,” she said.

As the wedding date drew close,

Mthe bride’s father hand made some woodworking projects, creating a cordof-three cross to be tied during the ceremony, a cake stand for the reception and a monogram board for guests to sign.

“I didn’t want a guestbook that people would sign; and then, I’d just throw it in a drawer and never look at it again. I wanted to be able to display the board with everyone’s signature for our home. This decoration is something sentimental that we could look at and remember everyone who was part of our big day,” she said.

The couple chose Kylee Cooper Farm for their special day, as Meadows always wanted to be married outside with a barn backdrop.

“It was beautiful being out there in the open air. It’s a gorgeous view. There were twinkling lights. It was everything I had dreamed of and so much more,” she said.

Before the ceremony, Tyler surprised his mother with a mosaic cross. The cross had pieces of jewelry from Tyler’s late grandmother on his father’s side, as well as a few pieces of her own. Tyler’s mother was very fond of her motherin-law, and the cross is meaningful for Tyler and his mother.

While waiting for the ceremony to begin, the groomsmen decided to throw a few fishing lines in the pond at the farm. When the groom caught a fingerling bass, he kissed it for good luck before returning the fish to the water.

With her great-grandmother’s handkerchief in her bouquet, Meadows walked down the aisle to one of her grandmother’s favorite songs, Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling in Love, played by a violinist.

Clockwise from Above:The day could not have been any more special for the bride;The couple were introduced by friends in March 2020;The groom's cake reflected Tyler's love of baseball;The bride's bouquet included her great-grandmother's handkerchief; A pink Cadillac provided a whimsical getaway;The bride's father made the cord-of-three for the ceremony; A five-time Kowaliga Idol contender,Tyler sang to his bride on their wedding day;The waiting groomsmen threw a line in the pond;The day was all they dreamed of and more.

“Tyler and I love our family dearly. This was a way to incorporate them in special ways for our big day,” she added.

Meadows’ grandfather lent his powerful voice to sing the Lord’s Prayer during the unity moment in the ceremony.

“That was so special to me. He has this powerful voice when he sings. It sends chills up my spine. When I was a little girl, I would always climb into his lap and tell him that I wanted him to sing at my wedding one day,” Meadows said.

The groom’s cake reflected Tyler’s loyalty to the Atlanta Braves. The memorabilia around the cake included photos from the bachelor trip to a Braves game, as well as a picture that was taken of Tyler and former Braves player, Chipper Jones. Tyler’s mitt from high school and other baseball paraphernalia were included as well.

When it came time for the father/daughter dance, Meadows and her dad started with a slow dance but busted out into a dance-move-mash-up to surprise their guests.

Then, as if the day couldn’t be any more special than it already was, Tyler sang to his bride at the reception.

“Tyler was in the Kowaliga Idol competition five years in a row, and some of his songs are on YouTube and other social media sites. When we met, I would always get onto social media and listen to one of my favorite songs he had posted of him singing. Better Together by Luke Combs. I would always go back to that one,” she said.

It was a day that honored all that the couple holds dear, a day that helped them carry faith, love and family into their future together.

Naturally

STORY BY BREANNA MANLEY & PHOTOS BY JOHN DENNEY

SSometimes a friend’s matchmaking skills are just the thing leading to that special someone. That was the case for Brannon Bynum, whose friend introduced her to Nathan Carroll.

“I was actually coaching softball with his cousin. I work at Horseshoe Bend, and we were coaching softball together. She just had talked about him a couple different times. They always do a cousin’s trip where they go to the beach. All of their cousins are really close, more like brothers and sisters than cousins. She started talking about me to him, and it just went from there,” Bynum explained.

While Carroll was on the beach trip with his cousins, he decided to reach out to Bynum who was on a trip with her parents in Costa Rica at the time.

“The crazy thing is that on their beach trip, I was headed to Costa Rica with my mother and father. My friend texted me and said, ‘If this random guy named

Nathan Carroll messages you, don’t think he’s random.’ It was just kind of funny because the first time he reached out to me I was out of the country,” she said.

After that first encounter in the summer of 2019, the two connected on their love of nature and a wide array of outdoor activities, like fishing and hunting. Just a couple of short years later, Carroll proposed during a family birthday celebration.

“We actually were having a get-together for mine and his mom’s birthday – his mom and I share the same birthday – and last year, we had a fish fry at my parents’ house. We had a big bonfire and a few close family friends, that sort of thing. We decided we were going to do it again and make it a tradition since we both have the same birthday. We did it again this year, and that’s when he asked me. I had no idea,” Bynum said.

With family being a crucial part of both of their lives, Bynum couldn’t be happier Carroll chose to include the families on the big day.

The couple tied the knot on Dec. 3 and chose Overlook Farms as their venue, which perfectly encapsulated Bynum’s love for Lake Martin with a breathtaking waterfront background.

“It’s a beautiful venue. It overlooks the lake and has a beautiful front lawn. It also has an outdoor pavilion. We looked at a lot of different places, but I really wanted to be closer to home. The lake is so special to both of us, and when we found Overlook Farms, we just knew it,” Bynum explained.

