Five weeks to plan a wedding sounds like a formidable challenge, but Robin Hale of Bedford County helped her daughter Lindsey do exactly that. Hale recalls she was on her treadmill in October, when she got a text message that “Brian (the groom’s brother and a pastor) is going to marry us,” adding that the date was November 10, on a Sunday, only five weeks away. The location, Peaks of Otter, has been a family favorite for years.
Lindsey and her groom, Brandon Sells, both of Roanoke, had their first date there exactly three years earlier, on November 10, 2010 when they hiked to the top of Sharp Top Mountain. Wanting to make that “their day” meant either get married this year on 11/10 or wait until next year.
Fortunately the Lodge was available and Hale says the short planning period meant less time for her to stress over details and the simple but elegant wedding came together just as everyone pictured. All the guests had a view looking out over the lake and Hale is grateful to the Peaks of Otter folks who made sure everything was perfect, including the buffet reception that followed.
Reminiscing about the wedding with her husband Jimmy, Hale says that she was reminded that their ties to the Peaks may actually out-do their daughter’s connection. She has been going there since she was a little girl for Sunday buffets and often hiked there with her best friend’s family. Hale almost forgot to mention that when they built their home, it was positioned so they can see Sharp Top from their front porch.
And then there is the “fish.”
Jimmy Hale has a “citation” catch of a lifetime fish that he caught at the Peaks of Otter Lake that is proudly mounted and displayed at their home. It happened on a day he will never forget—Senior Skip Day, 1977.
Congratulations to Lindsey and Brandon Sells!
– Cheryl Vosburg
