Work Led to Love: This Couple is a PERFECT Match!

Lindy Williamson and Mitch Cleveland were truly meant for each other — you can see it when you look at them, from their wide, easy smiles to the kindness in their eyes. This sweet pair tied the knot exactly a year after they started dating, on a sunny June day brimming with those unfettered grins and overflowing love from their family and friends.

Lindy and Mitch both have a heart for those with special needs, and it is through this shared passion that their paths first crossed. While a student at Samford University, Lindy founded Bulldog Buddies, a program through which college students spend time with individuals with special needs in the community. Mitch, a special education teacher at Liberty Park Middle School and director of a special needs all-star baseball league, reached out to Lindy about working with Bulldog Buddies. “Mitch contacted me wanting to partner our programs. He asked me to dinner to talk about how to partner, and two years later we still haven’t talked about it,” Lindy laughs. “Our passions and purposes are so aligned that our relationship could only be planned by God.”

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With so much in common, the couple quickly knew that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. After a few months of dating, Mitch asked Lindy to be his wife with an elaborate scavenger hunt comprised of locations around Birmingham with special meaning to their relationship. At each location, Lindy was met by a family member or friend and presented with a note explaining the significance of the location and a clue as to where to go next. The final clue led Lindy to the pew where the couple sits on Sunday mornings at church, where she found Mitch waiting with a Bible with Lindy’s future married name embossed on the cover and, of course, a ring. Lindy gladly accepted Mitch’s proposal and the pair began planning a beautiful celebration of their love for each other and for the important people in their lives.

Lindy’s students at Unless U are a huge part of her life. The couple included all of her students into the wedding and reception in some capacity, and several of her students served as junior bridesmaids and groomsmen. — Lindy’s students at Unless U, an organization for adults with developmental disabilities that Lindy founded, are a huge part of her life. The couple included all of her students in the wedding and reception in some capacity, and several of her students served as junior bridesmaids and groomsmen. Lindy’s brother covers his mouth in shock at the sight of his sister kissing her soon-to-be husband.

Lindy fell in love with Christ Church at Branch Cove the moment she saw it. — Lindy wanted to get married in a more intimate church than the couple’s larger home church, and she fell in love with Christ Church at Branch Cove the moment she saw it.

The blushing bride is brimming with joy!

Everything about this couple overflows with thoughtfulness and joy, and those traits were integral when planning their wedding. “We wanted our wedding day to be sweet, fun and joyful,” Lindy says. “We wanted it to represent who we are and how much we love our family and friends.”

A beautiful, traditional venue provided the perfect backdrop to layer those personal touches on top. It was important to Lindy that the ceremony take place in a church but she wanted an intimate chapel that seats a smaller congregation than their large home church. She stumbled upon Christ Church at Branch Cove and immediately fell in love with the charming venue’s rows of wooden pews and beautiful vaulted ceiling — and when she found out June 6 was available, Lindy knew it was meant to be.

Lindy’s classic aesthetic inspired the dapper black tuxedos for the men, while her bridesmaids looked gorgeous in their floor-length pale blue gowns. Lush, romantic florals in white and creams with touches of muted greenery complemented the look with understated elegance.

Right after the first look, the happy couple poses for the camera.

Lindy and Mitch share a prayer before the ceremony. — Lindy and Mitch share a quiet moment before the ceremony.

The meaningful ceremony was the highlight of the day for this beautiful bride. “The ceremony was so joyful. Mitch and I giggled the whole time,” Lindy says. “Also during our ceremony we had a commissioning prayer, which was truly so beautiful. Our families and wedding party surrounded us and laid hands on us in prayer.” At the front of the chapel, Lindy’s godfather and the couple’s premarital counselor — along with Lindy and Mitch’s attendants — stood alongside the couple as they entered into a new chapter of their life together.

The reception was a laid-back celebration featuring even more thoughtful touches from the bride and groom. In one of the sweetest moments of the day, Mitch surprised Lindy with an especially memorable song for their first dance. The newlyweds took the dance floor and a recording of Mitch singing “Forever Like That” by Ben Rector began to play. When she heard Mitch sing the first notes, Lindy says she immediately began crying and made sure all of their guests knew that her groom was the one singing. Guests enjoyed the couple’s favorites — pizza and ice cream — and danced the night away before sending the couple off with a beautiful sparkler exit.

Lindy’s favorite details from her wedding day are those that honored others. The photo shoot when Lindy slipped into her mom’s wedding dress to surprise her with a special mother-daughter moment, the cake at the reception celebrating Lindy’s godparents’ 50th wedding anniversary, and the opportunity to include Lindy’s students from Unless U in the ceremony and reception all stand out as the day’s most memorable moments. Incorporating those special, intentional details created a day that was as beautiful as it was personal, as joyful as it was meaningful. “What set our wedding apart was including all facets of our life — with our students, the commissioning prayer, the pizza,” Lindy says. “We wanted our day to represent who we are.”