An early December wedding couldn’t have worked out better for the couple, as they both enjoy the display of fall colors and wanted to use the scenery as a natural decoration.

“I really wanted a fall wedding just because I love

the fall colors,” Bynum said.

She found her dream dress at McClendon Bridals in Sylacauga but came into contact with the owners, Kim and Ginger, long before stepping into the shop.

“I met them because I did the bridal expo for United Way two years in a row, the first two years they did it. They’re the sweetest people and so genuine,” Bynum explained.

Though she checked out dresses at three different shops, she fell in love with the dress at McClendon’s.

“When you know, you know, and when it’s meant to be, it just clicks,” Bynum added.

The newlyweds are working on settling down on the lake and living out their lives by each other’s sides, in their favorite place in the world – Lake Martin.

Bynum and Carroll met through a text instigated by her friend, who was his cousin

Theirs was a winter wedding at Overlook Farms

They connected over their love of the outdoors

Stepping Out Front

STORY BY BREANNA MANLEY

PHOTOS BY WESLEY AND EMMA

Lake Martin Amphitheater provided the natural setting the couple dreamed of for their ceremony

Sarah Watlington – now Sarah Dooley – and her husband, Johnson Dooley, are usually behind the camera at weddings, but on a beautiful April day, enveloped in a Lake Martin spring, they were in front of it to say their ‘I do’s to one another.

The two first met in high school and saw each other at church. After parting ways for different colleges –Watlington went to Samford and Dooley to Auburn – they reconnected.

“When we both were graduating, he just randomly reached out to me, and we got coffee. We hit it off immediately. We dated for eight months before getting engaged. We got engaged at the lighthouse at Children’s Harbor because his grandparents have lived in Willow Point for almost 30 years, so that was kind of a special place,” Watlington explained.

According to Dooley, Watlington believed he was going to propose on Valentine’s Day at SpringHouse, but he

waited a few more months, so he could pop the question surrounded by their families on Easter weekend. Though the couple is from Birmingham, Lake Martin has been a special place for the two of them for quite some time due to Dooley’s family connection to the area.

“My grandfather, he passed away in 2016, but my grandmother still lives in Willow Point. My whole life I’ve been going to Willow Point and Lake Martin, just growing up on the lake because they lived here. I used to play golf at Willow Point Country Club. I know Lake Martin like the back of my hand. It’s been a huge part of my family and now Sarah’s,” Dooley explained.

The couple work together shooting videography for weddings. Capturing love for other couples is the usual weekend schedule for them.

“We were separately filming weddings before we met; and then, we decided to go full-time together and make this our life. We connect on that in a big way, serving

other couples and making wedding films through our company, Resolute Wedding Films,” Watlington said.

When it was time to choose the venues for their big day, the couple was in agreement that Lake Martin was the place where they wanted to share their vows. With a deep appreciation for nature and the stunning backdrops Lake Martin offers, the couple wanted to be married at the Lake Martin Amphitheater, even though weddings aren’t the first thing to come to mind at the mention of the Amp.

“We realized the Amp was a place that we would go randomly just to get away when we were at the lake, and we love seeing that particular view, so when we found out we could get married there, we were absolutely set on making it work,” she explained.

With their dream wedding venue destination set, the two discovered the beauty that is The Stables at Russell Crossroads and knew it would bring the natural element they loved into the reception.

When it came time to choose her dress, Watlington wanted something that was one-of-a-kind.

“I ended up going to Atlanta, and I found this dress at The Sentimentalist. It’s made of raw silk, and it has a horsehair trim. I actually had the dress customized at the end. I bought the dress, went to my alterations girl and had 20 inches taken off on both sides of the dress because there was just so much fabric. I actually had custom sleeves made and a beautiful lacey veil, but I forgot to wear them.

“It was almost asymmetrical, sort of a diamond shape. It was very unique, that’s what I was trying for. I wanted organic materials that felt almost Old World. I was drawn immediately to the material.”

The ceremony was an intimate celebration.

“We had a very intimate ceremony of 60 people, including the bridal party, up at the Amp with just a floral, grounded arch. We had a violinist, and it was very simple and worshipful, overlooking the lake,” Watlington said.

Also included at the ceremony was the Dooley family’s golden retriever, Buddy, who served as the ring bearer. The couple loves bringing Buddy to the lake every time they go.

Following the beautifully crafted ceremony, which brought forth some of the couple’s favorite pictures from the big day, the party moved to The Stables at Russell Crossroads for the reception.

“We had a bigger, 200-person reception at The Stables. We were drawn to it. I really loved the outdoor space,” Watlington explained.

A unique element the couple decided to include in the reception was an espresso bar. The family of one of Dooley’s groomsmen owns a coffee shop called Innova Coffee in Birmingham and agreed to set it.

“They were so sweet, and we got them to come out and do an espresso bar where people could have lattes, cappuccinos, whatever they wanted. We made a little signature coffee list. It was an absolute hit,” Watlington recalled.

