Mike and Ashley had a beautiful wedding ceremony in the Grotto and reception in the Ladyglen ballroom at Nazareth Hall. Their wedding was elegant and romantic and featured lots of flowers and greenery. The Grotto was decorated with a floral arch draped with white tulle. Inside the Lady Glen Ballroom, eucalyptus was strung alongside the twinkle lights and added such an elegant touch to the ballroom. Mike shared a dance with his grandmother and had a tribute song that played for his late mother when the mother/son typically takes place during a reception. During cocktail hour, he also played a song honoring his dad for all he had done raising him with his grandmother.

Ashley and Mike met in their 7th grade Language Arts class. Ashley said, “He was very outgoing, had a lot of friends and had that “bad boy” reputation. I was very shy and stuck to my close group of friends. He would pick on me. To be honest, I was a little intimidated by him. His excuse was that he had a crush on me. Eventually, he grew on me and we became close friends for the next 11 years before dating and then getting engaged.”

When I asked Ashley about the proposal story, she said, “Mike knew that I absolutely love Christmas and am very close with my family, so he decided to combine the two. The night of Christmas Eve, Mike faked a call that his brother had broken down on the side of the road and needed to go help. Later that night, as we pulled up to my grandparent’s house, I noticed my family was outside in the yard, which seemed odd on such a cold winter night. As I get out of the car, I notice the luminaries lining the driveway, leading to a big red heart made of candles. Inside the heart, Mike is standing with two dozen roses. I ran up the driveway screaming, still in disbelief. In front of my entire family, he got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. I could not stop screaming! I remember looking down at my hand and I could not get over how sparkly the ring was underneath the Christmas lights. Mike pulled off the ultimate surprise (which was incredible because he is a terrible liar) and made a Christmas I will never forget!”

Hair Stylist: Allison Whitmore
Makeup: Cristol Kratzer
Ceremony/Reception: Nazareth Hall
Florist: Gardenview
DJ/Uplighting: Class Act
Videographer: Fordham Footage
Wedding dress: Belle Amour
Suits: President Tuxedo
Bridesmaid dresses: Birdy Grey
Catering: Nazareth Hall
Photobooth: Picture Perfect Photobooths
Rings: Jeffrey Mann Fine Jewelers