Meet Ashley and Curt. They are awesome. I should stop typing now and let the photos show you how much fun they are! 😉 This past June they married at the rustic and photogenic venue Perona Farms in Andover, New Jersey. I first met Ashley and Jill & Bowie’s wedding a couple years ago; she was the maid of honor and the photo of Ashley giving her tearful toast turned out to be one of my favorite photos from that wedding! Fast forward to now. It was great seeing Jill and Bowie back in town to celebrate with Ashley and Curt, who have so much fun and chemistry together that I found myself laughing along with them all day long.
Here’s their story, as told by Ashley:
How did you meet? Our story began during our sophomore year in high school. Our mutual friend introduced us during lunch one day. Curt’s contagious laugh and incredible sense of humor is what caught my attention first. Being shy, I watched him get swooped up by another girl. The summer before our senior year, I heard he was single and I just happened to “need” firewood. While there I invited him over to hang out with us and that is when the sparks began to fly.
The proposal: Curt and I took a trip to one of our favorite places, St. Johns, U.S.V.I. Curt had plans to propose to me on top of Rams Head Trail for a few years, but about a month before our trip I hurt me knee. This led him to think about a plan B option while we were away!!! While he was planning another location, everyone on the trip kept insisting that we go on this hike which was unusual for Curt because he hates hiking in the heat! This is when I figured out what he was about to plan! Knowing what was waiting for me at the top of Rams Head Trail made the hike very exciting for me, but very nerve wracking for Curt! We all enjoyed watching the sunrise and I especially enjoyed the view of my future husband sweating bullets as he planned the perfect spot!! When the sun was up, he got down on one knee and asked me to be his forever!! It was the most surreal, special moment we shared together until our wedding day!
What’s next on your calendar as a couple? We are excited to have the time to create our house into a home!!! We plan on adopting a puppy when we get back from our Honeymoon in Ireland. The next year or so, we plan on traveling around the United States. We have plans to trek through the National Parks, off road in a few ATV Parks, shred the slopes this winter and eat and drink our way through California. After that, we will settle down and start a family of our own!
How/why did you choose your venue? We both wanted to get married in a barn, but after doing some research, most barns required you to bring in every vendor. This to me seemed like too much stress on the actual wedding day! So when we came across Perona Farms, I got really excited that they did everything. Perona Farms was the only venue we saw and we signed on the dotted line before leaving!! We were so incredibly happy with our choice, everything was spectacular!
What were some of your favorite moments from your wedding day? Getting pampered and ready with my girls, it was so relaxing! Watching my husband tear up as he turned around to see me for the first time. Passing around and drinking out of the champagne bottle with my parents and nanny before we said I DO! Getting cake shoved in my face and dancing the night away!!!! The entire day was absolutely incredible, it was truly the best day ever!!
Any advice for future couples planning their wedding? Give yourself enough time and just enjoy every minute of the planning process! We had so much fun throughout the entire year and half of planning, that I missed it when it was all over! Tip: Keep your planning circle very small because what I observed from friends getting married, is too many opinions is what causes all the stress!