Being in front of the camera certainly agreed with them, but now this husband-and-wife videography team is back to working together shooting weddings, doing what they love most with each other.

Lake Martin has always been a special place for the couple

Golden retriever Buddy served as ringbearer

Owners of a videography company, the bride and groom are usually behind the camera at weddings

Though they knew each other in high school, they started dating after colllege

A large reception followed the intimate ceremony

The reception was held at The Stables at Russell Crossroads

Organize Your Home

OOn the top 10 list of resolutions year after year, organization is a simple task, especially with all the gadgets, storage containers, books, specialty spaces and the like that are available. Even the Bible suggests things be done decently and orderly; however, this work is best resolved by good planning and purposeful attention to details.

Organization is such a specialty area that seasoned design professionals find themselves looking for help. Proper organization cannot be outsmarted or overlooked by building bigger or creating more storage; it demands direct attention. Skipping focused efforts in the home or workplace leaves us to spend upwards of 20 percent of the day searching for this or that. Considering the average productivity percentages of 80/20, disorganization could take you downward to roughly 60 percent of fully realized accomplishments per day.

Another key bit of information is that organization is not always portable or transferable. Great tools for function in one home or office may or may not translate to another one. Moving from a smaller home or apartment to a larger one is not the time to discover organization methods and containers do not work well in a new space. Larger does not equal better storage or proper fit.

As with other tasks associated with moving, you need a plan.

Compare the new space and methods to the old for a good fit or modifications before you move in. A true plan is necessary for sanity, orderly transition and respecting your time. Articles, books and professional organization companies could help with everything from small drawer storage to closet systems, garage storage and even how to properly contain and display collectibles. Yet, none of these tools or professional assistance will work without a concerted effort to delve into the practice of order and learn maintenance patterns. Once you find a solid rhythm, you will not remember that you lived without it before now, and practical application should serve you from location to location.

LAKE PROPERTY BY STEPHANIE COLEY

If you create benchmarks for order in your home, you could manage it while being an example for others in your life, including children. Look at home techniques for establishing and maintaining an organized home:

n Remove everything from the space or map it out before moving in.

n Really delve into the decluttering process (be honest and brutal about throwing out the unnecessary).

n Corral and put all like things together and bring other similar items from different locations (re-homing items might work out well).

n Label everything possible: bins, boxes, organization containers (bind papers and files as needed).

n Thoughtfully bring your items back into the space.

n Remind yourself to always put things back after use.

n If something doesn’t work for you or family members –rethink that portion of the organization process or storage location.

Whether you work at home or in an office setting, a wellorganized workspace has tremendous benefits. It could make you feel more in control and focused and help identify areas that

Change displays and storage areas

could need detailed attention. An organized space could help eliminate distractions, create an atmosphere of success, save you time and help you stay productive. A short list that is similar to managing home includes:

n Purge everything that is not necessary.

n Label; label; label (color coded is best) shelves, bins, drawers, folders, etc.

n Use sturdy boxes and containers to store like items to reduce the number of exposed parts that clutter your sight line and distract you from the tasks at hand.

n Segment work zones and keep them well defined with proper tools for activities within hands’ reach.

n Organize and categorize office supplies while keeping a count to avoid overstocking.

n Declutter and organize laptop/desktop to remove junk/redundant or old files; create folders for like files (subcategorize as needed).

n Add a few inspirational reminders – quotes, photos (just a few favorites), vision board and other thought-provoking items.

Keep in mind that organization is not just for things; it is necessary for many areas of lifestyle. Here is a quick list of what needs to be organized and maintained:

n Process lists – work and household management

n Cleaning lists – order of work/seasons

n Weekly/monthly reviews lists – what’s done or left undone

n Routines lists – where and what you do on a weekly basis

n Schedule/time block lists – when regular and planned activities will take place

n Packing lists – handbag/backpacks/briefcase/ diaper bag/drop-offs/suitcases, etc.

n List of to-do/journaling prompts – never-ending

n Distraction list – triggers that stop the flow or add to your day/week

n Implementation/intentions plan list – Whoa

n Meal plans/go-to meals – this is a real thing, even if you are a stay-at-home mom.

n Shopping list – big time and money saver

n Goals list – best and necessary practices

These lists are quick memory joggers and hopefully a bit of encouragement to tackle what crowds your space and your mind. It could be a good reference point throughout the month. But if you need further help, be on the lookout for an upcoming special Lunch N Learn event on how to organize and maintain your spaces with professional organizers this March or early April, just in time for spring cleaning. Send me a note at the email address below if you are interested.

Stephanie Coley is a certified design and construction professional with more than 22 years of multi-discipline experience. Follow her on Instagram @scenariodesigninc or email her at ssimon@sceanarchdesign.com.

SHOW YOUR HEART SOME LOVE WITH A WINTERTIME CHECKUP

Wintertime in the South is mild compared to other parts of the country, but we still tend to be less active and spend more time indoors.

Show your heart some love this winter by getting it checked out at the UAB Heart & Vascular Clinic at Russell Medical.

