SPANISH FORT, Ala.—Valentine’s Day for many is a day of flowers, chocolates and fancy dinners.

But for Westminster Village couple Bettye Atkison and Ray Stanton, it will be a day they won’t forget.

The couple—who are in their 70s—met and fell in love at the retirement community and will be married in a private ceremony on Valentine’s Day.

“He’ll always remember our anniversary,” Atkison joked, explaining why they chose Feb. 14. “We just felt like this is the perfect time  of year and day.”

The couple met in June 2007; Atkison was taking a stroll through the community when she noticed Stanton washing his car. After seeing each other here and there, she decided to stop by for a chat.

The pair set up their first date, September that year. Mother Nature didn’t allow that date to happen when a tropical storm threatened Spanish Fort, but the pair rescheduled and knew then that they wanted to be together.

“We’re very much looking forward to being married,” Atkison said. “What I think makes this union special is I believe God brought us together.”

“I had prayed to the Lord that he would put him in my path,” she said, referring to her faith in finding new love. Atkison was married for 49 years before she lost her husband to lung cancer in 2004.

Stanton was married for 44 years before he lost his wife in 2007 after complications from knee surgery.

Losing a life partner after so many years gave Atkison and Stanton some pause about their own future, but ultimately they set aside their fears and realized the benefits of a new union.  

“One thing about losing your spouse is having someone to share life with,” Atkison said. “I think we were both a little hesitant at this age (to  re-marry) but are very much looking forward to being married and sharing life together.”

The couple was engaged about three weeks ago; Atkison said it was something they had talked about for some time when the pair went to a jewelry store and picked out a ring together.

“It’s quite something,” Stanton said, of the 14-kt. white gold trellis-style ring.

“It looked like something to me that was an investment,” Atkison said. “It’s so gorgeous.”

Atkison said she was going to keep the engagement a secret, but couldn’t help wanting to show off her shiny new engagement ring.

“I let the secret out myself,” Atkison said. “I just couldn’t help it, I was so excited.”

Atkison will wear a navy blue pants suit for the ceremony and a T-length champagne beige dress with jacket for the reception.

Stanton will wear a sports coat and pants for the ceremony and a navy suit for the reception.

After the Valentine’s Day ceremony, the newlyweds plan to have dinner in Fairhope.

The next day, the Mr. and Mrs. will celebrate with a reception from 1 to 3 p.m. at the retirement community, where all its residents may celebrate with cake, punch, coffee, mints and nuts.

The cake will be white with lemon filling and hearts decorated along the bottom.

The color red will not only be seen on her cake with the Valentine’s Day theme; her wedding gift from her fiance was a shiny new red Cadillac CTS.

“I had always dreamed of a red  Cadillac,” she said.

Stanton, a Monroeville, Ala., native came to Westminster in November 2006. He worked in life insurance sales for 19 years.

Atkison, an Evergreen, Ala., native, came here in 2004. She worked as a budget officer with the civil service for 35 years and is retired from the Englin Air Force Base in Pensacola, Fla.

This month the couple will finish settling in together after combining their two apartments; Atkison will move out of her apartment and into his.

To make living accommodations easier, Stanton is having his closet reconstructed.

The couple will honeymoon in the spring and are considering Blowing Rock, N.C.

“It’s just a quaint little town,” Stanton said. “It’s a very pretty place, very romantic. We went for her birthday last year and she loved it.”