Whether it was love at first sight or third times the charm, every couple’s story of how they met and started dating gives you a sneak peak into the world of their love. And what better day to explore the world of love than Valentine’s Day? Answer: none! So we collected stories of how couples around town met their spouse. Enjoy!

Couple: Sasha and Charlie Sealy

How they met: (As told by Sasha) My sister, Jenny, and her husband, Cooley, set us up on a blind date when I was in law school and business school at Samford University/Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham. Charlie had just moved back home to Tuscaloosa from Dallas, Texas. Upon doing so, he contacted Cooley, who was working in Birmingham at the time. Charlie and Cooley are fraternity brothers –Sigma Nu – at Vanderbilt.

What’s even funnier is that Cooley, Charlie and I were all Economics majors at Vanderbilt – same year/same major; however, Charlie and I never knew each other while attending Vanderbilt. My sister also attended Vanderbilt; just was a year younger. The blind date was a success. Guess as they say in Hollywood, the rest is history. Needless to say, based on their success, my sister and Cooley think that they’re certified matchmakers. Go figure… only in the South would you have fraternity brothers marry sisters – real sisters.

About The Sealys: Charlie is Vice president of Sealy Management, and Sasha works on the Belk Hudson Lofts project in Downtown Huntsville. Charlie and Sasha are active in other real estate developments, as well as various organizations in their community such as Downtown 47, The Greater Huntsville Rotary Club, and the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce.

Couple: David and Mimi Little

How they met: (As told by David) We met through a mutual friend. A few years after that she bought a house behind one I was renting…so we were neighbors. A friendship developed and we started hanging out more. One day, reading the paper, she pointed out that the Southern Belle riverboat was going to be in town, doing dinner cruises. Taking this as a hint to ask her out, I made reservations, and asked her for a date.

To this day she claims it wasn’t a hint, but I know it was. I dated her for about a month, before she started dating me back…she was afraid of hurting the friendship. Isn’t that sweet? That was March 1997…we married on August 1, 1998…and the rest is history.

About The Littles: When Mimi is not raising their 3 very active children, helping with homework or shuttling them to activities, she is a Sr. Trunk Keeper for Matilda Jane Clothing Company, and also she owns Midnight Oil Designs, where she reclaims and reuses vintage jewelry into wearable pieces of art.

David is a Financial Advisor with BlueCreek Investment Partners. David is active in the community and volunteers with several local organizations and was awarded the Emerging Leader award by OVE sponsor Leadership Huntsville/Madison County in 2012. He enjoys writing, and smoking BBQ.

Couple: Dave Hargrove and Liz Hurley

How they met: (As told by Dave) Liz and I met while I was working at the old WAAY Radio station and she had just started anchoring the news at WAAY-TV. She came to borrow some music for a story she was working on.

So our song to this day, as much as I am reluctant to admit it, is “Poncho and Lefty” by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard from 1983. Almost six months later, I developed the nerve to ask her out and we have been together ever since.

About Dave and Liz: This couple is best known for the work as local TV news anchors. Since meeting, Dave has left the world of TV news and currently serves as the  Regional Director of At&T. He is also the Chair of Leadership Huntsville/ Madison County. Liz currently works as an anchor at WAFF while also devoting her time to raising funds for breast cancer research through her charity, The Liz Hurley Breast Cancer Fund.

Couple: Cole Cubelic and Katherine Pettey

How they met: (As told by Cole) I agreed to attend a get-together at a stranger’s house with a friend of mine, Rachel. She had explained to me that there was a girl I should meet that was perfect for me. Like most of us, I had heard all of this before, only to be let down. This was different very quickly. As we entered this random home surrounded by people I had never seen, there was a gorgeous brunette sitting at the kitchen table who I made immediate eye contact with. That was not how it was different though. She stood right up and came over and introduced herself as Katherine.

I was pretty surprised to see the confidence and interest she showed right off the jump. For me this was huge. It allowed us to skip all of the games and tricks. I was set on getting to know this young lady better. We spent the rest of the night following the group from venue to venue around town, but instead of mingling like everyone else, we got to know each other and began to learn what we know now… that we would spend the rest of our lives together. Cole proposed to Katherine during December 2012.

About Cole and Katherine: Cole Cubelic is a co-host at 97.7 The Zone and former Auburn football player. He also is the owner of STATUS. He is also an OVE blogger. Check out his posts here. Katherine is a contract specialist at the US Army, works at STATUS with Cole and active in the community.