Kevin Sublett, MD, is board-certified in cardiovascular care and offers the latest in prevention, testing, and treatment for keeping your heart healthy.

Our clinic is backed by the knowledge and expertise of UAB Medicine, including:

• Advanced ultrasound testing

• Nuclear medicine imaging in fully accredited labs

• Management of cardiac rhythm disorders

• Interventional cardiology care

Our expanded clinical team is ready to serve you. Schedule a visit today by calling 256-234-2644.

Another kind of cleanup

AAs you may know, LMRA is a non-profit organization that is fully funded by annual memberships and gracious donations. LMRA has a board of community volunteers who give their time to ensure they deliver on the LMRA mission to protect, preserve and promote Lake Martin. In 2022, LMRA celebrated 50 years of success in hosting and participating in multiple community events and activities to visibly display that mission with our focus on boater safety, environmental education and community advocacy. LMRA is excited about our continued opportunities for support in the community with enhanced reach to those who live on and around the lake, as well as those in surrounding communities. Through several key partnerships and great members, LMRA successfully continues this mission into 2023.

firefighters play an essential role in those efforts, helping communities become safe and stable again. Did you know that more than 70 percent of all firefighters in the Unites States are volunteers? and that percentage increases to 79 percent in the state of Alabama? Did you know 25 percent of the LMRA Board of Directors are volunteer firefighters supporting their local communities throughout Coosa, Tallapoosa and Elmore counties?

Long time board member Will Denton called the 2023 board the ‘Dream Team,’ as they are dedicated to the LMRA mission to preserve, protect and promote a healthy Lake Martin and surrounding communities through multiple roles. These first responders assist with the initial storm cleanup in their roles as firefighters; and then, they join LMRA efforts to maintain a beautiful Lake Martin through participation in LMRA strategic initiatives. Environmental impact and boater safety are key areas of focus for LMRA, and LMRA appreciates the members who have engaged in search, recover and cleanup efforts over the weeks following recent storms across all three counties surrounding Lake Martin.

BY JODIE MCGIRT

As we start the New Year, there is a lot of enthusiasm within the board to continue the evolution of LMRA. There had been a good bit of activity developing a 2023 strategic plan for LMRA, which was discussed at the first board meeting on Thursday, Jan. 12 at 2 p.m. at the Russell Lands office in Alexander City. If you recall, that was the day, almost the exact time, and just south of the direct path, of the second round of storms that impacted many counties in Alabama and Georgia, including the three counties in the Lake Martin area, in just over a week. A contingency of board members was able to join the meeting after sheltering in place and subsequently checked on neighbors and determined what support might be required in the broader community.

You may wonder what LMRA has to do with tornadoes and storm damage? Tornadoes are powerful natural disasters that can cause significant damage to the environment and community. We have seen a lot of the personal destruction and loss with these recent storms, a visible sign of the additional potential impact on the environment. The high winds and heavy rain associated with these storms uproots trees, destroys wildlife habitats and causes soil erosion. These storms can cause damage to homes and businesses, resulting in a significant debris field, which could impact the quality and safety of the surrounding waters. One of the most critical aspects of tornado recovery is the cleanup of debris, including trash left behind by the storm on the roadways, tributaries, shoreline and throughout the Lake Martin communities. These cleanup efforts support the restoration of a clean environment and assure boater safety from debris – key initiatives aligned with LMRA’s mission.

The process of cleaning up debris after a storm can be a large and time-consuming task, often requiring the help of specialized equipment and trained personnel. Cleanup efforts are an important part of the recovery process, and volunteer

Many LMRA activities are regularly scheduled events. We appreciate the volunteer support and encourage people to reach out to LMRA if they need supplies (bags, pickers, vests) to clean up areas in their community anytime. LMRA’s next organized cleanup is the Reuben Thornton Memorial Spring Cleanup hosted by Red Hill Community Center, Lake Martin Mini Mall and Lake Martin Dock Company. This event was initiated in 2014 by Jackie and Reuben Thornton. It was expanded to include Kowaliga areas in 2018 and is now an official memorial event to recognize the tremendous contribution of Jackie and Reuben to the Lake Martin community. The event is scheduled for March 25 with breakfast served at the Red Hill Community Center at 7 a.m. Volunteers will work the roadside cleanup until noon when Lake Martin Mini Mall will provide food and Lake Martin Dock Company will provide music to recognize the volunteers who come out to support the cleanup efforts.

We are filled with expectations and a determination to enhance our focus on the LMRA core mission and values through continued support to the community on/around Lake Martin with growth in membership, integration of a member management system to help us more efficiently communicate with our members and continued expansion of our footprint of support in Coosa, Elmore and Tallapoosa counties. We are excited to take on new challenges and opportunities to make an even greater impact on the communities surrounding Lake Martin and look forward to making a positive difference.

If you are not yet a member, or need to renew your annual membership, please visit lmra.info to join. Communities survive and thrive through activism and volunteerism. Thank you for your generous support and look for new features and opportunities to support the Lake Martin community on the LMRA website and Facebook page.

Jodie McGirt is president of LMRA. Learn more at lmra. info.

