Destined for a Beautiful Life

By Debbie Lagestee • Photos by Valerie & Ed Photography

Lindsay Smith is originally from Green Bay, Wisconsin, but she’s a southern girl at heart. Growing up, she always dreamed of escaping the cold weather. While in high school and choosing where to go to college, she drew a line across the US map and said, “I am going somewhere south of this line.” She held true to her word and attended Coastal Carolina University, minutes away from Myrtle Beach, SC, leaving Green Bay in her rearview mirror. Adam Smith grew up in Danville, VA. His family vacationed in Myrtle Beach when he was in high school, and he loved it, so when choosing a college, Coastal Carolina University was perfect for him.

Lindsay and Adam crossed paths during the first semester of their freshman year at Coastal Carolina. They would meet again as Adam moved into the dorm for the second semester. It just so happened that he moved in right across the hallway from Lindsay. During move-in, Adam’s parents randomly met Lindsay in the hallway and mentioned to her how great it would be if she met Adam. Adam’s mom told him about the encounter and said to Adam, “She’s a cute girl. You should ask her out.” A few weeks later, Lindsay’s parents visited her for her birthday. They ran into Adam and talked to him briefly. Lindsay’s dad said to her, “He’s really cute.” Both parents encouraged them to get together, like destiny.

Adam took his mom’s advice and asked Lindsay out. On their first date, they went out to dinner at Flamingo Grill. They dated for 7 years, and on November 1, 2010, they returned to the restaurant of their first date and then walked the beach, where Adam got down on one knee and proposed. Adam was so nervous he turned the ring box upside down, and the ring nearly fell into the sand. Lindsay was overjoyed, of course, she said yes! Adam also surprised her with an engagement party immediately following the proposal at a friend’s beach house, where they celebrated with their families and closest friends.

They exchanged their vows in a lovely church ceremony in June 2012. The 225 guests were invited to share their joy and celebrate the new Mr. and Mrs. Smith at Marina Inn at Grand Dunes in Myrtle Beach. It was a blissful and fun-filled reception. The gorgeous bride and groom had their first dance as their guest waved sparklers. Adam and his groomsman conspired with the DJ and pulled off a flash-mob-style synchronized dance to the song Call Me Maybe. Lindsay and Adam danced the night away with their loved ones. Adam recalls it was a perfect day, “My favorite memory of the day was watching Lindsay walk down the aisle and seeing her for the first time.”

Adam and Lindsay have 2 beautiful children. Grayson is the oldest. He is 9 years old and is a sports fanatic. He is naturally athletic and talented. He plays football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. Adam coaches all of his teams except for soccer. Grayson loves watching football games with his dad. His favorite professional football team is the Carolina Panthers, and Adam’s favorite is the Washington Commanders. Adam takes Grayson to Washington, DC, for an annual father-son trip and a football game. They also love going to watch their teams play at different stadiums as the visiting team. Grayson loves to follow all the sports stats and knows all the players’ names. First thing in the morning, he gets on his iPad to check the scores and the stats of the previous night’s games. Grayson has recently started playing golf with Adam. In school, his favorite subject is math.

Stella is 6 years old and a mix of sweet and spicy. She loves school and loves to learn and read. She is always determined to do her best. Stella has been dancing since she was 3 years old. She currently does ballet at the Dance Conservatory of Charleston. She had the honor of dancing the role of a Dream Fairy in the Nutcracker Ballet at the Sottile Theatre in Charleston last December. She loves playing with her Barbies and wearing lipgloss.

While at Coastal Carolina University, Lindsay earned a degree in marketing with a focus on fashion and art. Currently, she is a nanny for a family friend’s children. It had allowed her to be a stay-at-home mom to her kids before they were in school. Now, she has the flexibility to manage and keep up with all of the kids’ activities and busy schedules. Adam earned his undergrad degree in accounting and a Master’s degree in Business Administration. He is currently the CFO of a regional development company based in Charlotte, NC. Adam works in the Charleston office and travels to Charlotte 2-3 times per month. He loves his job and the company.

They greatly emphasize family and work balance, which he appreciates. It enables him to be available for Grayson’s sports and Stella’s dance events.

The Smiths have lived in the Oakhurst section of Carolina Bay for 8 years. They chose the neighborhood because they loved the idea of being surrounded by amazing people and young families. With small kids, it is easy to take advantage of all the amenities. They enjoy the pools, parks, and community events. They especially love the Christmas and fall events in the park. Food Truck Fridays are a family favorite!

Lindsay says, “We absolutely love our neighborhood and our neighbors. Our cul-de-sac is a must-see during Halloween. We live on Dweller Court, where everyone is active in decorating for the Holidays, especially Halloween. We go all out with the decorations and really enjoy seeing the kids’ expressions when walking by. People come from all over to see our displays. We have been adding to our display for 8 years. Our cul-de-sac was featured on Live 5 news this past Halloween.” People often ask them where they keep the Halloween decorations. Lindsay jokes, “Let’s just say we don’t park our cars in the garage.”

Adam and Lindsay love to travel, and it’s a huge part of their lives. They enjoy all kinds of trips. They go on a yearly adult-only trip with friends, choosing a different location every year. Most recently, they went to Mexico and Key West. During spring break last year, they had a fantastic beach vacation in Destin, Florida, with 3 other families. This year the same group is heading to Playa del Carmen, Mexico. They travel well together, and the kids have the best time. Adam takes a long guys’ weekend to play golf with 15 close friends. One of their favorite places was staying at Kiawah Resort and playing the Ocean Course.

Over the holidays, the Smith Family had a whirlwind couple of weeks of travel, starting in Asheville, NC, with their friends from the neighborhood. They took the Polar Express Train Ride in Bryson City. Drinking hot chocolate and singing songs in holiday pajamas was a fun way to celebrate Christmas with dear friends. From there, they flew to New York City, where they were on the go for 4 straight days visiting all the sights New York has to offer. They toured Empire State Building, went ice skating at Rockefeller Center, explored Bryant and Central Parks, and saw the Broadway show Aladdin. They had fabulous meals in Little Italy, and Chinatown had frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity and ate from all the local food trucks.

The kids loved shopping at the FAO Schwartz toy store, the Lego store, and Stella especially loved the American Girl Doll store. From New York, they made their way to Gatlinburg, TN, to spend Christmas with Adam’s parents and 3 of his 5 siblings and their kids. It was a magical Christmas in a spectacular mountain home big enough for all 18 of them.

Adam loves to take spur-of-the-moment weekend getaways. They surprised the kids when they kicked off their first trip of 2023 with a trip to Disney in January. They go annually and try to stay at a different Disney resort each time. They love spending time together as a family and making special memories.

Lindsay knew she was destined to move somewhere south. Little did she know she would meet her amazing husband, and they were destined for a beautiful life! Lindsay and Adam are thankful their parents pushed them toward each other and are grateful for the life they built together.