Florida Retirement Communities Celebrate Love – Old and New

A janitor for a best man, funeral food instead of a wedding buffet, and even a double wedding. A good love story can stand the test of time. And these stories are one of the perks of living in a Florida retirement community. 

Everyone has a story within these master-planned communities.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’re sharing the best senior love stories from a recent group wedding to what happens when your wedding venue gets condemned. 

Retirement Community Honors Golden Anniversary Couples

Lasting love is celebrated beyond February 14 in one Central Florida 55+ community. The Meadows, in Tarpon Springs, honors golden anniversary couples monthly. 

It’s an impressive milestone – 50 years of marriage. A milestone only 7.7% of couples reach in the United States. 

The low percentage explains why there are only 13 couples in the Nifty Fifty club at The Meadows. The small group within the 55+ active adult community in Florida welcomes couples who have been married for 50 years or more. The group swaps love stories and bonds over their lasting romances.

“You’ve probably got a pretty good story if you’ve been married for over fifty years.”

Eldri Guldan-Zahn, The Meadows HOA President

Diamond Anniversary Marriages

That’s the case for one Nifty Fifty couple closing in on their diamond wedding anniversary. 

How long is that?

Here’s a hint – you’ve been married a long time if the suggested anniversary gift revolves around precious gems.

Elda and Gary Hinch celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary in October 2024. It’s a big milestone for a couple who married so quickly that they used total strangers as their wedding witnesses. 

Love Story: Unique Wedding Witness

It was another couple’s love and maybe fate that brought Elda and Gary together. 

Elda met Gary at a wedding that Gary wasn’t even invited to. It was August 1966 when Elda’s best friend tied the knot in Wisconsin near Fort McCoy. 

Gary stopped by to chat with Elda’s dad. The two men both served at Fort McCoy. At the time, Gary was serving a temporary duty assignment in Wisconsin. 

Elda’s father introduced his daughter and it was love at first sight. 

The couple dated for five weeks until Gary was called back to Colorado. He proposed shortly after returning to base. 

Elda wasted no time. 

She hitched a ride to Colorado. The couple immediately got a marriage license and found a church. There was no big ceremony, no formal photos – just the ones you see here. 

Family and friends were unable to attend the whirlwind wedding. So the couple asked strangers to serve as their best man and maid-of-honor – a church janitor and cleaning lady signed as their witnesses.

Their whirlwind ceremony was the start of something lasting.

The couple went on to raise their two daughters in Florida. Elda and Gary are now proud grandparents of 2 and great-grandparents of 2.

Downsizing in Retirement to Tarpon Springs

Gary and Elda raised their family in Florida before retiring in the Gulf Coast town of Tarpon Springs.

The couple originally considered downsizing with a move to Sun Valley. Their daughter lives in the resort-style community which features move-in ready homes. That’s when someone mentioned another Florida retirement village owned by Cove Communities – The Meadows.

Much like their relationship, it was love at first sight for Elda.

“The Meadows was just so pretty, clean, and so well-kept.”

Elda Hinch

The friendliness of the neighbors in The Meadows, and the quality and quantity of the activities sealed the deal. The Meadows offers resort amenities including a clubhouse and pool to the nearly 300 homeowners. There’s also a 55+ lifestyle program with community events, clubs, and entertainment. 

The couple found more than their perfect home or floor plan at The Meadows.

They found a true community and the Nifty Fifty.

Love Story: A Funeral Food Wedding

The great Nifty Fifty love stories don’t stop there at The Meadows. 

The community offers a monthly newsletter featuring a different couple. In a recent newsletter edition, you’ll find the rocky story behind one couple’s wedding. As HOA President Eldri Guldan-Zahn explains, if you can survive a disastrous wedding, your marriage can survive anything.

Steve Zahn and Eldri Guldan met on a blind date in 1969. They were engaged by 1971 with plans to get married in Wisconsin.

However, most of the wedding planning was out of their hands. Steve’s mother handled the 150-person guest list. Steve’s side accounted for 120.

His mother picked Nutterville Town Hall for the venue and to serve the food. She also chose the date.

The wedding was all set and then the unthinkable happened. 

Health inspectors condemned Nutterville Town Hall one week before the wedding. The doors were padlocked because the septic system failed according to Eldri.

It was a scramble to rebook everything.

The couple found a new venue that Eldri describes as a “rundown bar, gas station, convenience store, and small dance hall.” The Lutheran church took pity on the couple. Their Ladies’ Aid agreed to do “funeral food” for 75 cents a plate and a donation to the church. 

So what’s Wisconsin funeral food? Edlri and Steve’s wedding dinner included ham, scalloped potatoes, green beans, jello salad, and cookies. But they never even got to try it.

“It was a disaster! It poured rain,” Eldri explained.

She slipped and fell on the rice. The couple missed their photography session. The time crunch meant they were late for the funeral food dinner. Steve’s mom let the guests eat without the bride and groom. Instead, the wedding party celebrated with burgers at Henry’s Hamburger Stand. 

“Thinking back, it was pretty funny how it all worked out.”

The Zahn’s eventually retired to Tarpon Springs. They share four kids, four grandkids, and wouldn’t change a thing. 

“And the best part is, we’re still crazy about each other.”

Eldri Guldan-Zahn

Retirement Community in Florida Celebrates a Double Wedding

Milestone anniversaries aren’t the only love stories celebrated at Florida retirement communities this Valentine’s Day. 

Cypress Lakes Village recently hosted a unique double wedding. Residents used the clubhouse within the Lakeland, Florida community for the venue. 

Loretta and Gary Sheldon exchanged vows back-to-back last month with their neighbors Janet and Sue. Both couples planned to wed in 2025 so a double wedding in their 55+ community seemed like a natural choice. 

“We love it here. We’ve made so many friends. It’s not the house. It’s not even the amenities. It’s the community we’ve made with friends here that make this place special for us.”

Loretta Sheldon

It truly was a community event too. Neighbors Ann and Rene Langlois helped plan the big day. Ann decorated the Cypress Lakes Clubhouse for the ceremony. And Rene served as the officiant. 

The friendships run deep in Cypress Lakes Village. All three couples met within the community and now plan to honeymoon/vacation together in Mexico later this year.

Picking the Right Retirement Community for Couples

Cypress Lakes Village is a manufactured home community for anyone 55 years or older. The Lakeland retirement community includes 1,600 homes. It also offers resort-style living amenities, the Big Cypress Golf Club, and a lifestyle program offering a calendar full of activities. 

Communities like The Meadows and Cypress Lakes are excellent options for couples looking to downsize or retire. But these aren’t your only options. 

Couples recommend doing your research. See what the amenity options include in each community and pick a location that makes sense for your lifestyle. Start your home search online. 

Cove Communities offers retirement communities located throughout Florida from Ocala to Fort Myers. It’s all about finding the right fit where your love story can continue to unfold.