LMRA

Love your heart

February is meant for celebrating your heart, physically and emotionally. During American Heart Month, reminders are published to physically take care of your heart by tuning in to risks for cardiovascular disease, and expressing appreciation for those you love could help.

The American Heart Association recommends exercise, healthy eating, routine checkups, preventative care and to stop smoking. In addition, keeping blood pressure in check reduces the risk of stroke. A healthy weight should be achieved or maintained, and 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week should be a regular part of daily life.

HEALTHY LIVING

BY JULIE HUDSON

Emotionally, you need to protect your heart as well, especially coming off the holiday high and approaching mid-month with Valentine’s Day, a time to celebrate your heart and feelings of adoration or love toward people that mean the most to you.

Still, February can be an emotionally challenging month. The holidays were filled with expectations, responsibilities, hopes, lots of conversations, maybe confrontations, emotions, disappointments and joys perhaps coupled with a bit of indigestion, lack of sleep, possibly too much alcohol, and maybe a few other annoying things. Instead of thinking you are suffering from after-holiday blues, think of it as your emotions coming back into equilibrium after the months-long high. You could be worn out, maybe already tired of coping with cold temperatures, rain and illness from being run down. Having more time for reflection could put you out of balance due to the above mentioned.

During this month of protecting your heart, if you are feeling somewhat low, turn it around by focusing your energy on a few uplifting activities: Go see a funny movie. Make plans to visit a museum or an aquarium. Have dinner with friends and ask them to bring a dish. Take a bath or allow yourself to take the longest shower ever. Play your instrument hard and loud. Call people you have not been able to see and make plans to see them. Ease back into an exercise routine that incorporates healthy eatinge and sleeping habits. Add more fruit and vegetables to replace all the sugar you have consumed and open that new or old recipe book and explore new foods.

Think of emotions as e-motion. Energy in motion. When you become overwhelmed by emotions, the best release is physical activity that would make you feel good. This could mean a really good post-holiday house cleaning or a kitchen pantry and/or refrigerator cleanout, which could leave you with a clean or more organized house and a feeling of being re-energized.

When Valentine’s Day comes around, put your thinking cap on. Focus on others, which is proven through research to warm your heart. Take the focus away from sugar and use your creative mind to make someone feel loved and appreciated. Be intentional

about spending time with loved ones.

Adults could head to a spa and enjoy getting pampered with your special someone. Or relax in a bookstore and learn something new with your date. Find a new book and lounge in a quiet place to discuss it. Take a hike or walk together. Turn date night into date day by riding bikes, window shopping and stopping for lunch or a snack. Go to the beach, lake, river or open field. Bring chairs, magazines and warm clothes. Hit the gym with your special someone and burn some calories together. Have an in-home movie night by putting the kids to bed early or sending them to the grandparents’ house. If you need a snack, make some fat-free popcorn and a mug of hot chocolate or tea.

Take a class together. Research has shown that couples who do something out of the normal routine are happier. Try country line dancing, ball room dancing, pottery, photography, cooking or learning a new sport together. Go on a mini shopping spree to find a creative gift for each other. Play a board game, go on a scavenger hunt, play frisbee, hide and seek, golf or any other game that creates laughter and makes you feel like a child. Stargaze together in a quiet open space or make a homemade card for your special someone.

For children, send a message using a felt-tipped marker on the peel of an orange “cutie” (Hi Cutie) or banana (I am bananas for you). Make strawberries on a cloud using healthy strawberries sliced in a bowl and served with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla yogurt. Red salsa makes a yummy fun snack when eaten with cut up vegetables, whole grain pita chips or low-fat cheese cubes. Banana split love boats made with bananas that are sliced through the middle and topped with low fat vanilla Greek yogurt and heartshaped fruit are a delicious treat. Make pink milk with blended strawberries and low-fat milk.

Cut heart-shaped sandwiches of nut butter and jelly on whole grain bread. Serve red fruit (apples, blood oranges, grape tomato, red grapes, red peppers) and yogurt dip. For a sweet dip, mix cinnamon and low-fat Greek yogurt. Create cupid smoothies with cranberry or pomegranate juice and low-fat milk, bananas and canned pineapple. Or make XOXO trail mix with O-shaped cereal (the O’s) and pretzel sticks (the X’s), along with dried cranberries and dried strawberries.

Or get creative and create your own suggestions for taking care of your heart – physically and emotionally.

Julie Hudson is a dietician at Lake Martin Wellness Center in Dadeville.

Seared Sea Scallops

with sauteed spinach and mushrooms, carrot butter, fried potato

Carrot Butter

Ingredients

2 cups carrot juice

1 shallot, julienne

1 bay leaf

4 pink peppercorns

1 cup heavy cream

3-4 tablespoons soft butter

Directions

Place 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a sauce pot and lightly sauté the shallots until soft. Add bay leaf, peppercorns and carrot juice and reduce by two thirds. Pour heavy cream in carrot reduction and reduce the cream by one half. Strain reduction. Place in a clean pot and on a low heat. Add butter to reduction and mix until melted. Adjust seasoning with a pinch of salt. I like also a pinch of cayenne for a touch of heat.