Couple: Lisa and Phil Williams

How they met: (As told by Lisa) Phil and I met….back in 1994. We’ve been married for 17 years now. Phil and I met playing guitar. He was my guitar teacher. I had to pay him $30/hr for classes! That was a lot of money for me back then. So, I decided to barter with him by teaching him karate lessons in exchange for guitar lessons. I also threw in a punching bag.

I finally decided that I couldn’t afford the guitar lessons with Phil.. so I just started dating him!!! And, we’ve been playing guitar together ever since and we now have an awesome 11 year old son named, Tyler. He decided to play the drums instead of the guitar.

About the Williams: Together Phil and Lisa founded 3D Research Corporation, with Lisa serving as president and Phil serving as Chief Financial Officer. In 2004 and 2005, 3D Research Corporation was on INC 500’s fastest growing companies in America roster.

Lisa currently serves as the president of Soldier 1 Corporation. She has been honored by many institutions for her leadership. Some of her awards include the National Leadership Award, 2004 Small Business Person of the Year for the State of Alabama by the Small Business Administration, and 2004 Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce’s Executive of the Year.

In 2007, Phil co-founded Synapse Wireless, named Best New Company and Best Technology of the Show in April 2009 at the Silicon Valley’s internationally attended Embedded Devices Technology Conference. Synapse Wireless was later named the “Emerging Company of 2009” by Frost and Sullivan. Phil currently serves as the State Representative for Alabama’s 6th District. He serves as the Chairman of the Technology and Research Committee, the Vice Chair for Education Policy in the House of Representatives, and also chairs the “Speaker’s Task Force for Jobs Creation.”

Couple: Kelly and Randy Schrimsher

How they met: (As told by Kelly) They say the third time is the charm, and it must be true. Randy and I dated at three different intervals before the stars aligned. We first met and became friends at Auburn University where we served together in student government and enjoyed a lively debate.

After graduating, we worked in Huntsville and began dating for the second, and then later for the third time. But it was when I moved to Austin, Texas that our relationship turned serious, and we discovered we no longer wanted to be apart. Randy and I ended the frequent flying, got married and preceded to have three beautiful children.

We are celebrating our 30th anniversary this spring! Randy likes to joke that he knew it all along and I am just slow to learn! I think he’s right!

About the Schrimshers: Kelly is the Director of Communication for Office of the Mayor, Tommy Battle. Randy runs Schrimsher Properties, a commercial real estate company that specializes in office, retail, warehouse and industrial space. 

Couple: Mayor Tommy Battle and Eula Battle

How they met: (As told by Eula) A mutual friend introduced Tommy and I one night at a downtown restaurant, and we both were smitten. But it was 1988 and Tommy was in the middle of his first campaign for Mayor. “Dates” consisted of my going “door to door,” attending fundraisers, speeches, and community events. I liked Tommy’s good friend and campaign manager so much that I decided Tommy must be a great guy.

It wasn’t until after the election, however, that we could actually have a real date, alone, away from the collective eyes of his campaign aides and staff. Tommy may have lost the first mayoral election, but he “got the girl”, and we were married a few months later. Fast forward 24 years and Tommy was back on the campaign trail; this time we were together as husband and wife, and with Tommy winning re-election in a landslide!

About the Battles: Tommy Battle currently serves as the Mayor of Huntsville. Before becoming Mayor, he worked in the private sector as a successful businessman in real estate, development, and restaurant operations, all in Huntsville. Mayor Battle also chaired the EarlyWorks Museum’s Board of Directors, served on the boards of Solid Waste Disposal Authority and HEMSI, and held leadership positions at Trinity United Methodist Church. Eula is a retired kindergarten teacher who was honored as Madison County Teacher of the Year in 2000 and currently works with the Free 2 Teach program.

Couple: Mayor Troy Trulock and Dana Trulock

How they met: (As told by Mayor Trulock) Dana and I met in a social studies class in high school. We had an instant connection and developed an amazing friendship together. We continued dating through four years of college and after graduation, we married and traveled the world together on military assignments, raising two fantastic children. We have been happily married for over 26 years and are looking forward to another 26 years!

About the Trulocks: Troy Trulock graduated from the University of Kansas ROTC program as a Distinguished Military Graduate. As a U.S. Army combat veteran, Troy was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service during the Gulf War. He and his family were assigned to Redstone Arsenal and took up residence in Madison in 2000; He currently serves as the Mayor of Madison.