Bride: Lynn Johnson Hill
Groom: Edward Hill, Jr.
Wedding Date: September 5, 2015
Bride’s age: 48
Groom’s age: 50
Bride’s Parents: Lois and Robert Johnson
Groom’s Parents: Edward and Levirn Hill, Sr.
Bride and Groom’s Hometown: Buffalo, N.Y.
Bride’s Occupation: Licensed Mental Health Clinician
Groom’s Occupation: Licensed Audiologist and Businessman
Bride’s Alma Mater: UNC Charlotte
Groom’s Alma Mater: State University of New York at Buffalo
Wedding Location: Ballantyne Hotel and Lodge, Charlotte, N.C.
Lynn and Edward said “I do” in an intimate ceremony in front of 60 family members and close friends at the beautiful cottage at Ballantyne Hotel and Lodge in Charlotte.
Although Lynn and Ed grew up together and their families knew one another, the two friends never shared a romantic relationship…other than a “sweet kiss” when Ed was 13 and Lynn was 11. But ever since that day 37 years ago, Ed jokes, he had been chasing Lynn.
Both married and began families of their own and eventually divorced. Then on December 9, 2014, something magic happened: Ed and Lynn both would end up in Atlanta for dinner with a mutual friend, who is also Ed’s cousin.
After they returned to their respective homes, the two began texting and talking. Lynn recalls that they sometimes stayed on the phone for hours, catching up on the journey that life had taken them on. This went on until they finally agreed to meet again, in Raleigh, which was a midpoint point since Lynn was living in Charlotte and Ed was living in Richmond, Va.
Lynn wondered if that face-to-face meeting would be as “organic” as their text and phone chats had been. But she says she knew in the first five minutes that Ed was truly the love of her life.
After that, not one weekend passed that the couple didn’t arrange a way to see each other, and after introducing their relationship to their families, they came to realize that this kind of love happens only once in a lifetime, so they weren’t about to let it slip away. The two have so much in common and share many of the same interests and hobbies, including a love for travel. Their favorite trip was to the romantic island of Aruba, where they got engaged.
As Lynn and Ed are settling into their new life, they feel blessed to be able to blend their families together, including their five children, one son-in-law, two dogs, one “grand-dog,” and their latest excitement, the birth of their new grandson, Briceson, who is expected to arrive in December.
Lynn says life sometimes puts people in our paths, and we may not always understand. But allow life to happen, she says, and give it a chance.
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