Sauteed Spinach and Mushrooms

Ingredients

2 shallots, minced

4-6 cloves of garlic, minced

1 pound butter

1-2 pounds chopped mushrooms, any mushroom of your liking

1-2 pounds cleaned spinach

Directions

Melt 2 tablespoons butter and add a pinch of garlic and shallots. Sauté until fragrant. Add mushrooms. Sauté until all moisture has cooked off. Add another pinch of garlic and shallots and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Add spinach (might have to do this in batches; add a handful and cook down; then, add another handful).

Once all the spinach has been added and cooked down, taste and adjust seasoning.

Fried Potatoes

Ingredients

1 Russet Idaho potato, longer is better for cutting

Canola oil for frying

Directions

Peel potato and place in water. Use a mandolin slicer to cut shoestring potatoes (we cut them a little thinner than 1/8-inch thick). Once cut, place back in water and soak for 30 minutes; then, strain and place on a paper towel. Pat dry and fry at 350 degrees until golden brown. Remove from oil and let drip for a couple seconds. Place on a tray lined with more paper towels and sprinkle salt all over.

Seared Sea Scallops

Ingredients

U-10 sea scallops, cleaned and patted dry Canola oil for sautéing

Salt

Directions

Make sure scallops have been patted dry and season with salt on all sides. Heat oil until hot. Remove from heat and place scallops carefully in hot pan. Sear on side until golden brown (2-3 minutes) and flip over. Cook until desired doneness. Medium rare to medium are preferred.

Pete McKenny, General Manager and Executive Chef at SpringHouse Restaurant, trained at fourstar restaurants and Forbes four-star resorts in Ohio, Washington, Arizona and Vermont before returning to Russell Lands on Lake Martin, where he began his career as chef de cuisine at Willow Point Golf & Country Club 12 years ago.

CHEF'S TABLE BY PETE MCKENNY

Water Clarity Considerations

SSince Lake Martin is more of a highlands type lake with good water clarity, it lends itself well to finesse tactics throughout the year, especially for bass. The average size of the forage these fish feed on is small, say 3.5 inches or less, whether it’s a minnow, bream, crayfish or some other creature. For most people who are less familiar with the lake, I recommend starting with small baits, spinning gear and light line. That’s the best approach to just catch a few fish, no matter what section of the lake you’re on. If fishing a worm, try one that’s 4 inches or less with an eighth-ounce bullet style sinker and 2/0 hook. Small plastic lizards, craws and creature baits will all catch fish around Lake Martin. Apply the same approach to whatever bait choices you’re considering, and it’s hard to go wrong with small crankbaits, finesse spinnerbaits, small jigs, etc.

Most of the year, I keep this finesse approach when I’m on Lake Martin. The fish can be spooky, and

the forage is typically small; smaller baits are a better match. I use spinning rods a good bit, and when it’s time to pick up a bait caster, the line is usually 12-pound test or less. In clear water, my theory is that 15-pound test (Seaguar Tatsu fluorocarbon) is the max before the fish recognize it well enough to affect the bite (a lesson learned from using Livescope). As water clarity decreases, say towards the backs of the creeks or further upriver, it’s OK to bump up to heavier line.

As much fun as it is to hook up with 50 or more 1.5- to 2-pound bass, we all want to go hunting for that big one, too. If there was ever a time to power fish on Lake Martin, it’s now. Coming out of the winter, most of the grass, bushes and trees are still dormant. They don’t up the volume of water they will in the summer. Heavy winter and early spring rains occur nearly every time a cold front passes. Heavy rain falling on open ground brings in heavy silt and sediment at every tributary feeding the lake, big or small. That, coupled with

heavy rain on the bare soil left from winter drawdown, also stains up the shoreline.

This heavily stained water serves two purposes for anglers. First, it conceals their presence better, allowing them to get closer to the targets where fish should be. Second, it absorbs heat quicker than clear water. Fish that want to be shallow, especially largemouth bass, would seek out areas where they feel like they’re hiding but also taking advantage of the stained, fastwarming shallows.

The biggest fish at this time of year are typically big pre-spawn females. They’re staging in areas that are close to the places they will spawn. They need to eat heavily just before they set up, as the spawning process start to finish taxes their body mass. Some of these fish are content to eat small shad that are moving in with the warming water. But more of these fish have bigger things in mind, like gizzard shad, large craws and even bream and small crappie. These are much larger forage

items than they eat most of the year. Fortunately, the stained water allows anglers to use big spinnerbaits, big jigs with bulky trailers, oversized squarebill crankbaits and even swimbaits.

Since we’re likely dealing with stained to muddy water, color selection would be different than other times. In general, colors should be either very bright –like chartreuse, white or a combination of the two – or very dark to red. Not only do the bulky baits look more like the forage, but also, they have large profiles in the water, making them easy for the fish to recognize in low visibility. Such is the case with color selection, too. The very bright or very dark colors are easier for the fish to distinguish in stained to muddy water. It’s about the fish being able to recognize and find the bait. For some reason, red works great. The crawfish are often bright red this time of year, but fish also seem to be able to see red better in dirty water, especially in the shallows.

