Real Wedding | Ashley + Evan | September 5, 2020
Ashley and Evan are the kind of couple you wish you could celebrate with again and again. Their September 5, 2020 wedding day at the Cliff House was nothing but perfection from beginning to end, and we couldn’t be more honored to have been a part of their incredible celebration.
With a recent feature on Brides of North Texas, we are so excited to relive Ashley and Evan’s wedding day with you. They shared with us a little bit about their love story, and the memories they hold dear from last fall. Enjoy!
From Ashley:
We met organically through mutual friends! Although we had probably been in the same place at the same time on several prior occasions, but it wasn’t until we were both at the same New Year’s Eve party in 2016 that I noticed Evan. He was dancing alone to every single song, and I thought “he seems like a fun guy!” We started spending a lot of time together after that and the rest is history!
We were engaged on December 31st and I pretty much had our entire wedding planned by the end of February—before COVID19 was a thing. Even then, my goal was for the day to be relaxed and joyful. I wanted to keep things simple so that we could really be present and enjoy the special day with the people closest to us. Evan and I agreed upon a color scheme and a simple bohemian theme, but both of us wanted to keep décor and florals minimal. (That’s the really wonderful thing about Cliff House…it is a stunning establishment even without décor, so you really can choose to be as simple or as elaborate as you wish!)
This allowed us to put more resources into the experience of the day and to invest more time in our timeline and how we would be able to interact with each other and our guests.
We were both looking for a bright and intimate space that resembled a church. Our church building was destroyed by the tornadoes early in 2020 ruling this out as our ceremony venue. Cliff House was all of that and more! The wooden floors, large windows, and white pillars are absolutely stunning. I didn’t need to see another venue after our visit to Cliff House. Not only was the venue perfect, but the assistance prepping and planning for the day was a bonus we did not expect. Carly helped us plan our timeline, choose our linens, select our food, and was there for our rehearsal and the day-of taking care of every little detail behind the scenes. We were faced with a lot of difficult decisions in our planning due to COVID, and Cliff House and Boxwood Hospitality could not have been more accommodating.
Evan and his groomsmen got ready at The Fairmont Hotel, which is where we encouraged our guests to stay. The girls got ready in a suite at The Crescent. Evan’s aunts brought us a huge spread of snacks and mimosas to help us power through the long morning of hair and makeup. We had hair and makeup done by Tease to Please and they were absolutely incredible! We both commented on how calm and relaxed we were the morning of. We expected our nerves to be running rampant, but we knew we had planned all we could plan so we were able to sit back and be present.
Every moment feels special to me! I walked down the aisle to one of my favorite songs and seeing Evan waiting for me is a moment I will never forget. Our home group leader, Henry, was our officiant and his words were beautiful and exactly what we wanted our guests to hear and what we needed to hear as we venture into this next chapter.
Evan and I got to slip away during the cocktail hour to eat a quick dinner together and it was such a sweet experience. We were both so happy! I still well up with joy when I think about it. I would really encourage couples to plan a private meal together before beginning their reception. The day goes quickly and can wind up a blur if you don’t take the time to slow down.
Evan was in charge of music, and it was perfect! One of the perks of having a COVID wedding was that we felt we were able to play exactly what we wanted. Every single song was special to us, and we were elated to see all of our guests on the dance floor the entire night!
Our day was PERFECT! Throughout the planning process I was continually reminded that the day was bound to have a lot of hiccups. Maybe we were just lucky or too excited to notice, but there isn’t a single thing I would change about that day. It was full of love and happiness, and we were surrounded by our favorite people in the whole world!
For future couples, decide what is most important to each of you and budget accordingly. I knew I wanted a certain style of photography and Evan’s priority was our music. We sought out those vendors first and then filled in the holes from there. When wedding planning gets stressful (and it does…even with the best help), remember the purpose of the day. Marriage is such a beautiful gift. Both Evan and I have attended many weddings and we never remember the food or the flowers or the bride’s dress. We remember how we felt getting to be a part of such an intimate event between two people we love. Stay focused on each other and don’t sweat the small stuff! This applies to your wedding day and to the rest of your life!
Thank you, Ashley and Evan, for sharing these beautiful memories with us! We are so thankful to have our Dallas Chapel at the backdrop for your wedding day, and we wish you nothing but the best in years to come. Cheers!
Vendor Team:
