Lindsey & Charlie

Charlie needed a date for the junior prom at Christiansburg High School. Lindsey attended Radford High School, and her best friend, Clare, knew Charlie and suggested she be his date. “My parents knew his parents, so they let me go with him. In his words, he became enamored with me,” Lindsey relates. “He would write letters, bring me breakfast before school, burn CDs for me. I only wanted to be friends. I went to his senior prom as his date, too, still just friends.” 

We know well that “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Charlie graduated a year before Lindsey and went off to college. “One night I got to thinking about him and randomly gave him a call. We began talking every day and started dating in May of 2016. We got engaged in 2021 and married in 2023.”

 

Wedding Planning 

 

Lindsey admits to not being a type A personality, so the idea of planning a wedding was daunting. Once they decided to get married at her Aunt Jana Cranwell’s beautiful house in Blacksburg, “Aunt Jana stepped right in as my wedding planner, with help from my mother,” Lindsey says. “I gladly handed over that responsibility.” 

Aunt Jana was equally thrilled with planning everything. “Lindsey told me to let her know where to be and when,” Jana smiles. Organizing events fell to Jana often in her working days. She enjoyed it every step of the way, and since the wedding, she and her husband, Cliv, have been tossing around the idea of hosting weddings. Their attractive, 66-acre property offers a magnificent setting overlooking Ellett Valley and the hills beyond.

“Charlie did anything that was asked of him – something I love about him,” Lindsey shares. “He helped a lot making sure everything was clean and set up for us. You want everything perfect, but there will always be something out of your control. Most of the time, it ends up being something to laugh about in the future.” 

 

The Big Day

 

The bridal party got ready in the primary bedroom with mimosas and music. The guys prepared in the pool house, and the whole day was casual, just as they wanted. Guests enjoyed beverages during the ceremony, and the dance floor went crazy throughout the whole night. “Special shoutout to DJ Bobby Hash who was absolutely incredible. Our guests raved about him for days,” adds Charlie.

Inclement weather was part of the plan possibility, and extra tents had been rented assuring no one was in the light sprinkle during the ceremony. “I wore platform heels, which were quickly taken off after pictures and replaced with slippers which can be seen in our fireworks photos,” Lindsey explains.

 

Happily Ever After

 

They are hoping for the planned honeymoon in Greece to coincide with their 5th anniversary and enjoyed a week in Florida oceanfront after the wedding. The NRV-native couple resides in North Carolina where they work in the same hospital; Lindsey as an R.N. and Charlie an occupational therapist. “It’s super fun to see other throughout the day,” they agree. “We are closer than ever and embrace the ups and downs of married life.”

 

 

Photography: 

Emily Heskett Photography

Wedding Planner:

Aunt Jana and Mom 

Catering:

Mission BBQ, Christiansburg

DJ:

Bobby Hash, Pulaski

Cake/Desserts:

Donuts!

Flowers:

Gates Flowers & Gifts

Rentals:

Aztec Rentals

 

Text by Joanne M. Anderson
Photos courtesy of Emily Heskett Photography
[www.emilyheskett.com]