BIG CATCHES

BY GREG VINSON

Bigger baits often require bigger rods and bigger line to fish effectively. Fortunately, the stained and muddy water will conceal an angler’s presence long enough to get a precise cast to a target. Key targets could be as simple as a rock, a single stick standing up or a matted wad of limbs and leaves washed into a laydown. Keep in mind that the fish generally cling tighter to their relative cover when the water is dirty. Multiple casts and multiple angles cast to a prime target are often necessary to trigger the bite.

Lake Martin has more trophy-sized largemouth than most people realize. They are older fish, and they’ve likely seen a lot of tricks in their lifetimes. But this is the season of the year when they can be fooled. They are at their heaviest this time of year, as well. Coming out of winter and likely full of eggs, the big ones often are so fat they look like they’ve eaten. A 4-pound spot or largemouth is usually considered a pretty good fish on Lake Martin, but at this time of year, it’s very possible to catch one that’s 6 pounds or better.

Take advantage of the opportunity that exists with stained water in the late winter/early spring. Big baits, big rods, big line could lead to the biggest Lake Martin bass of a lifetime.

Greg Vinson is a fulltime professional angler on the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour. He lives in Wetumpka and grew up fishing on Lake Martin.

This is the time of year for big bass on Lake Martin

White Oak Landing

is a collection of attractively priced, turn-key lakefront cottages. With nine cottage-style plans to choose from, the large, wooded, waterfront homesites are conveniently located on the north end of Lake Martin offering easy access to Highway 280, golf, dining, shopping, marina and medical care.

MODEL HOMES now under construction by

Camp Hill

Lake Martin Alabama

Marinas

1. Kowaliga Marina

256-397-1210

255 Kowaliga Marina Rd., Alex City, AL 35010

2. The Ridge Marina

256-397-1300

450 Ridge Marina Rd., Alex City, AL 35010

3. River North Marina

256-397-1500

250 River North Rd., Alex City, AL 35010

2. Russell Marine Boating & Outdoors

256-397-1700

19 Russell Marine Rd., Alex City, AL 35010

2. Real Island Marina

256-397-1200

2700 Real Island Rd., Equality, AL 36026

3. Blue Creek Marina

256-825-8888

7280 Hwy 49 S., Dadeville, AL 36853

2. Parker Creek Marina

256-329-8550

486 Parker Creek Marina Rd., Equality, AL 36026

3. Harbor Pointe Marina

256-825-0600

397 Marina Point Rd., Dadeville, AL 36853 www.harborpointe.net

2. Alex City Marine

256-215-FISH(3474)

2190 Cherokee Rd., Alex City, AL 35010

Smith Marina - Shipwreck Sam's Froyo

256-444-8793 smithmarinaonlakemartin@yahoo.com

Restaurants & Venues

6. SpringHouse

256-215-7080

12 Benson Mill Rd., Alex City, AL 35010

6. Catherine’s Market

256-215-7070

17 Russell Farms Rd., Alex City, AL 35010

Kowaliga Restaurant

256-215-7035

295 Kowaliga Marina Rd., Alex City, AL 35010

Lake Martin Pizza

256-373-3337

5042 Hwy 49, Dadeville, AL 36853

The Burritos Corner Mexican Grill

256-307-1887

8605 AL HWY 50, Dadeville, AL 36853

Business & Shopping

Lake Martin Storm Shelters

256-794-8075

970 Hwy. 63 South, Alex City, AL 35010

4. Russell Do It Center (Alex City) 256-234-2567

1750 Alabama 22, Alex City, AL 35010

4. Russell Do It Center (Eclectic) 334-541-2132

1969 Kowaliga Rd., Eclectic, AL 36024

4. Russell Building Supply

256-825-4256

350 Fulton Street, Dadeville, AL 36853

4. The Stables at Russell Crossroads 256-794-1333

288 Stables Loop, Alex City, AL 35010

. Kowaliga Whole Health Pet Care & Resort

334-857-1816

8610 Kowaliga Rd., Eclectic, AL 36024

. Off the Beaton Path

205-994-0847

21322 Hwy. 280, Dadeville, AL 36853

. Hwy 50 Blue Creek Boat & RV Storage 334-391-0717

8421 Hwy. 50, Dadeville, AL 36853

Churches

Lake Pointe Baptist Church

256-373-3293

8352 Hwy. 50, Dadeville, AL 36853

Red Ridge United Methodist Church

256-825-9820

8091 County Rd. 34, Dadeville, AL 36853

Dock Builders

Lake Martin Dock Company, Inc

Marine Contractor License #49146

334-857-2443

180 Birmingham Rd., Eclectic, AL 36024

Advertise your business on our Lake Martin Region Map for as little as $25. Contact our Marketing Department at 256-234-4281 or marketing@alexcityoutlook.com for more information.

