ASHLEE + BETHANY'S MASSACHUSETTS BACKYARD WEDDING
Ashlee and Bethany originally set a date of October 10, 2020 to get married at the Springfield Country Club in West Springfield, MA. Little did they know, the universe had other plans for them.
Ashlee's dad was diagnosed with cancer four years ago, and his strength had been declining. Her dream of having her father walk her down the aisle and dance with her on her wedding day needed to become a reality.
The couple had a socially distant visit with Ashlee's mother on a Sunday afternoon, where they learned that time with Ashlee’s father was of the essence. That day, the couple decided to plan their wedding for the following weekend, in just 6 days.
This is when I received a text from Bethany explaining the situation. Honestly, I hadn’t left my house in weeks and was floored by the situation they were in. I thought they were so brave to celebrate in the moment and of course I said yes to covering the event for them.
I love when a wedding day is both the beginning and end of a long chapter in a couple’s story, and this couldn’t be more true for Ashlee and Bethany.
They met in high school in 2004, where they became acquainted through mutual friends. They would see each other often throughout the years at a mutual friend’s house, where they couldn't deny the connection they had.
They started dating in Winter of 2007, but were at different points in their lives so ended up parting ways. Bethany joined the Cathedral High School Cheerleading squad where Ashlee was her coach, and though the feelings were very much still there, they did not pursue their relationship again as it still was not the right time. They would see each other once a year every year following, and to Ashlee, Bethany was always known as "the one that got away."
Some may say that fate brought Bethany and Ashlee back together. At the end of the summer of 2018, Bethany reached out to Ashlee as a friend to offer a listening ear and a lot of laughs. They spent time catching up on their lives from the previous 14 years. Through ups and downs, making new memories, and reminiscing on the beginning of their love story so long ago, it became very clear that they were meant to be together-the forever part would come soon thereafter.
They began traveling together and by reconnecting with each others families again, friends, both new and old, their connection grew stronger. On August 24, 2019, the couple was engaged while surrounded by all of their closest family and friends.
The positive energy and goodwill that these two have together is incredible. They both come from strong families full of love and support. Ashlee works on the front lines of the COVID fight at Mercy Medical Center as a Nurse Educator in the Emergency Department. Bethany is a Customer Success Manager for Adirondack Solutions and (pre-quarantine days) spent a lot of time traveling to colleges around the country to train and consult clients on various software platforms.
Through the help of their family and friends they were able to put together the most beautiful backyard celebration in just 6 days. They had a small ceremony followed by dances, a toast, and a car parade of friends, family, and coworkers.
The amount of love and support we received to make our day possible was absolutely incredible. People offered help in any way they could; from building a dance floor and an arbor, organizing a car "parade," our jeweler allowing us to borrow wedding bands, Ashlee's bridal boutique letting her borrow her dress, flowers done in 48 hours, our gym coach became our officiant for the day, wedding decorations donated, meals prepared, a wedding planner who wore several hats throughout the day (DJ, decorator, bouquet holder, dress adjuster, waitress... to name a few), and a kick ass photographer and videographer to capture it all. With our families by our side, and our friends honking and waving, we could not have asked for a better way to start our lives together. - Ashlee and Bethany
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