By Emily Williams-Robertshaw Newlyweds Sydne and Jeffrey “JJ” Shaffer met while attending college at Auburn University. Both were involved in collegiate athletics, Sydne being a softball player while JJ played baseball. Sydne moved to Birmingham right after graduation, while JJ remained in Auburn to pursue a master’s in business before making the same move. On Jan. 18, 2020, … [Read more...]
A Perfect Match: Lauren and William Love Celebrate Wedded Bliss in Atlanta
By Emily Williams-Robertshaw The saying “love means nothing to a tennis player” is far from the case for newlyweds Lauren and William Love. Lauren, a University of Alabama graduate and Vestavia Hills native, and William, a University of Georgia graduate of Marietta, Georgia, met in Atlanta on the tennis court. They were paired by their mutual friend, Will Varnado, for … [Read more...]
Pandemic Planning: Vendors Adapt to Wedding Planning in 2020, Prepare for 2021
By Emily Williams-Robertshaw The wedding industry is made up of a variety of specialized companies a couple matches together to create their special day. It is a multibillion-dollar operation, even in 2020. But there is no doubt that the industry has fallen victim to the economic impact of COVID-19 as couples scale back, postpone and even cancel marital plans in response to … [Read more...]
Little Miracles: Pandemic Inspires Vestavia Hills Neighbors to Band Together for Bible Club, More Activities for the Kids
By Emily Williams-Robertshaw Though the pandemic shrouded 2020 in darkness, the Vesthaven neighborhood in Vestavia Hills made a silver lining as neighbors came together in ways they had never experienced before. Over the summer, with no end to the pandemic in sight, Carol Pritchard decided she could do something for the neighborhood kids who spent their days playing out in … [Read more...]
‘As Common as the Common Cold’: New Nonprofit Aims to Raise Awareness of HPV Vaccine and Battle Cervical Cancer
By Emily Williams-Robertshaw Alabama tops the country for cervical cancer deaths and comes in third for the rate of cervical cancer diagnosed in patients, according to a new, Birmingham-based nonprofit organization, Vax 2 Stop Cancer. Organization founder and Executive Director Barbara Schuler believes those numbers can be lowered significantly. It all starts with a … [Read more...]