Lake Pointe Baptist Church

Red Ridge United Methodist Church

Lake Magazine Distribution

ALEXANDER CITY

Robinson Iron

A & M Plumbing

Carlos

The Body Shop

Walgreens

Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc.

Jake's

Moore Wealth Management

Carlisle's

Emporium Wine

Cloud Nine

Downtown Girl

Shay Aesthetics

JR'S

Hillabee Towers

Senior Nutrition Center

Noel Boone

George Hardy

First Realty

Dark Insurance

Warren Appliance

MainStreet Family Care

Grace's Flowers

Koon's Korner

Larry's General Merchandise

Daylight Donuts

Alfa

Valley Bank - 280

Pricare

Temple Medical

AllState

BB&T Bank

Hometown Pharmacy

Lake Martin Home Health

Allen's Food Mart (Exxon)

Karen Channell - State Farm

Insurance

North Lake Condo

River Bend Store

River North Marina

Lake Martin Building Supply

Petro

Sho'Nuff BBQ

Hair Design

Mark King's Lake Martin Furniture

Longleaf Antique Mall

Playhouse Cinemas

Chamber of Commerce

Winn Dixie

Re/Max Around the Lake

City Hall

A&E Metal

Regions Bank

Marathon - 280

Renfroe's Market

Russell Medical Center

Russell Marine Boating and Outdoors

Koon's II

Tallapoosa Ford

Dylan Johnson - Country Financial

Holley's Home Furniture

Jackson's Drugs

Selling Lake Martin - Amy Clark

The Sure Shot

Shell - 280

Big B Bar-B-Que

Russell Do It Center

Russell Home Decor

Holman Floor

Satterfield Inc.

Grain & Leaf, Bottles & Cigars

Tippy Canoe

Love Lake Martin Real Estate Office

Wind Creek Gate

Wind Creek Store

Willow Point Office

Willow Point Country Club

Smith Marina on Lake Martin

Nails

Kowaliga Marina

Kowaliga Restaurant

Children's Harbor

Catherine's Market

Russell Lands Corporate Office

Russell Lands Real Estate Sales

Center

SpringHouse Restaurant

Ridge Club

Ridge Marina

HACKNEYVILLE

Hackneyville Water Authority

NEW SITE

Piggly Wiggly - New Site Foodland

DADEVILLE

Chamber of Commerce

Raining Dogs Studio & Gallery

Root 49 Salon

Ellaby Boutique, LLC

Alabama Power

Siggers

Siggers Barbershop

Fusion Cafe

Dadeville Library

At the Beauty Shop

Dadeville Courthouse

Payne's Furniture

PNC Bank

Valley Bank

McKelvey Chevrolet

Renfroe's Market

Foshee's Boat Doc

Lakeshore Pharmacy

Russell Building Supply

Lakay's

Tallapoosa Nutrition

Sweet Pickins

Century 21 - Rhonda Gaskins

Farmers & Merchants Bank

Jim's Pharmacy

Poplar Dawgs

Still Waters Country Club

Still Waters Home Association

Russell Lands Realty

Fuller Realty

Harbor Pointe

Oskar's

Aronov Realty Lake Martin

Creekside Lodge

Blue Creek Marina

Lakeside Marina

Niffers

Hwy 50 Eagle

Millstone Japanese Maple Nursery

Lakeside Mercantile

Walnut Hill

Chuck's Marina

Deep Water Docks

Lake Martin Pizza

CAMP HILL

Link Gas Station

KELLYTON

Five Star Plantation

EQUALITY

Equality Food Mart

Southern Star

Parker Creek Marina

Charles Borden

ECLECTIC

Lake Breeze Realty

Offshore Marina

Lake Martin Mini Mall

Corner Stone Coffee Co.

Lake Martin Dock Company

Cotton's Alabama Barbecue

Russell Do It Center

Johnson Furniture

WOW Catering LLC

Eclectic Library

Real Island Marina

Anchor Bay Marina

Wetumpka

Wetumpka Herald Office

Tallassee

Marathon

Tallassee Eagle

Tallassee Chamber

Parris Mullins Jr. O.D.

Get

Our Advertisers n To Join, Call 256.234.4281

Everyday Grandeur

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LIFESTYLE LIVING ALONG GRAND NATIONAL GOLF COURSE

Tucked away on the outskirts of Auburn University at the world-class Grand National Golf Course, the award winning National Village offers everything you’ll ever need for the way you want to live. The thoughtfully crafted master planned community features georgeous homes designed by national award winner Larry Garnett and built by Ab and Don Conner at Conner Bros. Construction Co., Inc., a local company with more than 100 years of experience. With the Marriott at Grand National on site, residents enjoy championship golf, miles of picturesque nature trails and lakes for fishing, spa and pool. National Village is truly an unbelievable place to live – inside or out. Plus, thanks to the high speed fiber optic network of Opelika (Alabama’s first Gig City), our homeowners enjoy some of the Nation’s fastest internet for any work- or learn-from-home requirements.

Parting Shot

Photo by Kenneth Boone

"The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature."

~ Antoine Francis Prevost