The Meet Cute : Ashley joined a mutual friend to see a band play over Thanksgiving weekend , and she became friends with the singer , Justin . After a few weeks of exchanging bad puns and fun facts , they started dating .
The Engagement : Ashley and Justin took frequent group Disney trips together every year since 2013 . But on their December 2020 vacation , Justin had a different plan . Ashley suspected something was up , but couldn ’ t find a ring even after patting him down on their way to the destination . He hid the ring in his carry-on . After dinner at Skipper Canteen , Justin suggested getting a photo with the castle ’ s holiday lights and asked a passerby to snap their photo , then he surprised Ashley and popped the question for the last photo .
The First Look : For the ceremony , they chose to write each other ’ s vows and read them from the other person ’ s point of view . The first look was a chance to exchange more intimate , sentimental letters . The plan was to read them out loud to each other , but they had to quickly pivot after Justin read his “ Dear Ashley ” letter to save Ashley ’ s makeup from her unexpected tears .
The Venue : Five Bridge Inn was the first venue the couple saw , and they immediately knew it was the one . It ’ s a one-stop shop , and it even had the “ Bernie Barn ,” where previous wedding couples donated decor , including signage , furniture and other items for future use . The two claim that the best moments included the “ photo dash ,” when they ran to each table to snap a picture with guests before the end of one song , and the final couple ’ s dance when all the guests were invited to make their way to the afterparty , leaving the new bride and groom to have a last dance together alone in the venue . “ I still can ’ t think about it without getting teary eyed ; easily the most romantic moment of my life ,” Ashley says .
October 28 , 2022
The Accents : Prior to their engagement , the couple lost their dog Hercules to cancer . They hand drew place cards and included a few dog treats with each , noting that in lieu of favors , they made donations to both the adoption agency where they found Herc , and the hospital that tried to save him . Each card also included QR codes so guests could make an additional donation . Table “ numbers ” also included adoptable dogs , along with a QR code to their pages .
MEL COLVIN PHOTOGRAPHY @ MELCOLVINSTUDIOS
96 | ENGAGED IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND 2024