Ok, y'all. This couple was amazing. Their story is truly one for the books! Please meet Ashlee and Chris, who got married on a Thursday. That seems a bit of an odd day to get married to some, but for Ashlee and Chris it was their 5th dating anniversary that became their special day. When I met Ashlee and Chris, I could tell that this was going to be a great ceremony. It was going to be small, and at their home that they had just purchased in Baton Rouge. They only invited immediate family, who all came from out of state to be there and celebrate this beautiful couple.
I'll pause for a second to give a shout out to Krystal Troutt Photography, LLC for the AMAZING photos, and letting me use them for my blog. Her eye for a great picture is unrivaled. I mean, just wait until you see these pictures in this post!
So, the first thing that I found out about Ashlee and Chris was that they fell in love hard and that love grew and strengthened as their relationship went on. You could just tell that they were each other's person. They knew each other better than anyone ever will, and the way they looked at each other when I was interviewing them really showed just how much they cared for one another. Ashlee called out Chris on being a "crier," which I secretly LOVE when the groom gets emotional. It shows the depth of their love for their wife, and also breaks societal norms of "boys don't cry." We were all just blubbering messes when they did their vows, which they wrote themselves!
Ok, so let's get to the nitty gritty, fun stuff! How did Ashlee and Chris meet?
Ashlee and Chris met on a dating website, and Chris was the one to make the first move. Ashlee joked in the interview that when Chris emailed her it was the "first move and the last move he would ever make." They met approximately a week after. Chris was in Wisconsin for a job training which just so happened to be the place where Ashlee was residing at the time. The met on the 13th of June, which would soon become the date of their wedding!
Around the first week of them dating, Chris found out that he would be leaving Wisconsin in the next two weeks! Ashlee said she remembered talking to her mom about Chris leaving, and saying that he was a really nice guy, but she had no intentions of going to D.C. So after three weeks of dating, right as Chris was about to leave, Ashlee said there was a conversation about their future. She told Chris that she didn't want to date anyone else, and Chris felt the same way. So in that moment, Ashlee said "Well, that settles it." Chis was a tad bit confused, so Ashlee quickly explained, "I guess I'm moving to D.C. with you."
So they did long distance for about a year and a half before Ashlee had the opportunity to move. Finally, Chris got permanently placed in D.C. and Ashlee was able to shift careers and head to D.C. with him. So amazing! Approximately a year and a half before they got married, they moved to Baton Rouge, and bought their first house together.
While long distance can be hard, Ashlee explained that a fair amount of good things can come from a long-distance relationship, namely communication and trust. Ashlee said that she and Chris made communication and trust a priority in their relationship and put them at the forefront. She said these aspects of their relationship continue to stay strong today, which is solid relationship advice.
So, how did Chris propose? Get ready y'all, this is a good one:
HE WROTE AND PLAYED GUITAR IN AN ALBUM AND GAVE IT TO ASHLEE!!
WHAT?!
Yes, he wrote 6 songs reflecting their journey together, recorded them, and put them in an envelope and brought them to Ashlee at their home (her work). He made it sound like a delivery because Ashlee had mentioned something about three Amazon deliveries earlier, and she was trying to work. Ashlee listened to the album and then, later on that evening, Chris took Ashlee out on their back patio and asked her to marry him!
What a way to step up the proposal game?! You could tell that everything Chris did was well thought out and carefully placed because of the amount of love he has for Ashlee. She mentioned that she really enjoyed that it was just them when he proposed instead of a huge party or lots of people. Ashlee said they were very private people who put their family and friends first. You could tell that these were two people who loved deeply and cared endlessly.
If you've noticed, in all of the pictures, you see me with a microphone. Not that I would need it in such a small, intimate wedding such as theirs, however, they live-streamed their wedding so all of their friends back home could watch and join in this special day! It was my first live-streamed wedding, so I was a bit nervous to mess up, but it was great and everything worked (thank goodness for no rain!).
Here's to you Melson's! Thanks for being a Timeless Weddings couple!!
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