“Living at the lake has definitely carved out a peaceful little bubble for us to enjoy. Early on when we were dating, we would enjoy a sunset cruise around the neighborhood in the golf cart.”

Sometimes, love is a slow and steady process, taking its time to bloom from the unlikeliest of places. Such is the love story of Tom and Tiffany, who found their way to each other at Lake Anna.

They met, not as star-crossed lovers, but as colleagues—familiar faces in the local business community. “We knew of each other from Lake Anna Business Partnership events,” Tiffany recalls. “But the timing wasn’t right until later. We got to be friends first, and then the romance grew as a surprise.”

It wasn’t until a random October boating trip that Tom started weaving himself into Tiffany’s life. “I posted on Facebook, ‘My boat’s going out, who’s on it?!’ and Tom showed up,” Tiffany laughs. She expected a day with friends, but Tom joined her alongside another friend. “It was random, but nice.” The lake, it seems, was already working its magic, planting the seeds for something more.

Months passed, and as if by fate, they ran into each other again at the Lake Anna Taphouse in January. “We were the only two people there,” Tiffany reflects. “The priest who’s marrying us even said, ‘You realize that’s a God thing, right?’” That chance meeting quickly turned into dinner plans and an entire weekend spent together—an unexpected beginning of what would become a lifelong partnership.

But it wasn’t until their first big trip together to Snowshoe, West Virginia, that they realized this relationship was something special. “I told Tom I was going skiing in a blizzard,” Tiffany says with a smile. “He doesn’t even ski, but he offered to drive me there and even tried skiing himself.” While skiing didn’t quite go as planned, they found joy in tubing down the mountain, laughing together in the freezing cold. “That trip sealed the deal,” Tiffany says. “By the time we threw a spontaneous Super Bowl party the next week, it felt like our ‘coming out as a couple’ moment.”

Their love for Lake Anna only strengthened as they spent more time together. The lake became the backdrop for romantic sunset cruises and Friday morning jet-ski rides to breakfast with friends—an activity that led them to form the “Jet Ski Brigade.”

For Tiffany, the lake life was easy to fall in love with. “I even dreamed of jet skiing to breakfast,” she jokes. They also enjoy taking Tom’s collectible cars to local shows, where they often dress as Batman and Catwoman, embracing the theme with flair.

Their shared love for Lake Anna extends to the local community, where they’ve formed close bonds with other couples and families. Whether it’s traveling abroad with lake friends or hosting their annual “Lakestock” party, Tiffany and Tom find joy in the friendships they’ve built along the way. “It’s refreshing to be surrounded by genuine friends who share the same enthusiasm for life here,” Tiffany says.

As they plan for the future, their focus remains on Lake Anna, where they’ve built their “forever” home. “It’s a peaceful bubble for us,” Tiffany says. They envision more travel, but always returning home to the lake, which has shaped so much of their life together.

And soon, Lake Anna will witness another milestone—their wedding. The ceremony will be held at the historic Church of the Incarnation in downtown Mineral, with a reception at Callie Opie’s event barn.

Read more love stories in the Lake Anna Wedding Magazine

Jen Bailey

Hi! I’m Jennifer Bailey and I partner with entrepreneurs who have massive ideas that could change the world. Most marketing is meaningless. Filled with empty promises, its only job is to bring in new traffic, new leads, and new customers. But I’ve drawn a line in the sand, and I’ve learned that marketing can do so much more than reach business goals and build profit. My methods give businesses the fire and soul they need to reach the right people, set the groundwork for sustainable relationships, and offer true value to the people on both the giving and receiving ends of marketing.

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